| Abstract: | This article details a mixed methods study conducted during the 2007–2008 academic year at the National Chengchi University
(NCCU) in Taipei Taiwan. It contributes to discourse examining the opportunities and challenges of international student enrollments
in institutions of higher learning around the globe. In scope it details an empirical study exploring the dispositions of
NCCU international students in terms of their academic and social spheres. Trends in Taiwan reflect traditional East Asian
patterns; substantial numbers of university students from Taiwan studied in the United States and Britain while very few incoming
international students chose the island nation as a host destination. In recent years the influx of international students
to Taiwan has increased significantly, rising from 6,380 in 2001 to 21,005 in 2007 (Ko, , 2008). The use of both quantitative and qualitative methods provided clarity and extended critical interpretations of the
issues and dilemmas surrounding the international student experience in Taiwan. Results indicate that the capability of the
NCCU as a host institution to sustain and attract increasing numbers of incoming international students is linked to factors
such as the unique opportunity to study traditional as opposed to simplified Chinese characters, the availability and accessibility
of Taiwan government sponsored scholarships, and the high standard of the NCCU Mandarin Studies program. Implications suggest
that universities committed to internationalization are called to address the realities—both positive and negative—of operating
as globally competitive institutions. As such, attracting the right kind of international students at the NCCU and determining
standards for their contribution to campus life are more important goals than the total number of international students. |
