Taiwanese universities explore opportunities in India

A high-level delegation from prominent Taiwanese universities, including National Tsing Hua University, National Kaohsiung Normal University, China Medical University, National Formosa University, Shih Chien University, and Tamkang University, visited India as the two countries seek partnerships in student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and long-term institutional collaborations.

The visit, organised by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India (TECC), highlighted opportunities for Indian students to study in Taiwan, including exchange programs in sustainability, AI, and semiconductors, as well as scholarships for degree courses.

Faculty research collaborations in AI, biotechnology, medicine, cultural studies, and other fields were also discussed.

While Indian student numbers in Taiwan are steadily rising, with 1,500 students studying there as of 2025, up from just 649 nearly a decade ago, a nearly 57% increase, more than two-thirds are PhD students, with the remaining 445 pursuing a master’s degree, as per data from Taiwan’s ministry of education.

Moreover, approximately 1,029 non-degree Indian students were in Taiwan in 2025, up from 359 nearly a decade ago.

With engineering and related programs being the most popular among Indian students, this bodes well for broader India-Taiwan relations, given the strong partnership both countries share in electronics manufacturing.

Major Taiwanese firms are investing heavily in India, with manufacturing projects totaling $5 billion.

Companies like Powerchip Semiconductor have partnered with Tata Electronics in an $11bn venture to build India’s first AI-driven chip plant, while Apple supplier Foxconn has unveiled a $1.5bn investment in its India unit.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s main trade body, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, is urging a greater tech presence in India through exports of chips and electronics, at a time when demand in the US is at an all-time high.

Though India and Taiwan do not share formal diplomatic relations, trade between the two countries reached a record $10.6bn in 2024, marking a 29% year-on-year increase.

Higher education cooperation between the two countries thus plays a key role, with many Taiwanese universities offering over 200 programs in English across technology, semiconductors, medicine and life sciences, and business administration courses.

The delegation visit by Taiwanese universities follows a successful visit in November 2023 by deputy minister of education, Lio Mon-chi, who led a delegation of Taiwanese universities and academic institutions to India to discuss “talent cultivation initiatives”, aligning with the government’s policy to recruit and retain international students to meet domestic industry needs.

This accord will bolster people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and help alleviate labor shortages in Taiwan’s industries
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India and Taiwan also signed an MoU last year aimed at labour force cooperation, with the latter planning to bring in 1,000 Indian professionals for manufacturing jobs.

“This accord will bolster people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and help alleviate labor shortages in Taiwan’s industries. Indeed, the MoU constitutes a reciprocal arrangement that benefits both sides,” read a statement by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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