A number of private colleges yesterday announced incentives, including scholarships of up to NT$2 million (US$63,279), at a university expo in Taipei in a bid to attract more students amid the nation’s declining birthrate.
Fo Guang University president Ho Jaw-fei (何卓飛) said at the expo that he approved of the Executive Yuan’s policy, which started last month, of offering an annual subsidy of more than NT$35,000 each to more than 600,000 private school students — although eligibility criteria would apply.
It gives students an equal chance at education, he said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Fo Guang University would be waiving tuition and miscellaneous fees for first-year students and offering an additional NT$35,000 that would assist students from second year to graduation, Ho said.
Chinese Culture University president Wang Tzu-chi (王子奇) said his university would waive tuition and fees for the first year if students achieved passing grades in four subjects on the advanced subjects test, and would continue to waive tuition and fees should students maintain a certain standard in their first year and be in the top 20 percent of their class.
This offer would be open to students for up to four years, adding that the university has set aside NT$300 million to cover the expenses, Wang said, adding that his university has signed contracts with hundreds of firms to ensure that students would have job opportunities upon graduation.
National Chi Nan University president Wuu Dong-sing (武東星) said the school is willing to offer NT$2 million in scholarships if students’ grades are among the top 5 percent, if they have listed Chi Nan University as their top preference, and if they have applied through the Star Plan (繁星計畫).
The Star Plan is a program in which high schools recommend to universities select students that meet criteria set by the universities, to give students from outlying islands an equal chance at education.
Chi Nan University is also willing to offer an additional NT$500,000 in scholarships for students who have obtained perfect scores in four subjects in the advanced subjects test, Wuu added.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
REBUFFED: In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation Washington’s long-term commitment to Taiwan would not change, the US Department of State said yesterday, urging Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful bilateral dialogues. The remarks came in response to a backlash from Beijing about Washington’s latest approval of arms sales to Taiwan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US has asked to purchase an arms package, including Tactical Mission Network Software; AH-1W helicopter spare and repair parts; M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; HIMARS long range precision strike systems; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; Javelin
RSS