The first group of students at Minerva Schools, a college start-up that conducts courses via online seminars and has no set classrooms, is looking to visit Taipei in the final semester of their four-year programs, which have taken them to six countries so far.
Speaking at an education awards ceremony in Taipei on Thursday, Alliance Cultural Foundation chairman Stanley Yen (嚴長壽) said the plan was a major development that could serve as an inspiration for Taiwan’s education system.
However, there are some bureaucratic issues, such as visas, that must be resolved before the 100 students from 40 different countries can come to Taiwan under the Minerva Schools program, Yen said, urging the government to assist.
Ministry of Education Department of Higher Education Director Nicole Lee (李彥儀) said she was thrilled Minerva Schools had chosen Taiwan as one of its global destinations and she would be willing to assist with any logistical issues.
Since the ministry is not responsible for conferring degrees on Minerva Schools students, this eliminates any legal issues in terms of curriculum and teaching, Lee said.
As for visa issues, she said the education ministry could assist by communicating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The inaugural class at Minerva Schools started in the fall of 2014 in San Francisco, California, and after spending the first year there, the students have been traveling to a new location every semester.
They have been to London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, India’s Hyderabad and Seoul, and are looking to make Taipei their classroom for the final semester of their programs.
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