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www.buyusa.gov/studyusa

#### Country Feature: Taiwan

For decades, Taiwan has been among the largest sources of international
students for U.S. institutions of higher education. According to the
Institute of International Education (IIE), the number of Taiwan
students peaked at 37,581 between 1993 and 1994. Taiwan student
population topped all foreign students in the United States between 1987
and 1988. Currently, Taiwan is the sixth largest source of foreign
students in the U.S.

The number of Taiwan students going to the U.S., however, has been
declining in recent years. In a recent report published by IIE, the
number of Taiwan students registered in U.S. schools between 2003 and
2004 was 6.6 percent lower than the previous year. Industry experts
attribute the decline to several reasons: fierce competition from the
UK, Australia and Canada; new opportunities in Europe and even China;
more choices at home as the number of local universities and graduate
programs have increased significantly; and the general perception after
9/11 that U.S. student visas are hard to obtain.

Despite intense competition from other countries, the U.S. remains the
top destination for Taiwan students studying abroad with a market share
of about 50 percent. In order to maintain the U.S. position, U.S.
schools need to understand Taiwan's changing educational environment and
to step up their marketing efforts. Some recommended market strategies
include greater participation in education fairs, increased use of
commercial agents, the offering of more scholarships, providing
conditional admissions to international students and the establishment
of joint programs with local schools.

The top three areas of interest for Taiwan students who study abroad
continue to be: MBA/ business; Teaching English for Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL) degree and short-term programs; and Computer Science
degree programs. Many professionals are also interested in short-term
ESL studies or professional training certificate programs.

According to industry analysts, MBA programs are still the most popular
among students who want to go overseas for advanced degrees. One in
three of the students applying for graduate programs abroad are
interested in an MBA program. Of the total 32,016 foreign student visas
issued in 2002, 10,000 of the Taiwan students chose to study in an MBA
program. Dual degrees such as MBA/ME, Management/Engineering, or
Management/Computer Science are gaining popularity as many Taiwan high
tech executives, hoping to move up the career ladder to management
positions, have found an MBA very helpful. They especially are
interested in courses in project management and product marketing. MBA
programs with focus on finance, marketing, human resources and
accounting continue to be popular. In selecting MBA programs, content,
networking and branding are the most important factors students take
into consideration.

TESOL & Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) programs continue
to be high on the list for students wanting to study abroad. In recent
years, the government has included English as part of the high school
curriculum, starting from grade three in the elementary school, thus
creating a demand for English teachers in both the public schools and
the private cram schools. Parents in Taiwan regard English as a very
important subject in which their children should excel in order to
compete in the global economy. They normally send their children to
bilingual pre-schools, or English cram schools at a very early age. With
the market demand ever growing, the interest for people pursuing a
degree, or certificate, in TESOL remains very high.

Taiwan's economic success relies heavily on high-tech industries, such
as the semiconductor and the optoelectronics industries. As a result,
interest in going abroad to study computer science or electronic
engineering is still high. However, this number is dwindling due to the
increase in the number of local universities and technical colleges
offering computer science or electronic engineering studies. Other
computer-related areas that have been gaining interest from Taiwan
students are multimedia animation and electronic commerce.

*The above article is excerpted from an industry sector analysis
produced by the U.S. Commercial Service, Taipei office. See page 4 for
titles of additional reports that you can request free of charge.*

####  Illinois Education Success Story 

Study USA Fair Facilitates Education Exports

**Dominican University School of Business** has been working with Trade
Specialist Debra Rogers of the Chicago Export Assistance Center since
August 2003, on the international marketing of the school\'s educational
programs.

In November 2003, Dominican's Director of International Recruitment for
the School of Business, Ms. Tanaz Irani, participated in a telebriefing
on the Indian education market organized by the Commercial Service
education team of which Ms. Rogers is a member. During this briefing,
the upcoming Study USA India fairs in February 2004 were also discussed
in detail. The call stimulated Ms. Irani's interest in the fairs, in
which she subsequently participated.

At all three stops of the Study USA India Tour, the Commercial Service
in India arranged briefings for the participants by the Senior
Commercial Officers, the U.S. Educational Foundation in India, and the
embassy/ consulate economic, public affairs, and consular (visa)
sections. Dominican University also took advantage of the opportunity to
make a solo presentation to participating students.

As a direct result of Ms. Irani\'s participation in the Study USA India
education fairs, Dominican University enrolled four new students from
India. So the total impact of this education \"export\" was significant,
and the income for Dominican in terms of additional tuition easily
offset the cost of the trip.

As of September 2004, Ms. Irani noted, \"We have a list of 78 active
prospects who will hopefully turn into graduate students in subsequent
semesters. I believe that the tour has helped bring greater awareness of
our Institution and the high quality academic programs we offer in
management and information systems. I constantly receive enquiries from
students who attended the fairs.\"

Ms. Irani is planning a recruiting trip to India again in February 2005,
This time she will participate in the fairs organized by Linden Tours
and supported by the U.S. Commercial Service under its trade fair
certification program.

####  U.S. Department of Commerce-Sponsored Promotional Events 

*To request further information on any of the following events, please
check the items of interest and complete the form on page 4 or send an
e-mail to <debra.rogers@mail.doc.gov>.*

-   **March 5 -- 12, 2005: U.S. Pavilion at Expo BELTA Trade Fair-
    Brazil**

> The U.S. Department of Commerce - U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) in
> Brazil, working in partnership with BELTA - Brazilian Educational &
> Language Travel Association, will organize a USA Pavilion in the
> ExpoBelta 2005, the most important education trade fair in Brazil. The
> show will be held in the four most important cities in Brazil: São
> Paulo, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador. 20,000 visitors are
> expected. The sixth annual ExpoBelta - Education Expo exibitors will
> include language schools, colleges, universities, official tourist
> boards, sports and cultural centers from the U.S.A., Argentina,
> Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Spain and the U.K.

-   **April 9 -- 11, 2005: Study USA Fair 2005 - Hong Kong**

> The Commercial Service Hong Kong is organizing its second solo \"Study
> USA Fair\" at the Excelsior Hotel on April 9th, and at the Macau
> Central Library on April 10. The Fair will exhibit U.S. education
> institutions that are interested in recruiting students from Hong Kong
> and Macau. In addition, the Commercial Service Guangzhou, China is
> co-organizing a school visit to two International Schools in Guangzhou
> for US educational institutions to present their information.

-   **April 19 -- 22, 2005: 3^rd^ Fair Education USA Chile 2005- Chile**

> The Education USA Fair is organized by the educational advising center
> in Chile, an office affiliated with the US State Department and
> committed to promoting higher education in the USA. The third annual
> Education USA Fair is the only one of its kind on a national level, as
> no other fair covers all three major cities that boast the highest
> concentration of potential students: Santiago, Valparaiso/Vina del Mar
> and Concepcion.

-   **September 26 -- 29, 2005: MBA Fair 2005 - Sweden, Switzerland,
    Germany**

> The MBA Fair of the U.S. Commercial Service will be in its ninth year
> in 2005 and has proven to be a pivotal platform for international MBA
> marketing. The U.S. Commercial Service in Switzerland will organize
> the fair in 2005 in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service in
> Hamburg, Germany and Stockholm, Sweden. The fair will be held in
> Stockholm, September 26, Zurich, September 28, and Hamburg, September
> 29. The fair is designed for U.S. universities with MBA programs to
> exhibit in cities not regularly covered by the larger MBA/University
> recruitment fairs. It has a track record of producing results for its
> exhibitors who appreciate the smaller venue and the quality of the
> visitors, generally young professionals.

**Save the Date**

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-   **September 2005: CS Southeast Asia Trade Mission**

**Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia** (focus on technical training & online
learning)

-   **September 21- October 15, 2005: Eastern Mediterranean Study USA
    Tour** Morocco, Israel, West Bank, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt

-   **November 10-13, 2005: Universitarea Education Fair, Mexico City**

> U.S. Commercial Service will organize a U.S. pavilion

## 

## *Updated information on these events can also be found at www.buyusa.gov/studyusa*

***New* Market Research**

Our specialists abroad develop market research to help you evaluate
markets for your educational services. Research ranges from short
reports on areas of opportunity to detailed market reports. Below are
some examples of the type of market research available at no cost.
Customized market research is also available at a fee.

**Country Reports:** (check box & fax to us for the complete report or
request via e-mail)

-   **Switzerland**: Education & Training Equipment & Supplies Market
    (01/10/05)

-   ***Spain:*** Premiere E-Learning Congress (01/04/05)

-   ***Taiwan:*** Educational Services Market

> (12/29/04)

-   ***South Korea:*** Corporate Education Market in Korea (10/28/2004)

-   ***Jamaica:*** Opportunities for U.S. Universities (10/14/04)

-   ***Italy***: The Market for U.S. MBA's

> 10/01/04

-   ***Hong Kong:*** Partner Institutions Sought for Joint Hospitality
    Degree Programs (9/27/04)

-   ***China:*** Promising Market for MBA & EMBA Education in East China
    (9/08/2004)