Chung Chou University of Science and Technology has been banned from accepting international students after it was found to have mistreated students from Uganda, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.
The plight of students from the East African nation was exposed after online news site The Reporter uncovered illegal practices at the university in Yuanlin City, Changhua County.
While students were promised English-language courses, scholarships and paid internship opportunities before they arrived, the report said that the university did not provide the scholarships and only a few courses were taught in English.
Photo: Lin Hsiao-yun, Taipei Times
The so-called “paid internship opportunities” were in reality blue-collar jobs in factories, and the students worked mostly overnight shifts, the report said.
“We received complaints from Ugandan students at the Chung Chou University of Science and Technology that the university did not offer scholarships and English-language courses as it promised. They also complained about being forced to work overtime in the work-study programs,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Following an investigation into those complaints ... we have preliminarily determined that the university is involved in a major breach of relevant regulations,” it said.
The university is now listed as under the ministry’s “special guidance,” which prohibits it from accepting more international students and it receives a smaller government subsidy.
All universities in Taiwan have since 2019 been asked to stipulate admission notices for international students that clearly inform students about their rights and obligations, including tuition fees, and the scholarships and work-study opportunities available to students, the ministry said.
Universities are also responsible for offering foreign students guidance regarding study and life in Taiwan, it added.
Chung Chou University of Science and Technology told the Central News Agency that “there was a major difference in understanding between foreign students and school administration.”
The university did provide scholarships to foreign students, and those who complained about not getting any either did not apply or their applications had been rejected, the university said.
It said that it never promised that all courses would be taught in English, but did not respond to accusations that it had overworked Ugandan students.
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