Following a decline in the number of international students residing in Australia during the pandemic, the Study Australia Education Exhibition (SAEE) is set to go ahead in September in Taiwan. It will be hosted by Austrade.
According to SAEE, Australia is the second0most popular destination for Taiwanese international students after the US, with an increase of international students expected as restrictions ease. Prior to the pandemic, 18,513 Taiwanese students were enrolled in Australia.
A digital and out-of-home (OOH) campaign is part of the marketing opportunity for those in the higher-education sector. Applications for Australian providers of higher education are open until July 1.
The Taiwanese government is encouraging its citizens to increase their English proficiency, with financial incentives to study in English-speaking countries and its 2030 Bilingual Policy.
The exhibition ran physically in 2021, crediting Taiwan’s handling of the pandemic as a reason for its ability to do so. The exhibit has a virtual live-streaming option for exhibitors unable to physically be there and the option to appoint a proxy agent to represent them at the exhibition.
Taipei Australian Office representative Jenny Bloomfield tweeted her support when last year’s event occurred.
Australia is delighted to be welcoming fully vaccinated eligible students from 1 December. Please join our Study Australia Education Exhibition in Taipei today & tomorrow 1-5.30pm, to learn about incredible study opportunities in Australia. https://t.co/HBftdhi3fl pic.twitter.com/er35fAXowy
— Jenny Bloomfield (@AusOfficeTPE) November 27, 2021
But there is a marked difference between 2021 and 2022, as Taiwan is battling its own sharp increase in COVID cases.
At the time of writing, Taiwan is listed at the advice level of ‘Exercise a high level of caution’ due to COVID from the Smartraveller website, with daily new cases totalling more than 60,000 in recent days. The US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) increased its risk level for the country to ‘high’ on May 16, citing the pandemic.
But COVID restrictions have been eased, with the number of quarantining days for incoming travellers decreasing from 10 days to seven from May 7. Travellers are also required to be double-vaccinated.
The relationship between Australia and Taiwan is complex, as the Australian government does not recognise Taiwan as a national government, with dealings between the government and Taiwan’s officials taking place ‘unofficially’, as part of Australia’s one-China policy.
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