Though the campus may seem quiet during the summer, Tamkang University is amid its annual wave of international mobility. More than 700 students have traveled abroad throughout the season to secure new learning opportunities.

This year, 329 students preparing to study abroad in the 2025–2026 academic year are gearing up to depart for 103 partner universities in 22 countries, while 398 students from the 2024–2025 academic year are gradually returning from their overseas experiences. These numbers do not even include students participating in specialized programs such as MOE’s “Study Abroad” projects, GSIP (Global Service Internship Program), and various departmental research exchanges.

Among these, the largest group consists of students participating in the “Junior Abroad” program, a signature initiative of the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures, where students study alongside classmates for an entire year at partner institutions. Chia-Hsin Tu, a student from the Department of Russian who spent a year at Lomonosov Moscow State University for a language program last year, shared that she and her classmates, who traveled together, did everything as a team — from preparing for the trip and flying to Moscow, to shopping for essentials, attending classes, joining student clubs, and making Russian friends — all while supporting one another as they adapted to study-abroad life.”

The Center for Holistic Education supports 5 English-taught bachelor’s programs that require a year abroad in the junior year: International Tourism Management and Global Politics and Economics from the College of International Affairs, Computer Science and Information Engineering from the College of Engineering, English from the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and Business Administration from the College of Business and Management. These departments require students to spend their junior year studying abroad, making a full-year overseas program a graduation requirement. Students pay full tuition and fees to the host institution in the study-abroad country, along with one-quarter of Tamkang’s tuition and fees, to spend a year at one of the university’s partner schools — a pivotal year in their four-year academic journey.

After being selected by their departments and the Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs, the second largest group consists of exchange students, who freely choose from 284 partner institutions worldwide. This is the most popular mobility pathway, as students only need to pay Tamkang’s registration fees, saving substantially on overseas tuition fees. Among these, the dual-degree programs are particularly in demand, with Tamkang now holding agreements with 29 partner universities across 9 countries, resulting in 147 students having successfully earned dual degrees.

For many students, studying abroad as exchange students is the highlight of their university years. Sheng-Wei Chen, an alumnus from the Department of Economics who participated in an exchange program at Tongji University in China, recalled in his study-abroad reflections: “Traveling is a wonderful way to understand a place truly.” He said it was the best decision he made during his university years.

The Department of International Tourism Management also operates a unique study-and-internship program, where students spend the first semester studying and the second semester interning at partner institutions. The department collaborates with 4–5 prestigious institutions in New Zealand and Australia, including the New Zealand Management Academy, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, International College of Hotel Management, International Management School in Sydney, and William Angliss Institute of TAFE. This program helps students bridge the gap between academics and international careers. Department Chair Pin-Ju Juan proudly shared that several recent graduates have already secured international jobs, with 2 alumni now employed in the United States and 3 in Australia. She highlighted the success story of Cheng-Yun Yu, a recent graduate whose overseas internship in Sydney was delayed until her senior year due to the pandemic. After excelling during her internship, Yu was offered a full-time position and returned to Sydney for work. “Interestingly, her younger brother is joining the Department as a freshman this year,” Juan added with a smile. “It’s common for siblings to study in the Department — older siblings enroll first, and then their younger brothers or sisters follow in their footsteps.”