Autonomy, Governance and Accountability: Challenges of Higher Education in Taiwan

1. Autonomy, Governance and Accountability: Challenges of Higher Education in Taiwan Michael M.C. Lai President National Cheng Kung University December 7, 2009

2. The Missions of a University • To educate and nurture future leaders and good citizens of the society • To do research to produce and promulgate new knowledge and technology • To serve the society and mankind to meet global and local challenges

3. The challenges facing Taiwan higher education • The declining birth rate (too many universities) • Stiff college entrance competition despite excess admission quota • The nature and quality of higher education: elitist or mass education? • The falling international competitiveness, including physical infrastructure and quality of education • The declining government support • Students from mainland China

4. 149 147 147 145 145 142 139 160 135 127 140 105 120 84 100 78 67 60 80 58 60 40 20 - 06’ 94’ 96’ 98’ 00’ 02’ 04’ 08’ (year) 95’ 97’ 99’ 01’ 03’ 07’ 05’ The increase in number of universities in Taiwan In 15 years, universities grew by 89, a 153% increase. 2/3 of universities are private.

5. 200 單位：千元 160 120 80 96’ 97’ 98’ 99’ 00’ 01’ 06’ 07’ 95’ 02’ 03’ 04’ 05’ 40 95’ 96’ 97’ 98’ 99’ 00’ 01’ 02’ 03’ 04’ 05’ 06’ 94’ 0 年度 13.0 13.4 15.1 17.2 18.9 21.3 21.3 20.5 20.7 19.7 20.0 18.7 18.8 國立 181.2 167.8 177.8 158.2 154.4 154.5 146.3 138.4 129.9 120.3 117.6 134.8 135.1 學年度 私立 Government support of university per student Public university：from NT$181,200 to 135,100 Private university: from NT$ 13,000 to 18,800

6. Public Private 6,875 5,939 5,889 25,643 4,749 10,999 1,935 5,466 3,611 Taiwan (2008) Korea (2006) UK (2006) U.S. (2004) Taiwan (2008) Korea (2006) Japan (2006) Japan (2006) U.S. (2004) Very low university tuition （in USD/year）

7. (萬人) 35 33.61 newborns 18-year old Admission quota 32.40 30 28.15 26.97 25.47 25 24.07 21.75 21.75 20.08 20.10 19.20 20 17.90 19.20 (西元年) 2021 16.90 15 03’ 05’ 07’ 09’ 11’ 13’ 15’ 17’ 19’ 23’ 25’ 08’ 16’ 97 04’ 06’ 10’ 12’ 14’ 105 18’ 20’ 22’ 24’ Rapidly declining birth rate threatens university survival (Actual and predicted)

8. A solution: classification of Higher Education institutions: University of California as an example • University of California (10 campuses) (12.5% of high school graduates) (doctors degree) • California State University (masters) • City and Community Colleges (bachelors) • Junior Colleges (two-year colleges) • Easy transfers between the school systems • Each system has its own educational goals • Keys: parents and high school teachers

9. The strengths and weaknesses of university education in Taiwan • Students are well-prepared in k-12 education • Strong faculty, but teaching load is too heavy • The course requirements are generally too easy • Does not emphasize interdisciplinary learning • Not enough emphasis on humanistic education and creativity training • Not enough internationalization (global language skills, intercultural awareness and international competitiveness)

10. Keys to successful build-up of research capability in the university • Attract leaders (“stars”) in a given discipline • Cluster hiring • Mentor young talents and give them time and space • Build research teams and clusters • Collaborate and integrate (blurring of the boundaries between the traditional departments and institutes)

11. The roles of university in fostering research outputs • Fund and support interdisciplinary researches (in contrast to individuals or individual departments) • Support common facility and equipment • Provide administrative and research support staff • Reduce administrative red-tapes • Safeguard the regulatory, ethical, social and legal issues.

12. International competitiveness of Taiwan universities for faculty recruitment: Strengths • Good pension systems albeit low salaries • Good personnel fringe benefits (e.g. health insurance coverage) • Relatively good job security • Good, hardworking students • Strong research and academic infrastructure • Big talent pool abroad

13. International competitiveness of Taiwan universities in faculty recruitment: Weaknesses • Low faculty salaries • Government personnel and immigration rules are not friendly • Inflexible salary structure • Foreign students and scholars can not stay and work after they finish • High teaching load • Lack of English-friendly environment • Relative lack of respect in recruiting • Shrinking talent pool abroad

14. Talent Recruitment and retention:Why does a researcher give up job security in universities to work in a research organization? • Good working conditions • Good research facilities • Good research teams • Better chance for career success • Maybe, higher salary

15. Enhancing the innovation and university-industry collaboration • Encourage joint projects between university and industry • Encourage patent applications from university faculty (Bayh-Dole Act, 1980) • Give credit for studying applied science in faculty promotion • Encourage personnel mobility between industry and university, e.g. flexible career paths and employment contracts, mobile pension schemes and duel employment in industry and university • Encourage start-up companies from faculty

16. Trends toward more flexible and efficient university governance and operation • Autonomy (less interference from government or interest groups) • Governance structure (more flexibility for its leader to execute the educational missions) • Accountability (to hold universities and their leaders accountable for the outcomes)

17. Trends favoring changes of university governance • Obliteration of distinction between public and private universities • Declining government budget support for public universities • In Taiwan, influence and regulation from the government in setting tuition standard, student admission and recruitment policy even for private universities • Increasing government competitive grant funding for public and private universities

18. Impetuses for university reform • More flexibility in budgetary and personnel policies • University leadership can be held more accountable for his (her) actions • Oversight from an independent board • Faculty is involved in oversight of academic affairs • Reduced government block funding, with increased competitive funding (in Japan)

19. Evolving trends for higher education • Higher education is a privilege, but not a born right, for each individual who wants to pursue it, regardless of his or her financial or social status • Each student must work for it (Germany started to charge university tuition) • University must be accountable for its own actions • Must safeguard the faculty and staff’s rights and university’s competitiveness • Offer incentives for faculty and staff and university as well • Continue block funding from the government

20. Principles of University Reorganization • University reorganization is not to save money for higher education, but to increase university competitiveness • Must safeguard the privilege and rights of the current faculty and staffs, and provide incentives for them • Must not harm the university’s competitiveness in the future in recruiting • Establishing an independent board of directors could be the first step toward university reorganization.