A long-stalled cooperation plan between a local school and the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu — the largest network of culinary and hospitality schools in the world — might finally get off the ground after a top official yesterday said that the necessary procedures would be completed soon.
The Ministry of Labor is discussing the matter with the Ministry of Education, and the administrative procedures should be completed next week, Minister of Labor Chen Hsiung-wen (陳雄文) said.
Chen made the remarks at a legislative hearing amid reports that a cooperation plan between Le Cordon Bleu and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism five years ago still has not gotten off the ground.
Addressing concerns by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), Chen said the program was affected by the nation’s regulations that set limits on short-term cram schools offering language courses to prevent abuse by diploma mills.
Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) said the ministry supports cross-border cooperation, but legal amendments on such cooperation have hit a snag in the legislature.
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism president Jung Chi-yeh (容繼業) expressed hope that government agencies could help facilitate the opening of the school in April.
He said the school would only admit 64 students, although more than 400 students domestically and overseas have registered to enroll.
The program is a joint venture between the two, with Le Cordon Bleu in charge of culinary education, while the university is to be in charge of administration, recruitment and the venue.
The two sides started to promote the collaboration in September 2011, with Le Cordon Bleu aiming to establish its first foothold in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and China.
However, due to various restrictions, it has been unable to open, Jung said.
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