The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday called on universities to help Chinese students enrolling in Taiwan learn to respect the nation’s official title and flag.
Unveiling its counseling guidelines for Chinese students at a meeting of university presidents in Greater Taichung, the ministry said schools should urge teachers to provide Chinese students “guidance” to help them respect Taiwan’s political system and -democracy should arguments on the subject erupt between teachers and Chinese students or between Taiwanese and Chinese students.
Minister of Education Wu -Ching-ji (吳清基) told the meeting that Chinese students should also respect the nation’s title and flag and that schools should not remove any national flags or pictures of the president because of the presence of students from China.
Wu said schools were prohibited from making changes to the nation’s title or the schools’ titles on diplomas or certificates.
The first wave of Chinese students enrolling in local universities is expected to arrive in September.
Chou Yi-shun (周以順), executive secretary of the ministry’s Mainland Affairs Division, said universities that accepted Chinese students were required to establish taskforces responsible for handling potential conflict between Chinese and Taiwanese students.
“The taskforces should prevent Chinese students from making remarks that risk undermining social stability or ethnic harmony or incite political conflict on the Internet or in the media,” Chou said.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it would cap the number of Chinese students allowed for one-year study and research in Taiwan at 1,000, with no limit on the number of such students coming to Taiwan for a six-month study and research period. At present, there is no limit on the number of Chinese students here for a year of study and research.
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