Taiwan has very close economic ties with Southeast Asia. In 2009, Taiwan’s cumulative investment in the region amounted to $65.98 billion, while its total value of trade with the ten ASEAN countries reached $84.364 billion in 2011. As such, Taiwan ranks third largest among ASEAN in trade volume, second largest in exports, and fourth largest in imports. Long-standing cultural commonalities – from the established overseas Chinese communities to the shared traditions of Confucianism and Buddhism – reduce the difficulties of interactions between Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Strategically, Taiwan seeks to become a higher education research hub in East Asia through a two-pronged strategy: first, by continuing to strengthen its policy of recruiting foreign students to study on the island; second, by expanding enrollment from Southeast Asia through offering courses abroad. These measures represent the core methods for exporting Taiwan’s higher education industry. The purpose of this study includes the following two dimensions. First, the information on higher education compiled for this study could be used to design measures to address shortfalls in domestic enrollment due to the declining population numbers on Taiwan. Second, by analyzing the policy design and operational data related to the recruitment of Southeast Asian students, we can grasp the current status and future developments in this field. Finally, the study allows us to assess the implementation of Taiwan’s policy of exporting higher education to Southeast Asia. After all, exporting higher education is internationalist at heart, part of cultivating a culturally aware, compassionate global citizenry.