Purpose – This paper identifies the important factors governing international students’ choice of an educational institution in Taiwan for their academic degrees, and the impact of studying abroad in Taiwan on their intercultural competence development.
Design/methodology/approach – The primary data from 380 international students studying in Taiwan were analyzed using SPSS (e.g., factor analysis and ANOVA) to find out the factors affecting their choice to study in Taiwan and their level of intercultural competence after studying abroad for more than one semester in Taiwan.
Findings – In stage one, results demonstrated that in the reference group, country image and institutional image affect students’ study abroad decision. But international postgraduate students in private universities have a significantly higher inclination than those in public universities to consult with reference groups. Stage two examines the effects of knowledge, attitude and skills on international postgraduate students’ intercultural competence development in Taiwan. However, respondents from both public universities and private universities have better intercultural skills than the students of technological universities after studying in Taiwan more than one semester.
Originality/value – This study is intended to contribute to the research on higher education in Taiwan and contribute to the student recruitment strategies of Taiwan universities in their globalizing progress. From this study, the institutions can enhance their international programs and their respective departments can get the information they need to develop appropriate policies for their education abroad programs. Furthermore, this study has the potential to help leaders in Taiwan’s higher education and international service come together to advance knowledge, practice and policy in the setting of international higher education.
