Tamkang University (TKU) Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang called on presidents of colleges around Taiwan to make efforts on how to upgrade the quality of college when the universities in Taiwan entering a highly competitive era. Therefore, it is necessary for universities to be fairly ranked, classified and evaluated, Chang said.

Chang made the remarks while giving his address at the opening ceremony of a seminar on the theory and practical academy of the establishment of quality index of universities and colleges held on Tamsui campus last Friday. Chang has also clearly pointed out the goal that TKU sets in the higher education arena.

We should make our “customers”—parents and students, to know the advantages and disadvantages of the university. We should publish rank of order, the result of evaluation and the classification of the university for students to make a correct selection. Chang described the current situation of the university in Taiwan as a competitive arena and the customers as students. He has already pointed out the main themes of the seminar.

TKU President Chang Horng-jinh said that due to the fact of rapid growth of the university number and the rapid declination of birth rate in Taiwan, many universities are in short of student enrollment. The seminar is aimed at upgrading the college education quality, Chang said.

Yang Kuo-shih, President of National Chiayi University, delivered a keynote speech on “how to upgrade higher education quality and elevate international competitiveness” following the opening ceremony at the seminar. According to his study on the “position and classification of higher education in the Republic of China”, the university can be classified into the research style, teaching style, speciality style and community style, Yang said. He pointed out that a university should be equipped with exclusive teaching characteristics and innovation to attract students. Yang suggested that the government should positively set up a systematized evaluation method. He admired TKU Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang very much for his wonderful idea. “The themes we are talking today had already been implemented by TKU ten years ago,” Yang said.

More than 200 scholars and experts, including presidents of 29 universities and colleges around Taiwan took part in the seminar.