Surveys conducted by academics and student groups show that the number of Taiwanese students studying in China has decreased by one-third since last year.
According to the Taiwan Student Union, the number of students studying in China fell to 2,000 this year from last year's figure of 3,000.
President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration has said it will continue to refuse to recognize diplomas from Chinese universities, and it is thought this policy may have influenced the number of students seeking higher education in China.
Another survey conducted by George Yang (楊景堯), an associate professor at the Tamkang Graduate Institute of China Studies, had similar results.
"More private school students wish to study in China than students in government schools. Those enrolled in humanities programs are more likely to study in China than students who study sciences. Also, students in the south of the country are less willing to study in China than students in the north," Yang said.
However, Yang said that because not all students who study in the south are originally from that area, so the reason for their unwillingness to travel to China to study warrants further research.
The survey showed that 65 percent of students supported recognizing diplomas from Chinese universities, while 50 percent of respondents felt that government recognition of Chinese diplomas would help improve cross-strait ties. However, more than 60 percent of respondents felt that recognizing Chinese diplomas would negatively impact on poorly managed Taiwanese universities and colleges.
The more educated respondents were, the more they favored recognition of Chinese diplomas, with 82 percent of graduate students supporting the question.
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