‘Service workers’ hired to help Chinese students
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES?Taiwanese students are being recruited to help the Chinese adjust to Taiwan, a service not provided to foreign students from other countries
By Mo Yan-chih and Liu Jung / Staff Reporters
With the opening of the nation’s universities and colleges to Chinese students in September, many universities are recruiting students to serve Chinese students in Taiwan, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilor said yesterday, challenging the universities over their extensive efforts to attract Chinese students.
Under an educational memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Taiwan and China last year, 67 universities in Taiwan are allowed to admit 1,123 Chinese students, while 65 technology colleges can take 877, in line with an annual quota of 2,000 imposed by the government.
In an effort to attract Chinese students, National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University posted ads on their Web sites to recruit “service workers for Chinese students” who would help Chinese students adjust to their new environment.
The ad on National Chengchi University’s Web site, for example, is seeking two graduate-school students to help Chinese students solve problems that they might encounter when they attend the school.
“The recruitment is aimed at helping Chinese students newly arrived in Taiwan get used to their environment and lives at school,” the ad said.
National Taiwan University, one of the top universities in Taiwan, recruited 15 students to provide services to the 56 Chinese students that will attend the university in September.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) said such efforts sparked disputes on campus, as many students complained about the schools’ moves to please the first batch of Chinese students in Taiwan.
“Compared with Chinese students, who share the same language and a similar culture, adapting to living in Taiwan must be more difficult for students from Europe or the US. Universities should rather recruit students to help foreign students,” she said.
Some students from the two universities said the schools’ international affairs departments should be able to handle the work.
Chinese students should not enjoy special privileges at the schools, they said.
Chien said schools should establish a friendly educational environment for all foreign students, and urged universities to give no special treatment to Chinese students.
By Mo Yan-chih and Liu Jung / Staff Reporters
With the opening of the nation’s universities and colleges to Chinese students in September, many universities are recruiting students to serve Chinese students in Taiwan, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilor said yesterday, challenging the universities over their extensive efforts to attract Chinese students.
Under an educational memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Taiwan and China last year, 67 universities in Taiwan are allowed to admit 1,123 Chinese students, while 65 technology colleges can take 877, in line with an annual quota of 2,000 imposed by the government.
In an effort to attract Chinese students, National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University posted ads on their Web sites to recruit “service workers for Chinese students” who would help Chinese students adjust to their new environment.
The ad on National Chengchi University’s Web site, for example, is seeking two graduate-school students to help Chinese students solve problems that they might encounter when they attend the school.
“The recruitment is aimed at helping Chinese students newly arrived in Taiwan get used to their environment and lives at school,” the ad said.
National Taiwan University, one of the top universities in Taiwan, recruited 15 students to provide services to the 56 Chinese students that will attend the university in September.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) said such efforts sparked disputes on campus, as many students complained about the schools’ moves to please the first batch of Chinese students in Taiwan.
“Compared with Chinese students, who share the same language and a similar culture, adapting to living in Taiwan must be more difficult for students from Europe or the US. Universities should rather recruit students to help foreign students,” she said.
Some students from the two universities said the schools’ international affairs departments should be able to handle the work.
Chinese students should not enjoy special privileges at the schools, they said.
Chien said schools should establish a friendly educational environment for all foreign students, and urged universities to give no special treatment to Chinese students.
