Taiwan

Partners situated in Taiwan

None.

Taiwan in a nutshell

Taiwan, more correctly called (by many but not all) the Republic of China (ROC) is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with limited international recognition. It was a founding member of the United Nations.

Established in 1912, the Republic of China originally encompassed much of mainland China and Outer Mongolia. In 1945 at the end of World War II the Republic of China added the island groups of Taiwan and the Penghu islands to its authority. These island groups, together with Kinmen and Matsu, became the full extent of the Republic of China's authority after 1949 when the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War. The KMT lost the war to the Chinese Communist Party which then founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in mainland China. Under ROC law, these areas currently under ROC jurisdiction are known as the "Free Area of the Republic of China."

The capital city is Taipei.

Although the jurisdiction of Republic of China only covers Taiwan and outlying islands since 1949, during the early Cold War the ROC was recognized by most Western nations and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of China. During the 1970s, the ROC began to lose these recognitions in favor of the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China has not relinquished its claim as the legitimate government of all China. Both former Presidents Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian have held the view that it is a sovereign and independent country separate from mainland China and there is no need for a formal declaration of independence. President Ma Ying-jeou has expressed the view that the ROC is a sovereign and independent country that includes both Taiwan and mainland China, a view that corresponds with the ROC constitution and the 1992 Consensus.

From 1910s to 1940s, the Republic of China was commonly referred as "China". During the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to refer it as Nationalist China or Free China. Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has been commonly referred to as "Taiwan". Since the late 1970s the name "China" is commonly used to refer to the People's Republic of China.

Higher education

Universities in Taiwan

(this is an important section)

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process

Not so relevant.

Virtual Campuses in HE

Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives

• The National Open University of Taiwan (NOU) offers both degree and non-degree level courses. There were 16,300 students enrolled for the 2007-2008 academic year, studying at 14 sites around the country. Most of the university's students are distance learners between the ages of 25 and 64.

Many NOU courses cater to the elderly.

Interesting Programmes

The National Science and Technology Program for e-Learning in Taiwan is a multi-agency programme much broader than e-learning in HE, but of considerable interest.

It is a five-year programme which started in 2003. The first phase lasted from 2003 to 2007 and the National Science Council has also planned the second phase, the promotion phase (2008-2012).

There are seven operational programmes in ELNP, including: "e-learning for everyone", "narrowing the digital divide", "mobile learning devices", "internet-based industrial park for e-learning (e-learning park)", "advanced e-learning technology R&D", "fundamental research on learning and cognition in e-learning", and "policy guidance and manpower cultivation".

For more details see http://www.ifets.info/download_pdf.php?j_id=42&a_id=906.

Re.ViCa Case-study

None.

References

1. Chang, M., Wang, C.-Y., & Chen, G. D. (2009). "National Program for e-Learning in Taiwan", Educational Technology & Society 12 (1), pp 5–17, available at http://www.ifets.info/download_pdf.php?j_id=42&a_id=906

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