高等教育國際移動新趨勢：虛擬交流機制之發展與啟示

Mobility in Higher Education: Developments and Prospects of Virtual Exchange Mechanism

近年來，因新冠肺炎病毒在全球範圍內快速傳播，全球大部分國家在過去疫情的3年間實行了程度不一的邊境管控措施，致使得數以百萬人之國際移動的決定和行為受到影響，其中，學生赴海外留（遊）學的跨國學習活動也因此中斷或被迫更改決定，突如其來的疫情，也對於過去傳統上強調實體移動（physical mobility）的國際教育領域產生明顯的衝擊。在此情況下，一種新興的虛擬交流和跨國學習機制逐漸的在高等教育環境中興起。然而，當前中文文獻中，針對此一新興國際移動和教育型式的探討有限，為了補足此一研究議題的不足，研究者將在本文中梳理與討論不同國家推動虛擬交流機制的經驗以及相關推動經驗所呈現出來的教育意涵，特別是虛擬交流機制已被許多論者認為是一種能彌補在高等教育環境下國際移動資源分配不均的有效策略。對此，研究者認為，從彌補教育資源不均的觀點來看，我國之教育部門應繼續推動此一新興的國際教育學習和交流機制，尤有甚者，若我國大學能善用臺灣所擁有的數位學習環境優勢，虛擬學習與交流或能成為我國高等教育機構因應少子化衝擊以及提升國際化程度的利器。

In recent years, due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 worldwide, most countries around the world have implemented various degrees of border control measurements during the past three years. This has affected millions of people's decisions and actions related to international mobility, including students studying abroad. The sudden outbreak of the pandemic has also had a significant impact on the international education since which traditionally emphasizes physical mobility. Due to the situation, a new form of virtual exchange and cross-border learning has gradually emerged in the higher education environment. However, there is limited discussion in Chinese literature on this issue. To fill this research gap, the author reviews the experiences of different countries in implementing virtual exchange programs and the educational implications presented by these experiences. Worthy to mention, the virtual exchange mechanism has been recognized by scholars as an effective strategy to address the unequal distribution of international mobility resources in the higher education. Therefore, the author believes that, in addressing educational resource inequality, the Taiwanese government should continue to promote virtual learning and exchange mechanisms and if Taiwanese universities can wisely use the advantages of Taiwan's digital technologies, virtual learning and exchange mechanisms can become powerful tools for higher education institutions responding to the impact of the declining birth rate and achieve goals of internationalization in the Taiwanese higher In recent years, due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 worldwide, most countries around the world have implemented various degrees of border control measurements during the past three years. This has affected millions of people's decisions and actions related to international mobility, including students studying abroad. The sudden outbreak of the pandemic has also had a significant impact on the international education since which traditionally emphasizes physical mobility. Due to the situation, a new form of virtual exchange and cross-border learning has gradually emerged in the higher education environment. However, there is limited discussion in Chinese literature on this issue. To fill this research gap, the author reviews the experiences of different countries in implementing virtual exchange programs and the educational implications presented by these experiences. Worthy to mention, the virtual exchange mechanism has been recognized by scholars as an effective strategy to address the unequal distribution of international mobility resources in the higher education. Therefore, the author believes that, in addressing educational resource inequality, the Taiwanese government should continue to promote virtual learning and exchange mechanisms and if Taiwanese universities can wisely use the advantages of Taiwan's digital technologies, virtual learning and exchange mechanisms can become powerful tools for higher education institutions responding to the impact of the declining birth rate and achieve goals of internationalization in the Taiwanese higher education context.