Letters | Taiwan university shows the way with coronavirus response on campus and off

In March, the government pledged NT$400 million (US$13 million) in funding for higher education institutions to support pandemic-related initiatives.

However, government funding has not fully covered the expenses these institutions have faced during the pandemic. As a result, universities have had to look for other financial resources to implement related programmes.

National Taiwan University (NTU) has kept its campus operational and spared no effort to fight Covid-19 at a time when many other universities across the globe have been forced to close their campuses. In addition to government endeavours to contain the virus’ spread, Taiwan’s flagship university was quick to launch a special task force to implement epidemic prevention measures. It has also been proactive in extending necessary support to overseas students required to self-quarantine for 14 days, and tackling emergent challenges in preparation for the fall semester.

The number of online courses has increased manifold in the past few months, helping to ensure students’ right to education and establish an environment of e-learning. With support from alumni, NTU has introduced entrepreneurship to enhance the capacity of teaching and learning, with efforts such as the NTU COOL online learning platform and the U-Meeting video conferencing system backed by industry partners.