24 Taiwan universities in Japan to attract foreign students

Tokyo, July 16 (CNA) A total of 24 universities from Taiwan and the Taiwan Mandarin Educational Resources Center took part in an exhibition to attract foreign students in the Japanese city of Kumamoto on Kyushu Island on Wednesday.

It was the first exhibition held along with a biennial forum co-organized by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) and the Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange, the organizers said in a statement.

Japan is one of the top four countries of origin for international students studying in Taiwan, said Lee Yu-jiuan (李毓娟) head of the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education of Taiwan's Ministry of Education, in her opening speech at the 2025 Taiwan-Japan University Presidents' Forum hosted by Kumamoto University.

As of 2025, "8,779 Japanese students are studying in Taiwan, with more than 3,200 enrolled in Mandarin programs, reflecting strong educational and cultural exchange," Lee said.

"The choice of Kumamoto as the host city also reflects growing connections between Taiwan and Kumamoto in the semiconductor sector," said FICHET Chairperson Li Tsai-yen (李蔡彥), who also serves as president of National Chengchi University in Taipei.

Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) operates a fab through its majority-owned Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing in Kumamoto and was set to begin construction of a second one this year.

However, TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said on the sideline of a shareholders' meeting in Hsinchu City on June 3 that residents' complaints about a surge in traffic Kumamoto has led to a delay in breaking ground for the second fab.

During the forum in Kumamoto, National Taiwan Normal University, National Chengchi University, Shih Chien University, and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology also presented Taiwan's talent development and nurturing in the fields of education, business management, design, as well as artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

According to FICHET, the 24 universities and the Mandarin center attracted interest from young visitors and parents for their wide range of subjects available for Japanese students to study in Taiwan.

The foundation was established with funds donated by Taiwan's Ministry of Education and universities across Taiwan in late 2005, according to its website.