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Academia in `crisis,' officials say

Administrative restrictions placed on universities by the Ministry of Education are paralyzing academia, university officials said yesterday, warning the "crisis" was further marginalizing the country.

Dean of National Chengchi University's commerce college Edward Chow (周行一) and Harold Raveche, president of the Stevens Institute of Technology in the US, agitated for administrative independence for universities in a press conference hosted by the Taipei Foreign Correspondents' Club participated by administrators from Tatung University and an official from the ministry.

Chou slammed the government for imposing an array of restrictions on tertiary education institutions while Raveche called the restrictions the "worst problem" facing the nation.

"Taiwan will not be in a position of strength in dealing with China [unless it reforms its universities]," Raveche warned. "You can see Singapore and Japan `taking over' in many ways."

At the heart of every healthy economy are universities that churn out marketplace innovations and superior human resources, Raveche said. Taiwan's universities, however, aren't playing such roles at a level needed to keep the nation's economy strong, he added.

At issue is the education ministry exercising almost complete administrative control over public and private universities, Chow and Tatung University officials said.

From setting salaries, teacher and student quotas to deciding budgets and curriculums, the ministry is micro-managing universities with disastrous effect, they said.

"The education ministry is not economically-oriented," Chow said.

Salary restrictions, he added, have led to top teachers flocking to universities overseas, where their services are more financially valued. Recruitment restrictions similarly prevent schools from attracting top students, Chow said.

"There isn't any competition between schools," Chow said, adding that the restrictions had turned schools into passive, cookie-cutter institutions.

Nicole Lee (李彥儀), an official from the ministry's Department of Higher Education, told the press conference that the restrictions ensured responsible spending.

Virtually the entire budgets of public universities, and huge chunks of private universities' spending, are funded by the government, she said.

"That's why we have so many regulations," she added. "The money comes from the people."

Meanwhile, Raveche yesterday announced that Stevens and Tatung had agreed to jointly establish a multimillion-dollar program allowing the two schools to exchange faculty and students in a research endeavor to develop new products for high-tech manufacturer Tatung Company, which funds Tatung University.

The program will prepare students for jobs in the marketplace and create wealth by fostering innovation, Raveche said.

"I hope that's okay with you, Nicole," he said.
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