National Chiao Tung University has submitted an application to the Ministry of Education for the establishment of a special class for undergraduate students with distinguished academic performance and good potential in the fields of electrical engineering and information technology.
A spokesman for the Hsinchu-based university said that the school feels that an excellent learning environment and opportunities to attend seminars abroad is the best incentive to lure students with high academic expectations.
Chiao Tung University's departments of electrical engineering and information technology have been among the most sought after by local students. The university is expecting to attract the cream of the crop of students, according to the spokesman.
He said that the university plans to select 20 from the applicants and another 10 from those taking the joint university entrance examination this summer. The 30 elite students will be allowed to choose courses from the seven departments related to electrical engineering and information technologies in the first two years, and to decide on their specific majors in their junior year.
During the four years of undergraduate studies, the 30 students will each have an instructor assigned to him or her. In addition, the university will raise a special fund to finance these students' overseas academic programs, according to the spokesman.
Over the past decade, numerous new universities and colleges have joined the competition in the higher education market. While public universities have the advantage of having more resources from the government and enjoying establishment fame, private universities need to offer incentives -- scholarships in particular -- to attract students with good potential.
Last September, Da Yeh University in Changhua, announced that 21 freshmen who had outstanding scores in the joint university entrance examination and listed Da Yeh as their first choices would be awarded NT$2 million each, in addition to exemption from tuition and boarding costs.
While the NT$2 million scholarship is the highest so far, more than 10 universities, mostly private ones, are offering scholarships with the amount ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million.
An official of the ministry said recently that the anticipated opening of the education market has compelled local universities to improve their competitiveness.
Last year, the ministry announced a program encouraging research-oriented universities to cooperate in academic research, and the program has motivated several public universities to form alliances.
The official said that the alliances have caused worry among private universities and colleges and some private universities have discussed the feasibility of cooperation to enlist students, exchanging faculties and even setting up joint campuses.
Statistics released by the ministry show that in the current academic year, the ministry is giving the 58 public universities and colleges a total of NT$57.54 billion in subsidies, while the 85 private universities and colleges only get NT$15.31 billion.
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