With a multi-million dollar increase in educational subsidies for doctoral and post-doctoral students, Taiwan aims to enhance academic research and intensify its strategy to internationalize the education sector by attracting more inbound international students.
Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council has announced an increase in subsidies for doctoral and postdoctoral students, aimed at advancing academic research and nurturing domestic talent.
This announcement follows the recent Semicon Taiwan event, highlighting Taiwan’s leadership in the semiconductor industry. NSTC Minister Wu Tsung-tsong emphasized the need to avoid complacency despite the nation’s robust technological sectors.
Expanding beneficiaries
Previously limited to 300 beneficiaries annually, the NSTC is expanding eligibility to 1,000 students. Qualifying doctoral students will receive a monthly stipend of NT$40,000 (US$1,250) for the first three years of their studies. However, students must choose between subsidies from the NSTC or those provided by the Ministry of Education.
For the current year, the total funding allocated for this subsidy program stands at NT$4.94 billion (US$154.48 million), with plans to increase it to NT$6.509 billion (US$203.54 million) next year.
Postdoctoral researchers are set to receive a monthly remuneration of NT$62,400 (US$1,951) starting from the upcoming year. The council is also raising the maximum number of postdoctoral hires to 2,400, up from the previous limit of 2,300.
Aiding internationalization
This increase in funding aligns with Taiwan’s broader goals of internationalizing its education sector. Taiwan has been actively working to attract more international students, and the enhanced investment in educational subsidies further solidifies its appeal as a destination for academic pursuits. Taiwan aims to foster a thriving research environment to retain domestic talent and attract intellectuals from around the globe.
Students and researchers currently benefiting from the program have welcomed the increased subsidies. Tung Yi-hsien, a postdoctoral researcher at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Statistical Science, believes that these grants will inspire more students to pursue higher education by alleviating financial burdens.
Pan Tse-an, a student at the National Central University Institute of Material Science and Engineering, and Lee Sin-jin, an alumnus of the National Taiwan University, also have positive expectations about how the subsidy program will motivate students to expand their research activities.
