Taiwan's universities woo HK students
Taiwan is to relax rules on Hong Kong and Macau students studying on the island in an attempt to help universities there that are struggling to fill places.
Tung Chen-yuan, vice-chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, said: 'Hong Kong and Macau residents who have lived there for six consecutive years are eligible to apply to study in Taiwan's universities under the newly revised regulations, which will take effect next year.'
The current residential requirement is eight consecutive years.
Students interested in graduate programmes could apply directly to the schools they were interested in, Mr Tang said, and they would be enrolled on the basis of their results as undergraduates. Hong Kong and Macau undergraduates currently need to sit enrolment tests before going to Taiwan.
Applicants to undergraduate programmes must have high school graduation diplomas and sit a joint entrance examination held in Hong Kong and Macau simultaneously each year.
Of the 688 Hong Kong high-school graduates who applied to sit the exam last year, only 52 were rejected, and of 1,993 students from Macau, only 311 were rejected.
Mr Tung said the latest measure should help attract more students from Hong Kong and Macau.
Taiwan has 160 universities and colleges, up 400 per cent from two decades ago, which has resulted in an excess number of openings for students. Almost all local students, including those with poor results, passed the annual joint entrance examination in July and got enrolments because the institutions are in dire need of students.
Taiwan is popular with students from Hong Kong and Macau because the island uses traditional Chinese, education officials said.
Most students were interested in hi-tech courses and the medical programmes.
Graduates can get jobs in Taiwan if they get employment contracts from qualified local companies.
