Universities are usually perceived as ivory towers free of politics, but the uproar surrounding presidential elections at National Chunghsing University (中興大學) has shattered that illusion.
A dispute has been simmering for weeks over the appointment of Peng Tso-kwei (
As Taiwan's democracy matures, professors and students have been appealing for democratic reform at the nation's institutions of higher learning.
While Taiwan was under martial law, university presidents were appointed by the central government so that a tight rein could be kept on academics.
It was not until 1994 that university presidents were elected by school faculties in accordance with changes to the University Law. For years scholars had argued that universities should be autonomous and governed by professors.
Occasionally, however, the well-intended law showed its shortcomings. According to Article 6 of the University Law, it states a university's search committee should hold a first round of elections to recommend two or three candidates to the Ministry of Education.
Selection process
From those candidates a new president is chosen by a committee of five to nine members at the education ministry.
Controversy has arisen over election procedures at the schools and the composition of the committee formed by the education ministry. Some scholars are convinced that the Ministry of Education should not have a final say in the choice of university president.
The initial election of a university president varies widely from school to school. Two systems are generally employed: The first method is election by popular vote by all full-time faculty members; the second is electoral voting, where a search committee is in charge of selection of the candidate.
Individuals in favor of a popular vote say that it is the best way of representing popular opinion.
"Only we professors know what's best for our school. The education ministry should respect the choice of professors by approving the candidate who gains the most ballots [in a popular vote]," said Wu Ming-ming (
However, most professors interviewed by the Taipei Times said they had reservations about popular voting as it caused instability and fighting among factions.
Vote-buying
"Professors are not different from ordinary people. All the drawbacks of elections such as vote-buying or blackmail are frequently heard of during elections at school," said Chen Tung-sheng (
Wu Yen-hua (
"What does the highest vote count mean? The perils of populism should not be brought onto the campus," warned Peng Yun (
"In addition, the election process is too time-consuming, with preparation requiring nearly half a year," Peng said. "During this period the campus is in disarray and teachers cannot concentrate on teaching. It's a real burden," Peng said.
Minister without portfolio Huang Jung-tsun (
"The most suitable individual can not necessarily be elected by means of a popular vote," Huang said.
He said a search committee election was a good alternative, as most scholars regarded popular elections as flawed. Under this scheme, he said, it is essential that an impartial committee be formed.
Public trust
Chen, Huang and Wu all said an essential attribute of a committee member was austerity. They also agreed all candidates should undergo public scrutiny.
"There should be a transparent and just benchmark to vet suited committee members in the hope of earning the trust of the public," Huang said.
When he was asked about the involvement of the education ministry, Huang said, "It is not time for universities to be totally independent on account of the fact that the quality of professors still leaves a lot of room to be desired.
"I think the Ministry of Education's involvement is acceptable for now."
According to Wu Yen-hua, "If the education ministry's search committee can win the trust of the public, their opinions should be respected.
"It is actually a good idea for an outsider to be the referee of a game if he stays unbiased."
Huang said that in the long term it would be best if the education ministry kept out of the election process.
"The education ministry should not step in and choose presidents for schools.
"It should merely play an assisting role and guide schools toward a sound scheme for them to establish a fair-minded search committee on campus. Only then can power be given to professors," Huang said.
But first, professors should improve their tattered public image, but "I don't think it's time yet," Huang said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS