■ SOCIETY
Many yet to apply for cards
About 60,000 foreign residents in Taiwan have not yet applied for the new electronic resident cards to replace paper versions that will no longer be valid from Feb. 1 next year, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) reported yesterday. People who fail to obtain a new electronic alien resident certificate (ARC), alien permanent resident certificate (APRC) or Republic of China (Taiwan) resident certificate by Dec. 31 this year will not be able to apply for driver's licenses, national health insurance or bank accounts in Taiwan, NIA officials said. Last month, the agency sent notifications to people still holding paper versions of the three types of foreign resident cards, asking them to apply for their new ID cards at NIA service centers across the country, the officials said. The electronic resident cards not only help protect the holders’ personal information but also assist the government in implementing cost-effective and anti-forgery measures launched in July 2007, they said.
■ EDUCATION
Up to 60 colleges may close
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said nearly 60 colleges and universities are expected to close within 12 years because of a lack of students resulting from low birth rates. One possible remedy would be to upgrade the quality of higher education and make colleges and universities more internationalized, he said. To recruit more foreign students, Ma said the government would offer incentives to encourage colleges and universities to teach courses in English. The administration also plans to expand the Taiwan Scholarship, hoping to double the number of foreign students to 2.6 percent, he said.
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