Sending Mandarin Teachers Abroad
One pillar of Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy has been dispatching qualified Mandarin Chinese teachers overseas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through its International Cooperation and Development Fund, TaiwanICDF) sponsors an Overseas Professional Mandarin Teaching Project that stations teachers in diplomatic allies and partner countries. For example, as of 2024 Taiwan had 18 Mandarin teachers working in 12 countries – including Pacific, Latin American, and African allies like Palau, Paraguay, and Eswatini – to provide language instruction and promote Taiwanese culture. President Tsai Ing-wen has highlighted such efforts, noting that Taiwan has sent Chinese language teachers to Paraguay’s National Congress and universities, and even vowed to increase scholarships for Paraguayan students as part of strengthening bilateral ties.
Another major initiative is the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program (BEST = Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent), launched by the Ministry of Education in 2021. This program forges university-to-university partnerships abroad, primarily in the United States, to support Chinese language teaching. Under Huayu BEST, Taiwanese universities send highly trained Mandarin teachers and teaching assistants to partner universities overseas, while providing scholarships for those universities’ students to study Mandarin in Taiwan. The program also offers resources like the TOCFL language proficiency test and helps foreign campuses set up Chinese language centers. By mid-2022, 48 overseas universities (41 in the US, plus others in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK) had signed Huayu BEST agreements with 17 Taiwanese universities.
Establishing Mandarin Learning Centers Overseas
Taiwan has also established and sponsored language and culture centers abroad as platforms for Mandarin learning with Taiwanese characteristics. The Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Academy program, inaugurated in 2011, set up non-profit cultural institutes in key cities. The first branches opened in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston in October 2011. Taiwan Academies promote Mandarin in its traditional character form, along with Taiwanese arts, literature, and research on Taiwan. By 2013, Taiwan had Taiwan Academy contact points in 64 countries through local partner institutions.
In recent years, Taiwan broadened this approach with the OCAC’s Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) initiative. Announced in 2021 amid declining Confucius Institutes, TCMLs are Mandarin learning centers for adult learners operated in cooperation with overseas Taiwanese community schools. The centers emphasize a learning environment rooted in values of freedom, diversity, and democracy. The curriculum uses traditional Chinese characters and incorporates Taiwanese culture.
Scholarships for International Mandarin Students in Taiwan
To invite foreigners to experience Taiwan firsthand, the government provides generous funding for students to study Mandarin and degree programs in Taiwan. A key program is the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES), administered by MOFA in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. Established in 2004 and expanded over time, the HES offers stipends for foreign Mandarin learners (including beginners) to enroll in intensive language courses at any of Taiwan’s accredited university-affiliated Mandarin centers. Scholarships can range from 3 months to 12 months, with recipients receiving a monthly allowance (around NT$25,000, roughly US$800) to cover living costs.
In tandem, the Taiwan Scholarship funds foreign students pursuing full degrees in Taiwan, from undergraduate to PhD. While not limited to Chinese-language majors, this scholarship often draws students into sinology, Mandarin language teaching, or other China/Taiwan-related fields. By 2024 the scale had grown significantly; for example, Taiwan’s representative in India awarded 92 Huayu Scholarships to Indian students that year (compared to just 5 Indian recipients when the program started in 2004).
Program Growth and Key Milestones (2009–2025)
- 2009 – Education partnerships begin to take shape. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education signs cooperation MOUs with local education authorities abroad to enable teacher exchanges and sister-school programs.
- 2011 – Launch of Taiwan Academy. Taiwan establishes its first official cultural centers overseas in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston.
- 2016 – New Southbound Policy boosts exchanges. Taiwan ramps up scholarships and Mandarin training for students from ASEAN, South Asia, and Oceania.
- 2020 – U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative. Washington and Taipei launch a cooperation program to expand Mandarin and English learning while upholding academic freedom.
- 2021 – New flagship programs launched. Taiwan’s government rolls out Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) and Taiwan Huayu BEST Program.
- 2022–2023 – Rapid expansion. Taiwan establishes 66 TCML centers and forges 41 university partnerships under Huayu BEST.
- 2024–Present – Taiwan continues to expand its Mandarin teaching network and explores new regions such as Central Europe and Africa.
Impact on Cultural Exchange and Diplomacy
Taiwan’s government-led education and language programs have become a cornerstone of its soft power and public diplomacy. By sharing the Chinese language in a context that celebrates Taiwan’s open society and unique culture, these initiatives help differentiate Taiwan on the world stage.
These programs also serve strategic diplomatic goals. For countries that partake, the exchanges are a form of “citizen diplomacy”, creating grassroots ties beyond official relations. Hosting a Taiwanese language center or receiving scholarships often correlates with warmer attitudes toward Taiwan in those societies. Lastly, Taiwan’s educational programs reinforce its international identity as a champion of Mandarin education in a free, pluralistic context, projecting soft power that aligns with its political values.
Sources
[1] Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF): https://www.icdf.org.tw/
[2] Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://en.mofa.gov.tw/
[3] Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan): https://english.president.gov.tw/
[4] Taiwan Ministry of Education: https://english.moe.gov.tw/
[5] Taiwan Huayu BEST Program: https://huayubest.moe.gov.tw/
[6] TOCFL Official Website: https://www.sc-top.org.tw/
[7] Taiwan Today: https://www.taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10&post=220190
[8] Taiwan Ministry of Culture: https://www.moc.gov.tw/
[9] Taiwan Academy Official Website: https://www.taiwanacademy.tw/
[10] Taiwan News: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/2490367
[11] Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC): https://www.ocac.gov.tw/
[12] Focus Taiwan News: https://www.focus.taiwan.tw/
[13] Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) Portal: https://taiwanscholarship.moe.gov.tw/
[14] Taiwan Embassy Information: https://www.taiwanembassy.org/
[15] Taiwan Scholarship Information: https://taiwanscholarship.moe.gov.tw/
[16] India-Taiwan Trade Relations: https://india.taiwantrade.com/
[17] U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative: https://www.ait.org.tw/
[18] Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy: https://newsouthboundpolicy.tw/
[19] Dicky’s Karma: https://dickykarma.magicship.xyz/%e5%8f%b0%e7%81%a3%e5%a6%82%e4%bd%95%e9%80%8f%e9%81%8e%e8%8f%af%e8%aa%9e%e6%95%99%e5%ad%b8%e9%80%a3%e7%b5%90%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c%ef%bc%9f%e6%8e%a2%e7%b4%a2%e6%94%bf%e5%ba%9c%e6%8e%a8%e5%8b%95%e6%96%87/