The “Campus Forum on Cross-Strait Graduate Students” was opened at the Ching-Sheng International Conference Hall on Oct. 17. The forum was co-sponsored by Chunghua Development Foundation and the Graduate Institute of China Studies, TKU.

Main topics discussed at the forum focused on higher education across the Taiwan Strait. Papers presented by graduate students between the two sides of Taiwan Strait have been discussed one by one for the whole day. The participants believed that the higher education should be regarded as the most important event in the knowledge economic era.

Those government officials, scholars and specialists invited to the forum include Chen Ming-tong, Vice Chairman of Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the Executive Yuan, Prof. Wei Wou, Dean of the College of International Study, TKU; Chin Ming-chu, Director of the Graduate Institute of Education, National Chengchi University; Chou Yu-wen, Chair of the Department of Education, National Taiwan Normal University; Ho Tso-fei, Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; Wang Chien-hua, Chair of the Department of Educational Technology, TKU; Kuo Chien-chung, Director of the Graduate Institute of China Studies, TKU; Xieh Anbang, Director of the Higher Education Institute, Huatung Normal College; Prof. Hu Suzhen of Hunan Normal College, Prof. Xiao Yunlung of Jungnan University and Prof. Zhang Yinzhien of Huajung University of Science and Technology.

Vice Chairman of MAC Chen Ming-tong said the forum would increase mutual understanding and shorten the different acknowledgement between the two sides of Taiwan Strait. Although there is the political discrimination in the past decade, the interchanges of private sector will undoubtedly promote the mutual understanding between the people across the strait.

Other topics discussed at the forum include cross-strait educational policy, the cultivation of talent and the sampling direction of R&D program. In addition to graduate students on Mainland China, students of the Graduate Institutes of National Taiwan University, National Chengchi University, TKU and Tunghua University also took part in the forum.

Wu Meng-san of the Graduate Institute of National Development, NTU, said that the participants might find that the differences of the terms used and the conception on the forum have gradually shortened as compared with that of last year. As to the contents of papers, the difference has not much existed, Wu said, adding that the graduate student should strengthen the individual expressing ability.

Zhang Jiaxian of Hunan Normal University said that he is so happy to have a chance to visit Taiwan. He hoped that the interchange between the two sides of Taiwan Strait would further strengthen.

Prof. Yang Ching-yao of the Graduate Institute of China Studies, TKU said that the forum would enhance the relationship between the students across the Taiwan Strait.