The Ministry of Education last week eased the regulations for dual-university degrees to encourage the internationalization of local universities through cooperation with overseas schools.
In amending the Procedural Guidelines for Verification and Recognition of Foreign Educational Qualifications in May, the ministry loosened regulations for dual-university degrees, in which students can fulfill course credits in both local and overseas universities to obtain a joint degree.
Before, in order to cooperate with overseas universities, domestic schools in the country had to report to the education ministry every time, said Ma Hsiang-ping (
Now, to encourage more local universities to seek cooperation with overseas schools and establish dual-university degree systems, the ministry has decided to abolish reporting procedures and allow schools to independently handle the cooperation contracts, Ma said.
A student must spend at least 32 months at two universities to obtain a dual-university bachelor's degree, 12 months for a masters degree and 24 months for a doctoral degree, according to the regulations stated in the newest issue of the monthly Higher Education Newsletter issued by the ministry.
A minimum of one-third of the total required credits for a diploma must completed for each of the two schools.
For example, for a bachelor's degree the average minimum credit requirement is 128 credits, which means that at least 43 credits must be completed at a university in Taiwan and at least 43 credits must be completed overseas.
Domestic universities are to find an overseas university to cooperate with and sign a contract that pertains to educational regulations in both countries, according to officials in the department.
Contract content must clarify the details of thesis and dissertation procedures, required credits, the organization of courses and how foreign students can come to Taiwan using the same regulations, officials said.
Ma said that foreign students are in principle allowed to study in Taiwanese universities, but this depends on the actual contract signed by the two schools.
Currently, a total of 49 schools have started such programs, she said, but no specific university was named.
The education ministry proposed easing the regulations at the end of last year in an effort to promote the internationalization of the nation's universities.
It also aims to raise the quality of education and academic research in Taiwan and help broaden students' horizons and global perspectives, officials said.
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