The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said that it would insist universities verify the expenditure of professors who undertake national research projects, after two professors allegedly embezzled research funds.
The ministry had asked universities to compile a list of potential violations when professors apply for reimbursement from research funds, said Ho Cho-fei (何卓飛), director-general of the ministry's Department of Higher Education.
Universities should take their role as a gatekeeper seriously and strictly screen receipts presented by professors, he said.
On March 24, the Tainan Prosecutors' Office indicted National Cheng Kung University professor of English Tsou Wen-li (鄒文莉) on charges of fraud and forgery, accusing her of embezzling NT$1.1 million (US$34,800) from research funds granted by the MOE and the National Science Council (NSC).
Prosecutors said Tsou used the bank accounts of 13 people, including assistants, students and even her daughters’ babysitters, and filed applications for reimbursement for salaries allegedly paid to research assistants, temporary staffers and students working part-time for her from November 2007 to November last year.
Prosecutors said Tsou, who is in charge of a number of NSC research projects on English reading and writing, spent NT$96,000 from the research funds to pay her daughters’ babysitters and tutors.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, National Taiwan University (NTU) dean of research and development Chen Tai-jen (陳泰然) was quoted by local media as confirming that the school did receive a report accusing professor of agricultural economics Luh Yir-hueih (陸怡蕙) of embezzling research funds by naming her husband, daughter and sister as research assistants.
Chen said the school had asked Luh to return the funds.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS