Expert Speak Raisina Debates
Published on Jul 16, 2021
Education diplomacy to improve India-Taiwan relations?

Education diplomacy is one of the facets in the process of building mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships between nation states. Opting for the trajectory of the education diplomacy model is instrumental for the establishment and strengthening of any two states’ bilateral relationship. The internalisation of higher education has availed several opportunities for convergences; thus, this article intends to introduce education diplomacy as an effective soft power tool in establishing a robust bilateral relationship between India and Taiwan.

Education diplomacy strengthens people-to-people relations; however, it should not be limited to cultural exchange, language learning, and collaboration between faculties. The India-Taiwan bilateral relationship has come a long way in terms of student mobility from an almost negligible number to contemporarily 2,398 Indian students studying in Taiwan (56 percent growth), hinting towards the prospects this sector holds in upscaling the relationship. Not restraining the education diplomacy to students, the contours should also be shaped by programmes, such as collaborative research projects; networking of scholars focusing on developing intercultural understanding (from both sides), especially the competencies and incompetencies; and scholars’ mobility programmes such as the ‘Fullbright’ or Erasmus Mundus programme’.

Educational diplomacy could be an intersectional concept of India-Taiwan intercultural relations and fostering of soft power between the two states.

Taiwan has a fellowship programme awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (scholars mobility programme) where scholars from different states conduct research. Similarly, under the semblance of the New South Bound Policy (NSP), Taiwan should create a scholarly mobility programme targeting to advances ties with India through such diplomacy and to leverage a knowledge-generating environment. However, these efforts should not be one-sided, and India should render seriousness to the education diplomacy for it to flourish. The reciprocity by India in inviting outstanding Taiwanese scholars for a period of six months to one year would be the formula that could be a subset of new public diplomacy. Thus, educational diplomacy could be an intersectional concept of India-Taiwan intercultural relations and fostering of soft power between the two states.

Education: An untapped potential

Undoubtedly, Indian students studying in Taiwan or the ones who are showing interest in coming to Taiwan for higher education are the traverses that have held and strengthened the bilateral relationship. However, there is scope for much progress. Taiwan, under Tsai-Ing Wen’s leadership, is leveraging its economic prospects to transform it into an ‘education hub’. Education diplomacy, thus, can become a threshold to increase Taiwan's influence in the region, particularly India. Tapping into Indian students is a potential area because these young minds strive for better opportunities to travel abroad. As per record, after China, Indian students constitute the second-highest number of non-Americans, around 18 percent (1,93,124) in 2019-2020, studying at American institutions. Similar is the case of Indian students studying in the UK, Singapore, or South Korea. Although it is competitive, Taiwan has an opportunity to tap Indian talents by rendering awareness on its affordability, excellent lab infrastructures, cost of living, and employment opportunities. The position of 16 Taiwanese universities in QS World University Ranking (2021) and 35 Taiwanese universities in the top 300 ranks of the QS Asia ranking could be a USP to attract Indian students.

Taiwan has an opportunity to tap Indian talents by rendering awareness on its affordability, excellent lab infrastructures, cost of living, and employment opportunities.

The other potential area for education diplomacy is to maintain a balance between the social sciences and the natural sciences coming to Taiwan, particularly through Ministry of Education scholarships. Mr Peters LY Chen, Director, Education Division, TECC, New Delhi also deems ‘that majority Indian students go to Taiwan for higher studies are from STEM background and programmes in the field of social sciences needs to be promoted.’ The knowledge and understanding that the social science students have about Taiwan or the bilateral relationship and the pragmatic role they can play in bridging the lack of awareness and promoting inter-cultural exchange are relatively larger as compared to a natural science student. Social science students would play a significant role in promoting this soft power, having economic and reputational benefits. Citing a parallel example, China has been extensively tapping the African continent,  keeping a financial dimension in mind. However, much of the engagement has an educational dimension with African students studying in China on government scholarships. Similarly, Taiwan—to foster a long-term India-Taiwan bilateral relationship—should strategise along the same lines.

The knowledge and understanding that the social science students have about Taiwan or the bilateral relationship and the pragmatic role they can play in bridging the lack of awareness and promoting inter-cultural exchange are relatively larger as compared to a natural science student.

Questions on the transparency of the Confucius Institute in India, and in various other countries such as the US and Australia—with some institutes being charged with spying and misuse—avails an opportunity for Taiwan to fill the void of learning Mandarin in India. India, on the other hand, needs non-propagandist Mandarin instructors who, unlike Confucius institutes, will not control the curriculum and appointment of the faculty. This would be win-win cooperation as India faces no security threats from Taiwan, unlike China.

Taiwan should also explore tapping Indian talents to teach English under the 2030 programme of making Taiwan a bilingual state. The employment opportunity given to Indians to teach English in Taiwan would immensely help in creating awareness about Taiwan in India’s job market circle.

The world is highly interconnected and interdependent, and education diplomacy should act as a catalyst in India-Taiwan relations for cross-cultural exchange and exchange of people, expertise, values, and diffusion of knowledge. If educational diplomacy achieves a reciprocal dimension, it will give a significant direction in the India-Taiwan bilateral relationship.

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Contributors

Namrata Hasija

Namrata Hasija

Namrata Hasija is a Research Fellow at Centre for China Analysis and Strategy Delhi.

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Sadia Rahman

Sadia Rahman

Sadia Rahman is a PhD Scholar at the National Chung Hsing University Taichung Taiwan

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