Faculty and student representatives at National Taiwan University (NTU) on Saturday voted to shelve a proposal to establish a college of international political economy, pending further discussion.
The motion was voted 59-51 in favor to be shelved for the time being during the school's university affairs meeting, due to differing opinions and a variety of concerns.
NTU President Chen Wen-chang (陳文章), who proposed setting up the college at its Taipei campus on Xuzhou Road, told reporters after the vote that he was dismayed at the result.
Chen said his intent was to seek approval from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to establish the political economy college under the National Key Fields Industry-University Cooperation and Skilled Personnel Training Act, or the Training Act for short.
According to the MOE, the Act was promulgated by the government in May 2021 to foster industry-academia collaboration, with the purpose of cultivating talent and conducting research in several key fields, most notably the semiconductor industry.
Multiple enterprises, including Fubon Financial Holding Co., Cathay Financial Holding Co. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., had agreed to provide funding for the college, Chen said.
The plan would be to establish degree programs focusing on three fields -- political economy, finance and top executive education -- with all courses taught in English, he explained.
But because of the funding, Chen said NTU representatives have expressed concerns during the meeting that this could potentially allow businesses to exert their influence on the school's autonomy, such as the hiring of teachers and how courses are taught.
Some were also worried that the new college could take up NTU's resources, while others suggested that scholars from various universities should convene to contribute their suggestions to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on whether the Training Act should be adjusted.
With his proposal shelved, Chen said he would discuss the matter with businesses, and that the topic would be discussed again in the next school meeting.
Meanwhile, he denied that the establishment of the new college was ordered by the Presidential Office, saying while he had come up with the initial proposal, he could not push through the measure unilaterally and required the support of school representatives.
"Having different opinions is what makes NTU," he explained.
He said the NTU campus on Xuzhou Road, which used to house its College of Law and College of Social Sciences, has since been left unused and needs to be revitalized.
