National Tsing Hua University and a private foundation yesterday signed a contract in Taipei to found the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science (TSE).
Signed by TSE foundation chairman Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) and university president Hocheng Hong (賀陳弘), the school represents the first collaboration in the nation between a private foundation and a public institution to set up an educational institution.
The TSE is to be established inside the Hsinchu-based university, becoming the 11th college on campus, Huang said, adding that it plans to admit 10 graduate students in September next year, before gradually raising the number to 30 doctoral and 150 graduate students each year.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
International students are expected to make up two-thirds of the studentry, with all courses taught in English, he said, adding that graduation diplomas will be conferred by the university.
The university has been the cradle of numerous talent in science and technology, making it an ideal partner to run the TSE, which seeks to cultivate professionals in politics, economics, new technologies and sustainable development, he said.
The inspiration for founding the school was the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which was founded in 1895 by members of the Fabian Society for the betterment of society, he said.
Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) attended the signing ceremony.
Lin Chen-hai (林陳海), the main donor who set up a NT$3 billion (US$100 million) fund for the TSE, said the interest generated by the fund would be used as operating expenditure for the school, which is estimated to be about NT$100 million each year, said his son, Lin Chia-hung (林家宏).
The establishment of the TSE is a groundbreaking experiment on higher education innovation and globalization in Taiwan, while the scale of funds injected into the school for the development of social science is unprecedented, Hocheng said.
TSE combines the prestige of the public sector with the flexibility and resources of the private sector, making it the first of its kind in Taiwan, and extremely rare in Asia, Hocheng said, adding that he is certain it would greatly raise the nation’s global profile.
Additional reporting by CNA
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS