The Conference on University Evaluation and Improving of Educational Quality hosted by TKU and directed by Ministry of Education, was held on March 23 at Chueh Sheng International Conference Hall. Ho Chou-fai, Director of the Education Ministry’s Higher Education Department, greatly esteems TKU’s innovative research on the criteria of University Classification. He remarks that “in managing a university, the policy-maker should department oneself in a proper market area—prevent competing with universities of different categories, then stand out against those of the same category with innovative measures.”

Dr. Hou Yung-chi, Associate Professor of Graduate Institute of Higher Education, TKU, in her conference paper, “The Influence of the 2005 Carnegie Classification System on the Development of University Classification in Taiwan” analyses the current educational factors and establishes criteria for classifying local universities. Director Ho Chou-fai, the invited respondent of Dr. Hou’s paper, remarks that the result of this research is highly valuable for MOE. He adds that in the past, the government did not rank the classified schools; however, in the recent years the ranking measures have been adopted, and many subsidizing projects favor the “Universities of Research Type.” He believes such a preference should be reevaluated, and points out that in the “Excellence Project” since 2005 school year, the situation has been modified, and “Universities of Education Type” have regained recognition.

Dr. Yung Chaur-shin, Professor of Graduate Institute of Educational Policy and Leadership, points out in his paper, “Evaluation Strategies for Releasing Hindrances in Developing Higher Vocational Education,” that since vocational college students and university students have different characteristics and penchants for studying, the criteria for evaluating the vocational colleges should not be the same as that for universities; instead, a complete and unique evaluation system for the former should be made. Dr. Yung highlights the problematic situation, in which “over-emphasis on administrative performance in paper work casts a shadow on the truth of education.” ( ~Chen Chi-szu )