The Ministry of Education (MOE) published the results of the 2020 New Southbound Talent Development Program recently. Asia University (AU) was granted seven projects (the most projects approved by the MOE), and the approved amount is 2.51 million NT dollars, maintaining No. 1 among 32 universities in Taiwan.

Furthermore, AU gains 2.88 million NT dollars of the 2020 Talent Development Program from the MOE, ranked the third in Taiwan. AU will sponsor 55 students for internships overseas by these two programs.

Dean of the International College of AU, Prof. Ying-huei Chen, said that AU is granted seven projects of the New Southbound Talent Development Program this year, including a project for each of Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and two projects for Indonesia.

Moreover, the students of AU can choose the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, and other corporate institutions for internships for training international competitiveness through the 2020 Talent Development Program as mentioned above.

Prof. Chen also said that in May of this year, AU first applied to the MOE Overseas Internship Programs, and received a total of more than 19 million NT dollars, ranked No.1 in Taiwan. The program will offer scholarships to 340 students of AU to go abroad for internships as exchange students. By the approved projects in 2019 and 2020, AU sponsors a total of 395 students to go abroad, expanding the students’ international perspectives and enhancing their international competitiveness.

Dean Chen emphasized that due to the impact of the COVID-19, Europe, the United States, and the New Southbound countries have adopted entry control, resulting in the majority of AU students unable to study abroad, to participate in internships, and to become an exchange student on scheduled this year. There are also many students in the university who use the online digital learning model of “The New Normal” to study first, and then go abroad to complete their degrees after the epidemic is relieved.

In addition, the MOE agreed that the funds can be retained until the end of next year. The New Southbound countries will open their control entries when there is a vaccine to prevent the epidemic. At that time, AU will be able to sponsor the students to finish overseas studies.