National Taiwan University (NTU) faculty and student representatives yesterday voted 59-51 to shelve a proposal to establish a college of international political economy, pending further discussion.
The proposal was shelved at a university affairs meeting due to a number of concerns.
NTU president Chen Wen-chang (陳文章), who proposed setting up the college on the university’s Taipei campus, told reporters after the vote that he was dismayed by the result.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Chen said he intended to seek approval from the Ministry of Education to establish a political economy college under the Act for National Key Fields Industry-University Cooperation and Skilled Personnel Training (國家重點領域產學合作及人才培育創新條例).
The act was promulgated in May 2021 to foster collaboration between industry and academia, with the aim of cultivating talent and conducting research in several key fields, most notably the semiconductor industry, the ministry said.
Multiple firms, including Fubon Financial Holding Co, Cathay Financial Holding Co and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, had agreed to provide funding for the college, Chen said.
The plan was to establish degree programs focusing on the political economy, finance and the education of top executives — with all courses taught in English, he said.
NTU representatives expressed concerns during the meeting that companies funding the college could potentially exert their influence on areas such as the hiring of lecturers and how courses are taught, affecting the school’s autonomy, Chen said.
Some were also worried that the new college could take up NTU resources, while others said that academics from universities should meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to discuss whether the act should be adjusted.
Chen said that he would discuss the shelved proposal with businesses, adding that the topic would be brought up again in the next school meeting.
He denied that the establishment of the new college was ordered by the Presidential Office, saying that while he had come up with the initial proposal, he could not push through the measure unilaterally and required the support of school representatives.
“Having different opinions is what makes NTU,” he said.
The NTU campus on Xuzhou Road, which used to house its College of Law and College of Social Sciences, has since been unused and needs to be revitalized, he added.
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