《TAIPEI TIMES》 NTU launches summer mentorship program

By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff writer, with CNA

National Taiwan University （NTU） has initiated a mentorship program for international degree students, with 170 vacancies open for a summer internship program this year.

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NTU president Kuan Chun-ming （管中閔） said that about 3,000 international students study at the university, but it is sometimes difficult for them to stay in Taiwan to work after they graduate due to regulatory constraints.

The school is therefore “launching this mentorship-style internship program tailor-made for international students at NTU,” the program’s Web site says.

The university hopes “to provide an opportunity for the students to put their theoretical learning in to practice [and] at the same time, inspire the students with new perspectives on life and career,” it says.

The school’s Office of International Affairs said it has invited “senior management of government agencies, foreign organizations, corporations, start-ups, [trade] chambers, research institutions and nonprofit organizations to serve as mentors for international students,” the Web site says.

During the program, experienced mentors would pass down their expertise to participating students, which would enable them to transition smoothly into the workforce in Taiwan or in their home countries, Kuan said.

NTU vice president for international affairs Yuan Hsiao-wei （袁孝維） on Wednesday said the program would be the nation’s first tailor-made mentorship program for international students.

Automaker Porsche and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co are among the more than 70 institutions joining this year, she said.

Students who apply for the program can rank their preferred institutions according to whether the positions are paid or whether accommodations are included, she said.

The international affairs office would select applicants based on the documents they submit and their performances in the interviews.

The program would later be expanded to allow Taiwanese students who take a certain amount of English-language courses to apply, she added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES