Taiwan’s Tsing Hua University nurturing political economists with all-English program

台灣清華大學全英文課程培育政治經濟學家

Foreign students invited to study politics, economics at new academic institute in northern Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu is inviting international students to sign up for its new institute dedicated to cultivating political scientists as geopolitics becomes increasingly relevant in the corporate world.

In the inauguration ceremony for a facility of the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science (TSE) on Thursday (April 7), Dean Chen Tain-jy (陳添枝) said international politics has become one of the biggest risk factors for enterprises. The importance of the discipline has never been more underscored than by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Liberty Times quoted him as saying.

Launched last year, the relevant master’s programs have seen the registration of students from the Netherlands, Mongolia, and Indonesia. The school expects 45 students to enroll for the fall semester this year in the Asian Economy, Global Political Economy and Asia, and Economic Development programs.

International students will account for 70% of the students enrolled, and all classes will be conducted in English. The doctoral program is expected to be rolled out in two years, according to the TSE.

NTHU President Hocheng Hong (賀陳弘) noted that the university boasts a wealth of tech resources, being the only university in the Chinese-speaking world to have produced three Nobel laureates. Chen stressed cross-disciplinary talent in international politics and economics are what Taiwan needs today and that the institute is equipped with faculty who have taught in prestigious universities with funding from the TSE Foundation.

A decade in the making, TSE was founded in 2020 and inspired by the London School of Economics and Political Science. It aims to create a new model for higher education in Taiwan and promote a think tank on Asian political economy, according to the institute.