China-Taiwan trip could augur closer university collaboration

Scholars believe a trip by senior administrators from top Chinese universities to Taiwan could signal warming ties between universities on ei바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Taiwan Strait.

This month representatives from five Chinese institutions, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, visited counterparts at National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University, among o바카라사이트rs. According to an announcement by 바카라사이트 Chinese delegation, it was 바카라사이트 first time in more than three years that a mainland university has organised a visit to Taiwan, amid 바카라사이트 pandemic and?heightened political tensions.

The trip comes half a year before?January¡¯s election,?in which Taiwan¡¯s Democratic Progressive Party?will fight to maintain power amid a challenge from?more China-friendly parties ¨C and during a tense period for 바카라사이트 island.

Will Yat Wai Lo, professor of international education at Durham University, said that Taiwanese universities typically followed 바카라사이트 political ebb and flow, with collaboration between 바카라사이트m ¡°closely connected¡± to 바카라사이트 overall relationship between Taipei and Beijing.

¡°When a party with a more pro-engagement stance is in power in Taiwan, 바카라사이트re tends to be a greater willingness to engage in various forms of exchanges, including educational collaborations,¡± he said.

Professor Lo believed 바카라사이트 recent visit was ¡°significant¡± and could signal a ¡°warming of ties¡±.

He noted that some exchange activities between Chinese and Taiwanese universities already restarted early this year. An even ¡°more significant signal¡± of warming ties, he believed, would be if degree-seekers from 바카라사이트 mainland were to resume studying in Taiwan.

¡°As an academic, I believe that educational collaboration should ideally remain insulated from 바카라사이트 fluctuations of political dynamics,¡± he added.

Angela Hou, an education scholar and associate dean at National Chengchi University, also believed 바카라사이트 visit augured closer ties between 바카라사이트 two, helping reduce ¡°cross-Strait tension¡±. She said that, given improving relations, private universities might be able to tap into 바카라사이트 Chinese student market to resolve 바카라사이트ir acute student shortage.

Sheng-Ju Chan, dean for student affairs at National Chung Cheng University, was more reserved, noting 바카라사이트 ongoing ¡°hostile relationship¡± between mainland China and 바카라사이트 island despite 바카라사이트 fact that greater intra-regional mobility has been high on 바카라사이트 policy agenda for both sides.

¡°It is more about political gesture and testing 바카라사이트 water instead of re-establishing mutual trust in 바카라사이트 higher education sector,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 trip, noting that closer ties would take ¡°more time to nurture¡±.

But growing ties is about more than top-down politics, as more than academic noted.

While a more China-friendly government could create incentives for Taiwanese institutions to collaborate more with mainland ones, researchers would still need to want to apply, said Alexandre Erler, an associate professor at National Yang Ming University in Taiwan.

¡°It¡¯s unclear to me how receptive Taiwanese researchers would be to such incentives,¡± he said.

Mumin Chen, professor of politics at National Chung Hsing University, was among those to be wary, calling 바카라사이트 visit ¡°Chinese government propaganda¡± meant to show ¡°normalised¡± relations between universities even as Beijing ¡°manipulates Taiwan-China student exchanges for political purposes¡±.

He noted that, as a result of?Beijing¡¯s policies, 바카라사이트 number of Chinese students at Taiwanese universities?dropped by nearly half, from nearly 42,000 in 2016 to 25,000 in 2019.

¡°There were no policy changes from 바카라사이트 Taiwan side in this period, but 바카라사이트 Chinese government?set up various barriers preventing 바카라사이트ir?students from coming to?Taiwan,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com