Transworld University and two other schools ordered to close

Transworld University and two other schools ordered to close

2023-06-06

The Ministry of Education has ordered the closures of three higher education institutions, starting July 31, 2024. In a Monday committee meeting, the ministry decided to shut down Tatung Institute of Technology in Chiayi, Transworld University in Yunlin, and Mingdao University in Changhua. Each school has been plagued by financial troubles in recent years. They must cease all recruitment for the upcoming academic year. The closures will displace about a thousand students and lead to the layoffs of some 400 staff.

More than 30 years after its founding, Transworld University will stop recruitment and close its doors by July of next year.

Student
Transworld University
We often go participate in competitions. I feel that this is a real shame.

Faculty
Transworld University
I’ve spent a large chunk of my life at this school, so of course, upon hearing this news, I can’t help but feel reluctant to say goodbye.

Transworld University had a NT$230 million shortfall in its books, which it failed to make up within a government deadline. The Ministry of Education convened a review committee to decide the school’s fate. With the agreement of more than half the members present, the committee ruled to close its doors.

Shen Chien-hua
Transworld University president
The Ministry of Education has a fixed protocol for student placement. But our students have certain rights that we want to remind them of.

Another school soon to be shuttered is Mingdao University in Changhua. The school expressed regret but said it respected the committee’s decision.

Student
I’m a little nervous. After all I will have to go from a familiar environment to an unfamiliar one.

These schools will see their board of directors restructured by the Ministry of Education as early as this July. After that, they will continue to exist for a year. During this year, faculty salaries and severance payments will be made from a government fund. However, previously unpaid salaries, such as those owed by Mingdao University, will need to be paid by the school itself.

Kuo Chiu-shun
Mingdao University president
The Ministry of Education has a school discontinuation fund. After the ministry takes over, salaries will be paid from that fund. But unpaid salaries from February, March, April, and May will be paid by the original board of directors.

With the low birth rate affecting higher education, running a college is more challenging than ever. As one school after another closes up, officials are seeking ways to protect students’ interests.

環球科大.明道大學.大同技術學院將退場校方:保障學生權益

2023-06-06

教育部昨召開私校退場審議會，大同技術學院、明道大學及環球科大等3校，因為財務問題，112學年起必須全部停止招生，並於明年7月31日起停辦。這是教育部第一次大規模勒令多所學校退場，共有1120個學生要被安置，212位教師、214位職員遭資遣。

創校30多年的雲林環球科技大學，確定要停招，明年7月底退場。

[[環球科大學生]]
“就是要常常出去比賽，覺得蠻可惜的”

[[環球科大職員]]
“在整個人生裡面，很長一段時間在這學校，當然聽到消息，還是會不捨”

環球科大因為財務上2.3億的缺口沒有在期限內補足，教育部召開退場審議會，經過出席委員二分之一以上同意，確定走入歷史。

[環球科大校長沈健華]]
“教育部當然有一個固定(安置學生)的做法，但是有些學生權益，我們必須來跟同學提醒”

另一所確定退場的學校是彰化明道大學，校方表示遺憾，但尊重決議。

[[同學]]
“會有點緊張啦，畢竟要從熟悉的環境，跑到別的不熟悉環境”

被勒令停辦的學校，教育部最快7月將重組董事會，之後學校還會存在1年，這1年教職員的薪資及資遣費將由退場基金墊付。不過之前的欠薪，明道大學得自己吸收。

[[明道大學校長郭秋勳]]
“教育部有個退場基金，會從他們接手之後，開始發薪水，之前的欠薪2、3、4、5月欠薪，會由原有董事會來支付”

少子化海嘯來襲影響招生，經營學校大不易，一間一間學校退場，得優先保障學生權益和受教權。

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I think this is great. It’s like getting NT$1,200 extra in pocket money that I can spend on arts and culture.

Shih Che
Minister of Culture
We’re following in the footsteps of Europe, giving young people this first resource with which they can participate in cultural experiences, as part of their coming-of-age ritual – that is to say, their transition into an adult.

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Taiwanese jazz musicians Rich Huang, Stacey Wei, Hsu Yu-ying, Shawna Yang, and Vincent Hsu take the stage at a media preview of the upcoming NTCH Summer Jazz Outdoor Party.

Renowned trumpeter Stacey Wei will perform romantic jazz songs with international jazz musicians Michael Mossman, Aubrey Johnson, Cliff Almond, and Antonio Hart.

Stacey Wei
Trumpeter
Four musicians from abroad plus seven local musicians will come together for a performance. This year we’ll use the theme of jazz love songs. We will perform some famous songs such as Santana’s “Black Magic” and Stevie Wonder’s "I Just Called to Say I Love You."

This year’s jazz party, themed “Play it Forward!” will feature local and international heavyweights in a diverse jazz showcase.

Rich Huang
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I will combine the use of electronics, playing the piano and synthesizer myself. The musicians I invited will play electric bass, but there will also be traditional jazz instruments like drums. I created new compositions for this event.

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I will be performing at the outdoor jazz party. We will have three programs this time, each with a different direction. I will perform with a piano trio from Sweden.

Vincent Hsu
Jazz bassist
I planned a program that will be held at the experimental theater. Two bands are invited to perform different performance styles on the same stage. So even as two bands play the same song, they showcase different musical styles.

Since 2003, the National Theater and Concert Hall has delighted music lovers with its Summer Jazz Party. During the worst of the pandemic, the festival was not able to bring musicians from abroad. This year, international artists are returning to the annual jazz festival, which will be held at the NTCH’s main plaza and indoor spaces such as its experimental theater.

Liu Yi-ruu
NTCH general and artistic director
Since the borders have finally opened, we have invited renowned international musicians to come to Taiwan. We’ve also got equally talented local jazz musicians. Every year we have performances at several venues. Besides multiple performances in the concert hall, there are shows in the experimental theater and there are outdoor jazz parties.

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It’s summer – time to up your water intake. Not drinking enough water increases your risk of kidney stones.

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Tsai Shu-wei
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Tsai Shu-wei
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Bright paintings marked by soft, flowing lines bring a feeling of peace to viewers. This is the work of Miru Hayung.

Miru Hayung
Artist
I’ve been interested in painting since I was a child. But after my studies, the work I’ve done hasn’t been connected to painting. But I’ve always been trying to paint.

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Miru Hayung
Artist
Some indigenous topics don’t have to be so concrete. I hope that through creative expression I can attract people’s attention.

But Hayung’s creative work isn’t just on canvas. He also creates large-scale installation art and murals. His favorite work is this depiction of Atayal fishing traps and seafaring culture, entitled “Flourishing On and On.”

Miru Hayung
Artist
“Flourishing On and On” was the very first thing that touched me. So I hope that future works can also “flourish on and on.”

Hayung’s unique style has been fed by attending many exhibitions and studying many other artists’ work. And indigenous life is a major source of inspiration.

Miru Hayung
Artist
Things belonging to the Atayal, both the natural world and things we use at home in daily life.

Hayung’s own restaurant is so full of paintings it’s like an art gallery. One day he hopes to found an art gallery for his tribe, to help pass down the Atayal artistic traditions and see them “flourish on and on.”

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