NTU International Mentorship Program

The internship-style NTU International Mentorship Program aims to facilitate the linkage between Taiwan and the global talent market; as well as, to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Senior executives and managers of government agencies, foreign organizations, corporations, start- ups, chambers, research institutions, and non-profit organizations serve as mentors for students. This provides an opportunity for students to put their theoretical learnings into practice, and at the same time, aims to inspire students to lean into new perspectives within their life and career.

Please note:

• this opportunity is open to students who meet the eligibility criteria only.
• this is a competitive process and this is the first step in a longer application process. Nomination from Durham to NTU allowing you to apply for the programme does not guarantee you will receive a place;
• the application form is accessible from the purple banner at the base of this page. Please read the full page for details; 
• the deadline for applications is Thursday 3 December 2026, 23:59pm. 

Further details about the programme

Four places are available. The opportunity is for three months and comprises an internship including workshops, corporate visits etc. NTU have produced a guide providing more information about the programme NTU IMP Brochure 2027 and the What to expect page of ther website provides information on:

• Mentors
• Training Workshops
• Corporate Visits
• Course Credits
• Contract, Insurance and Accommodation (dormitory shared with 4-6 persons)

Eligibility Criteria

In order to apply you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria: 

• first year undergraduate students are ineligible; 
• as of June 2027 students must have one full year of their degree remaining to be eligible:
  
  • typically most students will go at the end of their second year;
  • integrated Masters students on four year degrees should apply to go at the end of their third year.
• a minimum average grade of 60% based on your previous years marks. Since this is a competitive programme with exceptionally limited places, no exceptions will be made to this requirement;
• to ensure all students get the opportunity of an international experience this opportunity is not open to students due to go on a year abroad in China or Taiwan in 2027;
• likewise, students currently on a year abroad or international placement year are not eligible to apply;
• students holding a Mainland China (PRC) or Taiwan (ROC) passport are ineligible to participate in the program;
• students participating solely in the internship program, without any accompanying exchange program, who intend to receive salaries through the internship, must apply for a Working Holiday Visa to enter Taiwan;
• You must have a passport valid for the duration of the programme, at the point of application;
• two places are ringfenced for students who meet the University's Widening Participation criteria (see next section for further details); 

Widening Participation places

For two students who meet Widening Participation eligibility criteria (and do not receive external funding, not including student loans), Durham will contribute towards the costs of travelling to- and living in Taiwan with Turing funding. More information about Turing funding please visit: GO Turing. An approximate indicative grant for a Widening Participation student spending 12 weeks in Taiwan is: £2,240. You may only participate during the June to August 2027 period.

Widening Participation Criteria

Students who meet the criteria to be in receipt of the Durham Undergraduate Bursary Scheme (£47,200 threshold) are considered to be Widening Participation students. This includes students who come from a family who has a household income, as assessed by Student Finance England (or an equivalent income level verified by the University if you are an international student), of £47,200 or lower per annum.

Other criteria to be eligible for this additional financial support is outlined below. If you declare that you meet the additional financial support (WP criteria) you will be required to complete an additional form. The criteria include:

• Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner.
• Care leavers and students who are care-experienced. This refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked after or those who access the Care Experienced Bursary in Scotland.
• Students who have caring responsibilities. Caring responsibilities refers to a child or young person up to the age of 25 years old who provides (unpaid) care or intends to provide care for another person in, or outside of, the family home for someone who is physically or mentally ill, disabled, or mis-using drugs or alcohol.
• Estranged students where neither of the students' parents can be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with them.
• Refugees and asylum seekers.
• Non-exhaustive list

How to Apply

To apply you must submit an application via an online form. You'll need to provide the following information:

• Personal details;
• Your average grade from the previous academic year;
• Confirmation that you meet the eligibility requirements and how;
• A personal statement of no more than 500 words detailing:
  1. Why you would like to participate in the programme
  2. What three attributes or skills could you bring to the programme

• A statement of no more than 200 words on: the name and organisation of an NTU International Mentorship Program mentor* with which you may wish to do an internship and the skills you would hope to develop with them.

Please read the guidance on the use of generative AI in Global Opportunities applications. 

* these are available on the NTU IMP website. Naming this mentor does not guarantee being paired with them at NTU.

Selection Process

Once the deadline has passed, eligibility will be checked and personal statements will be scored by a University panel. Awards will be based on a 50:50 mix of:

• Scores from personal statements
• Academic Performance - this is a score are taken from your performance relative to your class-peers for each module previously examined. The score for each module is then combined to produce an average ranking relative to your peers. This removes any bias towards departments who may have marked exams more generously but subsequently moderated with high grade boundaries for degree classification. The ranking takes into account module credit size. The data for scores is taken from the Academic Office records. The Global Opportunities Team can only accept the scores provided by them.

Important:

Please be aware that Durham's exam resit period takes place in August.  Should you be required to resit a module during the internship period you will need to return to Durham to do so.