Officials of the Ministry of Education yesterday cautioned prospective college students to first check Taiwanese regulations regarding the recognition of diplomas when considering overseas study.
"Students have to be careful when selecting schools abroad. Under the current regulations, the University of Macau is the only institution [in Macau] whose degrees have received acknowledgement from our education ministry," said Vice Minister of Education Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳).
Lu made the comments in response to efforts by three universities from Macau to recruit Taiwanese students, and he called on the schools to "tell the truth when engaging in recruitment."
The three universities -- Macau Polytechnic Institute, the Institute for Tourism Studies and the Macau University of Science and Technology -- have attracted tremendous attention at a three-day university fair, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of college hopefuls since it began on Sunday.
Due to its relatively low cost, lack of language barriers for Taiwanese students and the fact that its schools possess the advantages of both Chinese and Western educational systems, studying in Macau has become a new fad for Taiwanese students.
According to information offered by these Macau-based schools, most of the courses are conducted in Chinese and English, with an annual tuition of approximately NT$160,000 -- much cheaper than colleges in the US and Europe.
Another major selling point of these schools is the opportunities they offer to interact with China.
With the belief that studying in Macau will serve as a springboard to careers in China, most Taiwanese students in Macau choose to major in business management and law.
"The reason I chose to study in Macao is because I have business investments in China, and the school has provided me with numerous opportunities to acquaint myself with graduate students from Nanking and Shanghai," said a student from the Macau University of Science and Technology.
"These students are believed to have good connections within China's business and political circles. I believe that to get to know them will be conducive for my understanding of cross-strait affairs and pave the way for my business development in China."
Chinese medicine and tourism are also popular majors in Macau's universities.
An instructor at the Macau University of Science of Technology told the Taipei Times yesterday that his school is noted for a strong Chinese medicine faculty drawn from China.
A representative of the Institute for Tourism Studies promoted its programs by saying that studying tourism in Macau is a good way to prepare for beginning a career in tourism both in Taiwan and on the mainland.
To attract Taiwanese students, Macao universities have made entry to their schools for Taiwanese students easier by not requiring local entrance examinations. Taiwanese students can file applications based on their grades in high school and their score in Taiwan's college entrance examinations taken here.
Given that degrees granted by Chinese universities are still not recognized in Taiwan, when and whether degrees from Macau will be acknowledged should be issues of concern for Taiwanese students interested in studying there.
Vice Minister Lu said the key hinged on the quality of the schools.
"There are more complex [political] issues causing the delay of the recognition for degrees ? but for schools in Macau, their recognition can be reviewed regularly," said Lu.
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