Gov't mulls professor salary raise

The plan, which was announced as the country kicked off a national conference on nurturing talent, allows professors' salaries to be subsidized by the MOE's five-year NT$50 billion program for the development of top-notch universities.

The subsidies could also come from other special projects or from the National Science Council (NSC), with no cap on the salaries, according to the plan.

“Allowing flexible salaries will help to attract top teaching personnel and boost Taiwan's international competitiveness,” NSC Minister Lee Lou-chuang was cited by the Central News Agency as saying.

“Taiwan cannot afford to be excluded from the world trend of recruiting the best talent,” the minister added.

Michael Lai, head of National Cheng Kung University President, pointed out that the salaries for Taiwan's teachers and researchers are too low.

“A salary increase will help attract the best,” Lai said. “Salary flexibility is crucial, although it will by no means suggest an across-the-board pay raise,” he was cited as saying.

Vice President Siew, speaking at the conference, said the government will increase its investment in education and its education budget.

He said the government will also recruit more international students in line with globalization.

“The government will map out a comprehensive plan for nurturing, retaining and recruiting talent,” Siew was cited by the CNA as saying.

The plan will be designed on the basis of short-, mid- and long-term human resource needs, he said.

The trend of globalization is motivating every country to recruit the best talent, Siew said, citing moves by Taiwan's neighbors, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. “Although Taiwan lacks natural resources, it has a wealth of outstanding talent,” Siew said.

In response to calls for deregulating university tuition, Education Minister Wu Ching-chi told the conference that his ministry does not want to impose control, but has to do it because of society's expectations.

He said Taiwan's people would not allow universities to adjust their tuitions according to market mechanisms.

The ministry could relax a bit, but a complete lift of the regulations could be harmful, he said. The conference was held at the National Central Library in Taipei and attended by 150 representatives, including Academia Sinica President Chi Huey Wong and the presidents of several local universities.

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