Since few weeks, people are talking about attracting more foreign students in Taiwan and developing more classes taught in English.

Frankly speaking, there are not so many full programs taught in English in Taiwan, so attracting students from Europe and Americas is a real challenge (I am not referring to students learning Mandarin).

Beside, it seems according some comments I read that many students complain about the quality of the existing teaching. Hard to verify.

Anyway, when he was talking about foreign students, Ma (president of Taiwan) mentioned more than once “Chinese students”.

So we don’t need to be surprised by the announcement from the government to recognize the diplomas offered by 41 Chinese Universities. I remember that not a so long time ago (weeks or months), it was out of question to do so… A detail… Let’s forget about it.

As some already said and/or wrote, “it’s easier to continue teaching in Chinese than forcing professors to teach in English”.

I may add that attracting foreign professors is not an easy task either.

When the announcement was made, the DPP (opposition political party) said that it disagreed and the decision from the government could jeopardize the rights of Taiwanese students.

From that point, I have some reflections and questions:

1 – Maybe I don’t understand the consequences about recognizing 41 Chinese Universities (? ) but I don’t see how and why the rights of Taiwanese students may be jeopardized. The DPP should be more specific and stop to just criticize if it doesn’t want to lose its credibility.

2 – But yes, if many very good students are coming to Taiwan (not just 10 or 20), for sure a lot of Taiwanese students will be in trouble: they will have to face competition and will need to work more or change their “occupations”.

3 – Yes, a lot of Universities or colleges in China are far to be at the international level (but it’s the same for Taiwan, no?) and I don’t know the details about those 41 Universities. Still, it’s not a reason to systematically downgrade Chinese Universities. Some are really very good: Beida (Beijing University), Tsinghua University, Fudan University or Shanghai Jiao Tong University, just to name some. The famous Finance professor and Chinese specialist Michael Pettis will of course agree (he is teaching in Beida).

4 – There are of course good Universities in Taiwan and good professors too. But as anyone knows, there are too many Universities and colleges: more than 180 for a country large as (roughly) Belgium. Can you believe it?

I believe Taiwan should think about Schumpeter and and his “Creative Destruction”!

5 – Now, let’s talk about quality (of students and professors): if the Ministry of Education does not change its policy soon, the best students and professors will go abroad. See for example the policies of South Korea, Hong Kong or Singapore Universities.

If Taiwan doesn’t adapt to the new challenges, it will lose for ever its competitive advantage (if any).

6 – Again, about quality: which kind of students Taiwan wants to attract from China? The very good students (and there are a lot, given the highly competitive environment) are going to USA or Europe. If they don’t have enough money or if they want to stay in Asia, they receive a lot of financial incentives from some of the best Universities – see for example what are offering Universities in HKG. And the reputation of Taiwanese Universities (most of) is far behind.

So question: why the good students from China will come to Taiwan?

One more question: if Taiwan does not attract the good Chinese students, who will come? The bad students? The troublesome students?

If yes, what will be the consequences here about the quality?

7 – According the government, undergraduate Chinese students can only go to private Universities and graduated will join the public Universities.

Why?

8 – Still according the government, when Chinese students will join the public Universities here, they will have to pay the same tuition fees than in private Universities (higher compare to the public).

Why?

That is how the government wants to attract students?

Let’s change the topic.

The president Ma is also the chairman of his political party (KMT). I do not believe that is good for the democracy. I thought the same when his predecessor became the chairman of the now opposition party (DPP).

In Europe it also happened in the past and I of course disagreed.

The president is supposed to be the president of all the population.

When he makes decisions or whatever, where is the precise line between the president and chairman jobs?

See the picture:

PHOTO: CNA

Ma (right) is chanting election slogans with the party’s candidate for Hsinchu County commissioner, Chiu Ching-chung.

I don’t know. Maybe I am thinking too much. But I believe that president and party chairman positions should be hold by different people.

Another topic: how decisions are made.

Recently, some decisions just came out of nowhere, as the rabbit from the magician top hat.

See the decision about the Chinese Universities. I am not against it but I thought that some transparency may be useful.

See about the beef story: everything but transparent. One day, the government just open the doors for the US beef without any debate. I don’t say that the US beef is bad. I just say that the way the decision was made could be different.

See about the financial MOU with China: the one in charge (in Taiwan) said before the lawmakers that the MOU will not be signed if the official titles are not mentioned. Few hours later, we learnt that the MOU was signed… Without the official titles…

Many questions and very few answers…

Sorry for this week. No time to blog.

It’s the midterm exam week and I am grading now. So blogging will make me feel guilty

Today, 2 exams… About 100 students to grade.

Tomorrow, 2 more exams but only about 50 students.

And then, need to upload the grades.

And then… need to upload the proposed answers.

Econometrics is OK, just the time to handle the data. Easy stuff, an introduction to the understanding of Econometrics.

Economics, Global Investment, International Finance are taking more time.

Many news made me want to react… but no time…

Anyway, long life to Taiwan

Cheers

Lawmakers are now running after what it’s called “foreign fat cats”: foreign people with a high salary (for Taiwanese standards).

The target is now the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC).

A legislator asked (see HERE) “asked to the company’s spokesperson what the company would do with two foreign managers whose yearly salary exceeded NT$10 million (US$309,600) each”.

The idea behind that question seems to be: can their job been done by Taiwanese nationals?

We are talking about a very specific industry and activity.

I am maybe naive, but as far as I know, not so much countries are specialized in high speed train: France, Germany, Japan.

Does Taiwan has the expertise?

Of course not.

That remind me the speech in some countries from the right wing.

We use to call that populism and/or nationalism.

I don’t know about you, but I was quite surprised by the above question asked by a legislator.

Beside, USD 309,600 per year for a top manager…

In western countries, no top managers would work for that amount.

It’s about Euro 200,000.

Obviously, some people have no idea of what they are talking about.

But in few weeks, there are key elections…

Always a good time for populism and nationalism.

Since one year, it’s clear for the observers that Taiwan (the administration in charge)  is putting all its eggs in the Chinese basket.

At the beginning, it was quite discreet but now, it’s totally obvious.

Even state-owned companies are joining the move.

The state-owned Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp (TTL) ignored the World Games in Kaohsiung and gave just NT$400,000 (about USD 12,000) to the Deaflympics in Taipei.

It seems to be official now (HERE) TTL will sponsor the Asian Games in Guangzhou (China) in November next year.

How mush will be given?

The announced figure is 100 million Yuan (about USD 15,000,000)!

…15 million American dollars… Taxpayers’ money…

The official reason is to promote “Taiwan Excellence”. Obviously, they are very selective when it comes to choose which “excellence” must be promoted. Not even a cent was given to the Taiwanese golf champion who tried earlier this year, to host a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament in Taiwan.

If China is involved, the selection seems more simple for them.

But Taiwan needs more than China.

On November 9, Derek Scissors from The Heritage Foundation published a memo about it (HERE).

Some interesting excerpts:

[…]

Taiwan’s economic strategy must encompass other fundamental needs as well: internal economic restructuring and the cultivation of new and dynamic foreign relationships beyond the Straits.

…

As an investment, China is moving from a "growth" stock to a "value" stock. In terms of raw growth, the days of 14 percent GDP gains in the ’90s and 12 percent GDP gains earlier this decade are gone, to be replaced (after the post-crisis bounce) by long-term growth of about 8 percent annually. And that is if all goes well.

Specifically, the PRC’s successful globalization means there are fewer opportunities left for Taiwanese companies. In the 1980s, the mainland desperately needed intermediaries to connect more fully to the outside world. That is no longer the case.

…

Beyond China, a central Taiwanese motivation in negotiating ECFA is to secure access to trade pacts involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with which the island has considerable economic ties. But there is no guarantee, even with an ECFA, that China will tolerate ASEAN extending such pacts to Taiwan. Further, the Taiwanese economic relationship with ASEAN shares the critical feature of the cross-straits relationship: a current lack of dynamism.

Other options should therefore be cultivated. In particular, Taiwan should seek partners poised for a period of especially rapid growth, better positioned to achieve rapid gains from fresh globalization, and in greater need of Taiwanese technology and service industries.

An obvious candidate is India.

…

Recommendations

• Taiwan should undertake a set of domestic economic reforms aimed at spurring efficiency and growth prior to, or coincident with, the implementation of steps toward more open cross-straits trade and investment.
• Taiwan should ensure that its regulations, taxes, and international economic agreements do not artificially divert trade and investment toward the mainland or any East Asian bloc at the expense of India or other promising partners.

…

Cross-straits liberalization is valuable, but it is only one arrow in the quiver. More needs to be done to bolster Taiwan’s economic future.

[…]

So obviously, the key word is “strategy”.

Putting all the eggs in the Chinese basket cannot be called a strategy.

Since one week, a lot of Media are talking about how to make Taiwanese education system more “international” as for example HERE or THERE.

And it seems that the President (?) Ma is mostly talking about English classes and inviting (attracting) foreign students even though he several times mentioned about Chinese students only… (I don’t think that it will be a problem to invite Chinese students in Taiwan. But just have a look HERE…Why will they come here if no competitive advantage?). As if it (inviting Chinese) could be “THE” solution… Seems that for now, all solutions are on the China side…

I just have some comments / questions (no ranking, just about my mood):

* What’s about the quality? Can you say that for a country about 22 million people, more than 160 Universities are needed? More than in France… Can you believe it? Especially if you think about the demography concern?

* If you fail students, they go away from your classes. So, how to do? What professors will do? (you can guess the answer)

* Why not trying to invite foreign professors? But still, with a lack of students and with the fact that the classroom is often full of people who don’t have the level… Plus the previous points…

* If Taiwan wants to invite foreign professors, it should increase the salary (I remember of reading somewhere that even in India or Saudi Arabia, the salary is higher…)

* Salary in Universities is supposed to be the same, whatever you are Taiwanese or not. But Taiwanese professors got bonus if they teach in English… Do you get the point? Why not give an advantage to foreign professor too? Or at least avoiding an asymmetric situation?

* Why foreign professors are still accepting this situation? Maybe because they love to stay there… A magnificent country… Trust me, so beautiful…

* Some Universities are sending students abroad. But if they stick together, where is the point? At least, an international exchange program should bring the following benefits: Language, Culture and Friends. Is that the case now in Taiwan (for the undergraduate students)? It seems that international programs are close to vacations…

I do believe that one root of this mess is the quantity of Universities, Colleges… available in Taiwan.

This problem exists since several years.

What will be the future of Taiwan?

What’s about its competitiveness?

Do we need to worry?

I do think that Taiwan has lost a lot and if nothing is done quickly, the position as an “Asian Tiger” will belong to history.

So bad.

A lawyer awoke in a hospital bed after a complicated operation, and found that the curtains were drawn around him.

"Why are the curtains closed?" he asked. "Is it night?"

A nurse replied, "No, it is just that there is a fire across the street, and we didn’t want you waking up and thinking that the operation was unsuccessful."

…

Cute

I was not in so good mood recently and put my blogging aside, except for my financial blog.

But today, I have reasons to feel better.

Have a look on this email I received this morning:

Good Morning,

I am Mrs. Vivian Ong, a staff of a security and safe deposit company in Singapore. I am in charge of Files and Records. Over the years I have discovered in record a particular safe deposit box which has remained dormant and unclaimed. Due to my past experience in a case such as these, I decided to engage the services of a private investigator to locate the owner but was informed after the investigation that the owner was a spy for the Chinese Government and has been confirmed dead.

This information, I do not want to pass unto my superiors for they will take possession of the money and all contents of the box for themselves, while I will be given peanut to keep my mouth shut as usual.

I came to these decisions in seeking the assistance of someone NEUTRAL to lay claim to these safe deposit box to enable me a better %.

I really do not know who to trust as my past experiences with my company has made me not to trust any one or talk about our company which is one of her standard procedures for securities.

I decided to contact you, even as I don’t know you before but because it will be much safer for me.

I had secretly verified the content of the box, this action is a grave violation of the policy of this security company; however I discovered that there is Twenty Two Million Euros in cash as stated in records, some documents and a sealed envelop, which I suspect contains the pin numbers of a Swiss account. I will like us to go into a JV investment in your country with your company.

Please let me hear from you ASAP and I am sorry I can’t share more than these, please respond,

This is my private email: (reiben@alestra.net.mx)

Regards,

Mrs. Vivian Ong

Usually, this kind of email comes from the poor daughter of a killed politician in some African countries or from a so called Lottery Internet Team (I also received this morning an email from South Africa 2010 Internet Lottery – I won US$ 1, 430,365.00).

They show more or less the same content.

But I must admit that the one from “Singapore” shows some innovation

… A dead Chinese spy…

First day of the week and Media already provides some news people may scratching their head about:

1 – I suppose you know that Taiwan is allowing (without letting the legislators or the public know in advance) the import of a lot of new parts of US beef, as expressed in the today editorial cartoon of Taipei Times: – yes, internal parts are allowed now

The same source (HERE) mentions about the fact that the Department of Health is trying a new tool — Plurk, a micro-blogging service similar to Twitter — to promote public understanding of the new policy on US beef imports.

The only one problem is that users complain about

• The fact that the Department is deleting the complains
• Why a Chinese translation (of the deal) is not provided

I think it’s clear enough, according the source.

2 - Experts attending a cross-strait forum said yesterday that the four agreements signed by Taipei and Beijing last November were nothing but “window dressing,” (HERE)

There are several points in that article, but beside the political stance of the ruling party, some experts reminded people that China may sign agreements but not implement them, as for example:

[…]

…the four agreements denigrated Taiwan’s sovereignty and were based on China’s interests rather those of Taiwan

…The air transportation links, for example, were defined as “special aviation routes” and bar foreign aviation firms from taking … The result is a “hub-and-spoke distribution network,” … with China as the hub and cargo and passengers passing through it on their way to multiple destinations.

…both sides had signed the “Kinmen Accord” in 1991 to extradite illegal immigrants and criminals to the other side of the Taiwan Strait, “China extradited only when it pleased them and turned up its nose when it did not.”

… About the melamine controversy… Twelve Taiwanese firms have asked for a total of NT$700 million (US$21 million) in compensation from Duqing, the Chinese supplier of a contaminated non-dairy creamer, and from Sanlu, the now-bankrupt dairy firm that also sold melamine-contaminated milk powder.
China has not responded, even though food safety was included in the the four pacts signed last year.

[…]

So it seems that the signature has not the same value according the one who is signing…

And still, Taiwan wants to sign an economic agreement? Without making public the content? And still expecting that the other side will respect its obligations?

Sig…

Oh… According the government, China is doing good stuff for Taiwan since Ma is president. So… how to explain that the former vice-president was banned to visit Cairo even though she had a visa? (HERE)

3 – Even more serious: I am talking now about health and Taiwanese:

According today’s news (HERE):

[…]

a number of plastic surgeons have been advertising their use of silicone gel implants despite the fact the Department of Health (DOH) has not officially approved their use

…

While the DOH has said it’s a matter for local health departments, the local agencies said they have not received any instructions from the department

[…]

News mentioned a while ago (few days) a case concerning it. Fortunately, except out-looking concerns she doesn’t suffer of life-threatening situation.

So what the government is waiting? That someone gets a serious health problem?

It reminds me “not my fault”…

How come?

So we can use as a scapegoat the local office? And the government won’t be responsible in case of a dramatic problem?

As in the title of this post, “what’s going on?”

I don’t know, but maybe as a foreigner I totally misunderstood the published news…

So I am sure that my readers will make me understand where I am wrong…

Bad times now.

Worst than before?

Blue sky tomorrow?

Baby or no baby now?

Please my Queen, don’t read this post! Anyone informing my Queen about it will be dead meat

Here is the diary from a new born baby.

A baby born in the worst recession in a generation.

Thanks to Market Watch, here is the diary of this poor (lucky?) baby:

(sorry to put all the text, but it’s so goooooooooood!)

I’m not sure how being born at the end of what has come to be called the Great Recession will affect my life. I may be new around here, but I figure growing up today won’t be as easy as it might have been a generation ago.

At least that’s the feeling I get from Mommy and Daddy, who had plenty of scary money thoughts as they prepared for my entry into the world — not to mention the usual panic attacks about raising a kid that keep every parent awake (hey, that’s my job!) no matter what the economy is doing.

For starters, my inheritance has already taken a nosedive. Last week a house just like ours sold on my parents’ block for 80% of what they paid two years ago. Sheesh.

But times haven’t been too tough for me yet. I have a stockpile of blankets and onesies, and the milk keeps flowing. Plus, Mommy and Daddy still have their jobs.

And don’t think I’m a freeloader. Daddy says I provide daily opportunities for him and Mommy to grow as people as they build up "reservoirs" of patience. And Mommy says I give her about 100 chances a day to think about "opportunity costs." I’m not sure exactly what those things are, but they must be worth something.

Frankly, I’m pretty lucky to be around at all. I’ve heard, because Mommy told me, that a lot of women now are worried because the economy is so bad, so they aren’t having babies. In fact, back about 10 months ago, not so long after Barack won (I am also an Obama Boom Baby — ladies are still having lots of babies in D.C.) my father said that maybe he and Mommy should wait to have me until the recession ends.

Thankfully, my mother nixed that plan.

There’s always going to be some reason to delay, she said, and the sooner she had me, the easier it would be to get back in shape.

But Mommy wasn’t just thinking about fitting back into her size 6 jeans. She also said it makes sense to have a baby while she has a job with good benefits. And boy was she right. The hospital bill arrived this week, and our six-day stay cost $22,000 — that’s a lot of diapers! But because she’s insured, we owed the hospital less than $700.

Before I arrived the biggest worry for Mommy and Daddy — other than a night of tequila shots for Mommy before she knew I existed — was paying for my education. Personally, I think they should worry less — after all, if times get tough I could always model (yes, I am that cute).

But the ‘rents are thinking long-term and wondering if college is going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mommy asked her own Mommy and Daddy — they are both something called "economists" — to help her figure out how much we should save to send me to a top private school. The answer was pretty scary, worse than one of my poopy diapers.

Basically, Mommy realized that she’d never be able to buy a new dress, or bottle of wine, or really indulge any little whim ever if she tried to save enough to send me to someplace called Yale. So it looks like I am heading to "state school" in about 18 years. Sounds fine by me, but what do I know?

Mommy and Daddy have also been worried about who will look after me if something happens to them. I’m not sure why they are so worried — we’ll always be together! But they’ve been meeting with some lawyer guy, and trying to figure out who should be in charge of me and when I should be allowed to get a bunch of money in some trust. The lawyer guy isn’t cheap, but Mommy says some things are worth paying for to have them done right.

It’s been hard for Mommy to decide when to go back to work. She’s worried about losing her "edge," whatever that is. But she really didn’t have much choice about staying home (not that every day with me isn’t a blessing — I rock!). I’ll probably have to be at least a year old before they can leave me home alone (I kid, I kid).

Seriously, it takes so long to get into day care in Washington. Right now I am cooling my heels, on three waiting lists. Anyway, some lady said the average wait time to get into her day care was 18 months, and because my folks signed me up as soon as the doctor told them to expect me, I’ll hopefully grab my spot pretty soon.

Geez, why aren’t there more options for working parents? Why doesn’t Daddy get months and months of paternity leave? Why does everything have to be so hard?

Mommy has already decided to put her master’s degree in economics on hold because she’s just so busy these days. I think that may be one of those "opportunity costs" she talks about.

And she’s not sure when to go back to work and leave me in someone else’s care. If she goes back too soon, maybe I’ll turn into a drug-snorting, convenience store-robbing psycho. But if she doesn’t go back soon enough, maybe she’ll turn into a sweatpants-wearing, Days-of-Our-Lives viewing sludge.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a few weeks of being strung out on soap operas and comfy pants. But I know Mommy has worked hard for her career, and isn’t ready to quit.

To help keep her in the loop, Mommy is going to write for MarketWatch about me and our family and how we’re going to get by in this tough economy. She would’ve written today’s column, but I could tell she was nappy after we partied all night (well, I cried and she fed me). So I’m pinch-hitting to give her a break.

I had fun telling you about my start in life and I hope you’ll come back next week to hear more.

And now I’m getting sleepy, too, so I’m going to crash out. I had a long day of naps and feedings and fussiness, and I even slipped in a few smiles to show the ‘rents I really am worth all that work.

Best,

I love it

Hope you enjoyed it

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