A total of 112 Taiwanese university and college programs reported that they enrolled no new students this academic year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday amid concern over the nation’s aging population.
The ministry published the latest college enrollment statistics on its public information platform of higher learning institutions at https://udb.moe.edu.tw/udata.
National Taiwan University’s theater, geography, oceanography, plant pathology and microbiology graduate programs were among the 35 doctoral and master’s degree programs that did not enroll any students this year, the data showed.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
National Tsinghua University’s quantum technology and advanced materials, electronic and photonic engineering programs, and National Central University’s economics, human resource management, applied geology and material sciences programs were also bereft of new students, it said.
Seventeen master’s programs did not enroll students, including eight regular programs and five night-school programs, the ministry said.
The remaining programs without new students were predominantly bachelor’s programs or their equivalent offered at private universities or college-level vocational institutions, it said.
A National Taiwan University spokesperson said that its theater and microbiology graduate programs had seven and three applicants respectively whose test scores did not meet standards.
No doctoral-seeking applicants expressed interest in geology, oceanography, plant pathology or microbiology, the spokesperson said.
A National Central University spokesperson said the doctoral programs with zero enrollments were seeking one to three students and most of them received one application each.
These applicants were either rejected for failing to meet test score standards or ended up attending the master’s degree version of the program due to the latter’s perceived advantage in job opportunities, they said.
The university is to discuss the design of its doctoral programs to boost competitiveness, the spokesperson said.
According to ministry data, 19 institutions of higher learning reported having enrolled less than 60 percent of their capacity for new students, with all but one being private institutions, ministry data showed.
Kao Yuan University, which is based in Kaohsiung and filled 15.7 percent of available spots, had the lowest enrollment rate in the nation, while National Taitung Junior College was the sole public institution with an enrollment rate of less than 60 percent.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
RSS