Many top-ranking universities are planning to establish distinguished and chair professorships in a bid to retain experienced and renowned faculty members, sources said.
The move comes as the Ministry of Education seeks to increase salaries of professors to stop a brain drain in higher education.
According to the ministry, salaries at public universities are controlled by rigid pay scales and seniority rules that are increasingly out of step with competition from abroad, especially from other Asian universities bent on siphoning expertise from Taiwan.
The ministry said it would encourage public universities to embrace “flexible pay,” including granting new faculty members a monthly stipend of between NT$10,000 and NT$30,000 (US$317.73 and US$953.20) for three years.
Tsing Hua University president Hocheng Hong (賀陳弘) said his school plans to give housing benefits of more than NT$10,000 per month to professors who have not been assigned an apartment.
The proposed flexible pay scale at Tsing Hua is expected to raise the monthly income of professors by between NT$20,000 and NT$100,000, he said.
The public and the private sectors should work together to fund the salaries of local academics, he added.
Sources at National Chiao Tung University said it is considering setting aside a NT$500 million budget to fund chair professorships for accomplished senior professors, which could boost their salaries to as much as NT$500,000 per month.
An assistant professor surnamed Lee (李), who teaches public health at National Taiwan University, said that a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard University can expect a monthly salary of about US$2,000 after taxes, which is no better than an associate professor’s salary of NT$60,000 in Taiwan, especially in light of housing offered by Taiwanese institutions.
Wages for academics vary greatly between US universities and disciplines, and some business schools offer annual salaries of more than US$200,000.
Retaining academics in science, technology, engineering or mathematics should not be a problem because many institutions — such as the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center — offer opportunities that are internationally competitive, National Chiao Tung University chemistry professor Chiu Hsin-tien (裘性天) said.
Although universities in Hong Kong and Singapore have been aggressively poaching Taiwanese professors, the private sector in those areas have not been supportive, whereas Taiwan has retained its advantage, said Wang Fu-ming (王復民), a professor of applied science and technology at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
It is normal for talented academics to exercise their freedom by working abroad, Deputy Minister of Education Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) said, adding that instead of fixating on losses, schools should focus on recruiting people with doctorates who have potential.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
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