Fujian beckons Taiwan students, teachers

East China's Fujian province will expand the enrollment of Taiwan students and each student newly recruited by local colleges and universities this autumn will be subsidized by the provincial government with one-off payment of 5,000 yuan ($727).

Fujian is the closest point on the Chinese mainland to Taiwan and is considered an ancestral home by many people in Taiwan. Education is among the various fields the two have been cooperating on.

According to Wang Jiannan, an official in charges of educational affairs, Fujian will, in accordance with current university admissions policies, try out cooperative programs which will allow Taiwan students to be admitted simultaneously by Taiwan and Fujian schools and receive double degrees. The feasibility of the programs in terms of credit transfer and linkage of course systems has been fully demonstrated.

Wang said that in the future, Fujian will promote the joint establishment of high-level universities, applied technology universities, secondary colleges, and majors and training institutions on vocational skills across the Straits.

Moreover, Fujian will employ more teachers from Taiwan to foster local basic and advanced education. In terms of primary and middle schools, Taiwan residents can apply for jobs at Fujian schools once they get Chinese mainland teacher certificates. Colleges and universities in Fujian are also being encouraged to recruit Taiwan teachers. Each of the entrants will be granted 100,000 to 120,000 yuan per year as a subsidy.