The Ministry of Education is expected to lay out a policy on allowing the enrollment of Chinese students at universities by the Lunar New Year, Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) said yesterday.
Enrollment of Chinese students could begin in the next academic year if all necessary bills clear the legislature in time, he said.
Welcoming Chinese students is one of the ministry’s four main goals to broaden cross-strait academic exchanges.
The other proposals include granting longer visas to Chinese students who come for short-term studies, recognizing diplomas from Chinese universities and allowing local universities to offer continuing education and degree programs in China for students with full-time jobs.
The ministry recently sent a delegation to Japan, South Korea and China to learn about the measures authorities there have taken to discern fake Chinese academic credentials from genuine ones.
Cheng said the ministry had several proposals, including allowing public universities only to recruit postgraduate students, while giving private universities more freedom.
In a briefing to the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee on Nov. 10, the minister vowed to set a number of restrictions.
The measures included capping the number of Chinese students at less than 1 percent of university vacancies and offering them no scholarships.
Chinese students would not be allowed to study subjects that concern matters of national security and would be banned from working while in Taiwan. They would also be required to go home upon completion of their studies.
Foreign tourists who purchase a seven-day Taiwan Pass are to get a second one free of charge as part of a government bid to boost tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. A pair of Taiwan Passes is priced at NT$5,000 (US$156.44), an agency staff member said, adding that the passes can be used separately. The pass can be used in many of Taiwan’s major cities and to travel to several tourist resorts. It expires seven days after it is first used. The pass is a three-in-one package covering the high-speed rail system, mass rapid transport (MRT) services and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services,
Drinking a lot of water or milk would not help a person who has ingested terbufos, a toxic chemical that has been identified as the likely cause of three deaths, a health expert said yesterday. An 83-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) and two others died this week after eating millet dumplings with snails that Tseng had made. Tseng died on Tuesday and others ate the leftovers when they went to her home to mourn her death that evening. Twelve people became ill after eating the dumplings following Tseng’s death. Their symptoms included vomiting and convulsions. Six were hospitalized, with two of them
DIVA-READY: The city’s deadline for the repairs is one day before pop star Jody Chiang is to perform at the Taipei Dome for the city’s Double Ten National Day celebrations The Taipei City Government has asked Farglory Group (遠雄集團) to repair serious water leaks in the Taipei Dome before Friday next week, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday, following complaints that many areas at the stadium were leaking during two baseball games over the weekend. The dome on Saturday and Sunday hosted two games in tribute to CTBC Brothers’ star Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) ahead of his retirement from the CPBL. The games each attracted about 40,000 people, filling the stadium to capacity. However, amid heavy rain, many people reported water leaking on some seats, at the entrance and exit areas, and the
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