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MOE says alcohol ads at university are in bad taste

The Ministry of Education said yesterday that it would tighten regulations on the types of sponsorship that schools would be allowed to seek after two large ads for alcoholic beverages on the walls of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) sparked controversy.

At a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee yesterday, Vice Minister of Education Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳) said the ministry considered alcohol advertisements on campus “inappropriate,” adding that it was the position of the ministry that students should stay away from alcohol.

“Although schools are required to raise funds by themselves, they should nevertheless do so in an appropriate manner,” Lu said.

“After all, it’s not like schools are private businesses,” Lu said.

He vowed to implement clearer regulations for schools seeking sponsorship.

Two gigantic alcohol advertisements for Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc were hung outside the walls of the NTNU library and dormitory.

Lawmakers questioned the appropriateness of such ads on campus.

Lu said that the ministry would contact NTNU officials and request that the advertisements be removed as soon as possible.

The dean of NTNU’s College of Sports and Recreation Cho Chun-chen (卓俊辰) said the school had to accept sponsorship from the liquor company for this year’s National Intercollegiate Athletic Games because it was short NT$60 million (US$1.8 million) and could not find other sponsors.

Cho said putting the advertisements on campus was not tantamount to encouraging students to consume alcohol, adding that drinking was part of culinary culture.

He said the school would hold a meeting to determine whether to remove the advertisements and that the university could not just break its contract with the liquor company.

Some NTNU students were not amenable to the advertisements.

“The school authorities should seek sponsorship from companies that match the image of the school,” a student surnamed Lee said.
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