Prof Kao An-Pang, Dean of the College of Social Sciences at the National Chengchi University

With mainland China becoming a major economic force in the world, attracting an increasing amount of foreign investments by some of the largest global multinationals, colleges and universities across Taiwan have begun to offer Sino studies. The International Master's Program in China Studies to be offered by National Chengchi University (NCCU) is one of them -- with the additional value of offering courses entirely in English.

Kao An-pang, dean of NCCU's College of Social Sciences, said the program is intended to not only teach students about mainland politics, economy, society and culture but also raise students' international competitiveness by requiring them to use English at all times. NCCU conceived of the idea of offering the program after the Ministry of Education named the raising of Taiwan students' English competency as one of its policy goals for the next couple of years.

NCCU has over the years become the most international and diverse university in Taiwan, Kao said. "While we do not have the most number of students among Taiwan universities, we do have the most number of foreign students. We've got over 300 of them," he said. "The offering of the program is in keeping with the new government policy. It is expected that the students' English skills will be raised, and their horizons broadened."

The program will begin next fall, with the school now accepting applications for local students. The deadline is Jan. 20. Applications for foreign students will be from February to April.

The program has 30 positions for Taiwan students and 15 positions for foreigners, allowing local and foreign students to "mix and mingle" in a multicultural environment, Kao said. As the studies are interdisciplinary, bachelor degree holders of different backgrounds are welcome, he said.

During the course of the program, students may take a wide range of Sino studies classes, and here are some of them: Economic Development of Mainland China, Spatial Development of Mainland China, Ethnic Development of Mainland China, the Revolution History of Mainland China, and Urban and Rural Enterprises of Mainland China. Students are required to take 36 credits -- 18 required and 18 elective -- to graduate. Courses are mostly offered at night or weekend. Tuition is NT$5,250 per credit.

The courses are meant to increase students' knowledge of mainland China, which has over the last couple of years seen an increasing amount of foreign direct investments and more and more multinationals setting up regional operational and logistical centers. In the words of Kao, the program is offered from a "Taiwan" perspective -- that is, how the island should protect its interest at a time when mainland China has risen to become a major economic power. The program may be helpful to those wishing to get a career in mainland China, which is in need of experts who understand the other side of the strait and who are proficient in English, Kao said.

As the courses are offered in English, NCCU has announced more stringent assessment standards for applicants' English skills. Besides application forms, college grade reports and recommendation letters, Taiwan applicants are required to take written and oral exams to demonstrate their English skills. Applicants from non-English speaking countries are also required to submit a certificate for English proficiency to demonstrate that they have attained a certain level of English competency.

The program is a companion piece with NCCU's International Master's Program in Taiwan Studies. The program has been offered for two years now, with 30 positions made up of 15 local and 15 foreign students. Overseas students are mostly from the United States, Canada, Japan, and countries with diplomatic ties with the Republic of China. The program is intended to provide students with knowledge about the politics, economy, society and culture of Taiwan.

Both local and overseas students have given high marks for the program as they have learned about the different aspects of the island. Many students, however, have expressed the hope that the school may offer more field trip opportunities to various industrial and commercial bases in Taiwan to enrich their experiences, Kao said.
"For example, they would like to visit Formosa Plastics Group's sixth naphtha cracker in Mailiao Township -- one of the most reputed in Asia," he said. "They have learned about the role the plant has played in Taiwan's economic development, and they would like to visit it."

Students in the program have gotten to know more about each other and are getting along quite well, Kao said. Some of the foreign students could not speak a single Chinese word when they first came, and now they are getting better each day, he said.

"Taiwan and overseas students are even known to hang out together during many social occasions," Kao said. "They have really become good friends."

(By William C. Pao; The China Post)