Opening Taiwanese universities to mainland students will allow universities on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to compete on an equal footing, a "Ministry of Education" (MOE) official said Thursday.

Chu Chun-chang, a section chief in the MOE's Department of Higher Education, said that at present there is an imbalance because the mainland permits Taiwanese students to enter its universities while as yet there are no reciprocal regulations in Taiwan.

He called on the public to support the government's plans to allow mainland students to study in Taiwan and to recognize mainland diplomas and degrees.

Chu made the remarks in the wake of the latest policy on the mainland to attract top students from Taiwan to its universities.

Under the policy, Taiwanese high school graduates who score within the top 12 percent in Taiwan's General Scholastic Ability Test will be able to apply directly to 123 universities on the mainland without having to take entrance exams, starting this fall.

Although the new measure may sound attractive to Taiwanese students, Chu said, students intending to study on the mainland should be reminded that diplomas and degrees from mainland universities are not yet recognized in Taiwan.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/16/2010 page4)