As many as 30 percent of Taiwanese students who have studied or are enrolled at Chinese universities are at schools whose diplomas are not recognized in Taiwan, which could jeopardize their career prospects, the Ministry of Education said.
With China trying to attract more Taiwanese students to study there as part of its unification efforts, students should avoid universities whose diplomas are not recognized in this nation, the ministry said on Sunday.
Of the more than 2,500 higher-education institutes in China, Taiwan recognizes only 155 universities and 199 vocational colleges.
The number of Taiwanese enrolled in degree programs in China averaged about 10,000 per year since 2014, but last year, the number rose to 11,851, including 2,567 freshmen, ministry data showed.
Students planning on studying in China should pay attention to the extent to which their diplomas would be recognized at home, as well as the risks that stem from the political and cultural differences, the ministry said.
The Chinese job market is extremely competitive for young people and Taiwanese who return home to look for a job without a recognized diploma risk being underemployed, said Wuu Dong-sing (武東星), a professor in National Chung Hsing University’s materials science and engineering department.
The ministry should promote awareness on which Chinese schools’ diplomas are recognized by the government, he said, adding that there are plenty of high-quality universities in Taiwan with reliable diplomas.
A number of famous universities in the US, Europe and Hong Kong have established branches or jointly set up schools with local institutions in China, such as New York University Shanghai and the University of Nottingham Ningbo, Wuu said.
Although they bear the names of famous schools, Taiwan does not recognize their diplomas, largely because they are very new and very different from their main school, he said.
Taiwanese with diplomas that are not recognized by the government will not be able to work in schools and government agencies in Taiwan, Shih Chien University president Michael Chen (陳振貴) said.
The quality of education at Chinese universities and colleges varies greatly depending on the school, so students must be careful in choosing where to study, Chen said.
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