The National Defense University (NDU), the top academic institute of the military, is to sign today a pact with its civilian counterpart National Taiwan University (NTU) on academic cooperation between the two, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced yesterday.
The academic cooperation is to help promote the transfer of non-military personnel in the government to the MND, which is to happen soon, the MND said.
"The NDU is to open courses at NTU for civil servants to understand defense affairs. The MND is scheduled to accept in the future a considerable number of civilian officials for the purpose of establishing a civil officials-based administration system within the military," said NDU Vice President Lieutenant General Chang Chu-hsun (張鑄勳).
Chang made the announcement yesterday at a regular press conference of the MND as he briefed the press on the academic cooperation between the NDU and NTU.
The would-be transfer of civil servants to the military is to reverse the past trend whereby military personnel were able to transfer to non-military branches of the government while civil officials weren't able to move to the military.
The development is part of the ongoing military restructuring, which is based on two defense related laws -- the defense law and the organizational law of the MND. The military restructuring is aimed at building a civilian-led command structure and a civilian-based administration system, both of which have yet to be realized.
The MND also hopes to upgrade the academic competence of its personnel while pushing for the restructuring of the military.
The goal is expected to be reached via academic cooperation between the NDU and NTU.
"The NTU is to accept military officials into its executive MBA program providing a chance for the military to improve its management capabilities," NDU vice president Chang said.
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