Program Details

Course Information 

All classes will be taught by NTNU faculty lecturers who have professional certification in teaching Chinese to non-native speakers. Students coming with the U of A delegation will first be evaluated by NTNU faculty and then assign them to language classes appropriate to their level; other students in each of these language sections will all be non-native learners at roughly the same level from all over the world.

Program dates for 2026 are July 1- August 27. Classes are from July 7 to August 27 NTNU recommends that all students arrive on campus 1 to 2 weeks before the class starts to register on the scheduled new student registration date (July 1 and 2) and to familiarize themselves with the different cultures and environments. NTNU will charge a late registration fee for those who register after the new student registration dates. The late registration deadline is July 1, 2026. Students will not be allowed to take their classes after the late registration deadline.

Detailed information about travel arrangements will be discussed among those accepted to the program in the spring. All students are expected to be 18 or older by the time they arrive in Taiwan; we will always provide all the personal and academic assistance that we can to students in the program, but neither the University nor the program manager can take legal responsibility for participants.

During the eight weeks of the course, classes will run for about 2 hours every weekday, available in various time slots, such as 8:10 to 10:00, 12:20-14:10, 14:20-16:10, 16:20-18:10, and 18:30-20:20. NTNU will consider students' preferences that they have selected; however, actual class times are determined by class availability. Students are expected to attend class every day. In addition to your time in class, you are required to attend 5 hours of mandatory multi-task language training courses per week. Please expect to do another 1-2 hours of homework per day. However, there is still plenty of time to have fun! Most students can spend many hours shopping, dining out, clubbing, and even taking weekend trips around Taiwan.

Living Conditions

Students will be housed in an on-campus dormitory and take a 20-minute bus ride to their classrooms. The housing will be a two-person arrangement in one room. There is no en-suite bathroom or kitchen in the room. Students need to use public micro-kitchens, powder rooms, and shower rooms. All the rooms are air-conditioned. We can work with NTNU to try to place students with roommates of their choice; however, in case of odd numbers of roommates, cancellations, or other issues, participants may have to share a bedroom with a non-U of A student.

Campus cafeterias and restaurants serve budget-friendly food at mealtimes. In addition, various snack shops and convenience stores on or near campus provide a variety at reasonable prices. Of course, those who wish can seek out other dining options around the city; however, there is a wide range of prices available, and high-end dining can be just as expensive as in Canada.

Costs

Total estimated costs for the two-month program, including tuition and fees, room and board, and airfare, are around $6,736. The total estimate (which will vary with exchange-rate fluctuations) is based on the following line items:

  1. Tuition: NTD 19,400 (≈ CAD 882)
  2. Other NTNU fees: NTD 4,684 (≈ CAD 213)
  • Registration fee: NTD 2,500
  • Textbook fee: NTD 2,000
  • Mandatory medical insurance: NTD 184
  1. On-campus housing: NTD 48,000 (≈ CAD 2,182)
  • Includes two months of dorm-room accommodation with water, electricity, and Wi-Fi (NTD 46,000)
  • (Optional) bedding set (NTD 2,000)
  1. Meals: ≈ CAD 1,100 (if dining on a budget)
  2. Transportation: NTD 2,400 (≈ CAD 109)
  3. Round-trip airfare (Edmonton–Taipei): ≈ CAD 2,000
  4. U of A Education Abroad application fee: CAD 250

(Exchange rates based on rates as of October 2025)

With available scholarships and support (see below), 2026 participants have the opportunity to join this transformative two-month study abroad experience in Taiwan — with total costs starting from as low as $890 out-of-pocket.

This total cost does not include costs of entertainment, shopping, or tourist travel; participants should budget accordingly if they wish to be able to do any of these. Because an essential part of a study-abroad trip is getting off campus and engaging with locals, we strongly recommend spending at least a small amount of money to cover local travel, small purchases, etc.

Scholarships

There are several types of scholarships available for applicants:

  1. TheChina Institute scholarship (CAD 1,800)
    We are pleased to be granted a total of $54,000 in scholarship funds from The China Institute at UAlberta for 2026. This funding will provide $1,800 scholarships to 30 participants. In the event that we receive more than 30 applications, the $1,800 scholarships will be awarded based on a selection process that considers both academic merit and a desire for equitable representation across the university. All applicants to the summer program will automatically be considered for the scholarship.
  2. The UAlberta Education Abroad Individual Award (CAD 1,500)
    All full-time students who have completed a minimum of 12 credits of UAlberta coursework (or one term of graduate study for graduate students) with a minimum GPA of 2.7 are eligible to apply for a $1,500 scholarship from the university's Go Abroad office. Please click here to apply.

Note: To expedite the application process, we strongly encourage you to begin your scholarship application while applying for the summer program.

  1. 3. Scholarship from The Taiwan Ministry of Education (choose one of the two): (Exchange rates based on rates as of October 2025)
  • Huayu Enrichment Scholarship
    (Monthly stipend of TWD 28,000, approx. CAD 2,547 for two months)
    The Taiwan Ministry of Education offers the 2026 Huayu Enrichment Scholarships for students wishing to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan for a short period. This scholarship provides a monthly stipend of TWD 28,000 (equivalent to approximately CAD 1,273, subject to currency fluctuations) to successful applicants. Please check back for the latest information.
    Note: To apply for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, students must first complete their registration at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). For registration details, please refer to the Application and Registration section.
  • Group Funding for Short-term Mandarin learning
    (Weekly stipend of TWD 6,000, approx. CAD 2,182 for 8 weeks)
    The Taiwan Ministry of Education also offers short-term scholarships for groups of over fifteen participants to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan. This scholarship provides a weekly stipend of TWD 6,000 (equivalent to approximately CAD 273, subject to currency fluctuations) to successful applicants. The applicants to the summer program who didn’t apply to the Huayu Enrichment scholarship will automatically be considered for this scholarship.