Promoting cross-strait exchanges and university autonomy should not go beyond the law, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday, following protests from some associations regarding the ministry’s handling of a controversy involving National Tsing Hua University.
After the Hsinchu-based university was found to have opened an office funded by China’s Cross-Strait Tsinghua Research Institute, the ministry asked the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Mainland Affairs Council to penalize the university for contravening laws within their jurisdictions.
The Association of National Universities and the Association of Private Universities and Colleges on Friday issued a joint statement urging the government to be cautious about curbing the autonomy of university management.
Universities are granted a greater degree of freedom in the Constitution to benefit society through unlimited research, the statement said.
The government should not over-regulate universities and damage academic freedom, it said, adding that “politics are transient, while academics are permanent.”
Academic freedom’s tolerance for different political regimes is a necessary exercise, it said, adding that allowing politics to suppress research has historically shown to be damaging.
“Universities shall be guaranteed academic freedom and shall enjoy autonomy within the scope of laws and regulations,” the MOE said in response, citing Article 1 of the University Act (大學法).
The ministry respects academic autonomy in planning curricula, services and research, and it encourages exchanges that are conducted legally, it said.
Higher education institutions are publicly funded and expected to be socially responsible.
If a university believes that its actions might contravene any laws, it should file an application to obtain guidance, the MOE said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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