The Control Yuan is very concerned about the increasing numbers of Taiwanese students attending universities in China, and it nay invite the education minister to give a briefing at the Control Yuan in the next few days, according to a Control Yuan member.
The certification of universities in China has become a thorny problem for educational establishments in Taiwan, as increasing numbers of students are pursuing their advanced studies across the Taiwan Strait.
A report by the Control Yuan indicates that the number of Taiwanese students studying at universities in China is estimated to be about 3,000.
It also suggests that a certification system for diplomas issued by China's education system should be established to prevent people from taking advantage of the ambiguous situation.
DPP Legislator Chang Ching-fang (
Some brokers who claim to be able to help Taiwanese students obtain admission to prestigious universities in China are making profits illegally because they are violating the Statute Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
The legislator said that quite a few consulting firms on Chinese educational establishments have been set up in Taiwan over recent years as students have begun showing an increasing interest in pursuing their education on the other side of the Strait.
The legislator said he is very concerned about the appearance of advertisements by some of these brokers who claim that they can help "solve the problem of military service."
The Military Service Law (
Since the government has made an exception for children of Taiwanese businesspeople investing in China, allowing them to continue their studies in China, some brokers are using the exception as a loophole in the Military Service Law.
They have sold forged documents of false identities at high prices to those wishing to evade the obligation of military service, Chang said.
The legislator has demanded that the Education Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Mainland Affairs Council make a thorough investigation of the operations of the numerous brokers.
The legislator also proposed that the government work out a certification system for diplomas issued by institutions in China as soon as possible in view of the fact that Taiwan's educational market is opening, not only to education institutions of the advanced economies, but also to universities in China.
An authoritative certification system for diplomas issued in China would pave the way for academic exchanges on both sides of the Strait, while both Taipei and Beijing have become members of the WTO.
The legislator said that the government should take the initiative and, in the meantime, should work out an efficient supervisory mechanism.
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just