DPP legislators Hsieh Ming-yuan (謝明源) and Chiu Yeong-jen (邱永仁) yesterday accused Peking Univer-sity of illegally recruiting local students through a British-registered overseas study agency and planning to run a MBA program here.
The lawmakers said the university was planning to send three professors to teach classes for the MBA program, which is scheduled to begin Feb. 28.
Hsieh and Chiu said that their legislative aides had attended a student-recruitment event held by the agency, STI Taiwan Ltd, at which the MBA course was promoted as a Peking University program.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
A brochure introducing the MBA program states that Peking University "acknowledges the credits of the program." It does not name any other universities as doing so.
Three professors from the university are scheduled to teach three of the MBA program's four modules, Hsieh said.
The lawmakers said that all the places in the program have been filled.
Hsieh said that students enrolled in the program have been told that, "if they enroll in Peking University to continue their MBA courses, they will not have to repeat the courses taken in Taiwan."
Hsieh and Chiu said Peking's University's behavior violates the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
Article 23 of the statute forbids the recruitment of local students to Chinese universities. Violations are punishable by jail sentences of up to three years or a maximum fine of NT$1 million, according to Article 82 of the statute.
The Private School Law (
Chiu pointed out that Article 10 of the statute requires Chinese visitors to state the purpose of their visit and forbids them from deviating from that purpose.
"At present, under the statute, Chinese professors cannot teach in Taiwan. If the three Peking University professors come to teach the program, our government can expel them under Article 18 of the statute," Chiu said.
Chiu said he was also worried that the three professors could conduct espionage while here.
Hsieh voiced concern that students enrolled in the program would be wasting money because the government doesn't recognize degrees from Chinese universities.
"As the Ministry of Education has not decided how to acknowledge degrees or credits taken in Chinese universities, all degrees and credits taken in China are useless in Taiwan," Hsieh said.
Chiu and Hsieh asked the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Education to investigate whether the three professors have any political purposes in visiting.
Liu Wen-huei (
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