The Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) announced that it sent a delegation, led by FICHET Chairperson Cheng-Chih Wu, to attend the 33rd Annual European Association for International Education (EAIE) Conference and Exhibition. As the largest and most representative international education exchange event in Europe, the Conference took place in Rotterdam from September 26 to 29. The delegation included over 50 representatives from across 24 higher education institutions including 23 Taiwanese universities and FICHET.
"Taiwan's robust presence at the Annual EAIE 2023 Conference underscored our commitment to academic partnerships across borders, particularly with European countries", noted Chairperson Wu. "Our dual presence, both physical and virtual, showcased the dynamic and innovative spirit of Taiwan's higher education sector. Through initiatives like Taiwan Night and the expansion of Taiwan-EU scholarships, we bridged continents and academic communities for a more interconnected world".
Embracing this year's conference theme of "Connecting Currents", FICHET's Study in Taiwan brand, which facilitates international students pursuing higher education in Taiwan, had a presence both physically at the venue and virtually on the EAIE Virtual Platform. The virtual booth highlighted the many opportunities for study and research in Taiwan's higher education institutions, both online and offline, thereby showcasing the range of innovation and technological prowess of Taiwan's higher education industry.
To further encourage cross-border relationship building, FICHET hosted the "Taiwan Night" networking banquet at the Mainport Hotel. This social event served as a convivial occasion for Taiwanese universities in the delegation to interact and engage with key partners and representatives of sister schools. Around 100 universities representatives attended, and the event aimed to strengthen relationships with partner schools while showcasing Taiwan's warm hospitality and cultural spirit.
Taiwan has been continuously promoting academic exchange with European countries in the past several years through several measures, such as the "Ministry of Education EU Scholarship", the "New Erasmus Program", and the "Taiwan-Europe Connection Scholarship". Recently, the "Taiwan-Europe Connection Scholarship" was expanded to offer up to 700 scholarship opportunities to partner universities and their students.