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Education in Taiwan

by Nick Clark, Assistant editor, WENR

Taiwan has been a disputed territory since the 17th century, when colonial rule of the country briefly flip-flopped between the occupying forces of Holland, Spain and France, before becoming part of China in 1662. In 1895, Taiwan was annexed by Japan following the Sino-Japanese War and remained under occupation until the island was returned to China after Japan's defeat in World War II.

Soon after, in 1949, Communist forces gained control of mainland China. The ruling Nationalist Party, the Guomintang, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, retreated to Taiwan and imposed martial law on the island. Backed by the United States, the Nationalist government enjoyed international recognition as the legitimate seat of power for the whole of China. It was not until 1979 that the United States formally recognized Beijing and withdrew formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. In 1991, Taiwan ended its formal state of war with the mainland, although relations between the two remain strained over rights to government of the island.

REGIONAL NEWS

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China: Diploma Forgery Causing Concern Since the 1990s, when it reformed its educational system, the Chinese government has been trying to persuade college students that degrees are worth paying for. That effort seems to be working, but as a result, the trend has spawned an unwanted market in fake diplomas. In the back streets of big East Coast cities, diploma dealers are offering high-quality fake diplomas for as little as US$25. Diplomas are not the only things being faked. With the increase in competition in this new market-based society, transcripts and reference letters are routinely being forged, and outright cheating is rampant on international standardized tests, such as the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). [Read full story in the Asia-Pacific section]

FEATURE

Intensified Security Measures Leave Many International Students Stranded

by Robert Sedgwick, Editor, WENR

Despite concerns of a backlash from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the number of international students coming to the United States for higher education last year grew 6.4 percent over the previous year, according to Open Doors 2002, an annual report on international educational exchanges.

During the 2001-2002 academic year, approximately 583,000 international students attended U.S. institutions of higher education, according to the report, which is published by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

An IIE survey conducted in August also showed that international student applications were up this year, with 70 percent of respondents reporting either an increase or no significant change for 2002-3.

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