Come to National Taiwan University, or Perhaps Beijing University?

Come to National Taiwan University, or Perhaps Beijing University?United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 4, 2010

Recent news reports sent shockwaves through universities on Taiwan. Apparently many outstanding high school graduates are choosing to attend university on Mainland China and in Hong Kong. Sporadic cases have occurred in the past. But this year Mainland authorities made it official. Students from Taiwan who meet required standards may seek admission directly from over 100 universities on the Mainland. In other words, a pipeline for systematically channeling human resources toward the Mainland has been laid.

The number of students who have made such a choice is not yet alarming. But as one can easily imagine, the rate will surely increase rapidly, even geometrically. Subjectively and objectively, this "Come to Beijing University; go to the Mainland" trend is more alarming than the "Come to National Taiwan University; go to the United States" trend 30 or 40 years ago. Back then students from Taiwan were still proud to be recruited by National Taiwan University. They still considered it an honor. Today most of the young people who have chosen to attend university on the Mainland lack the academic credentials required for National Taiwan University. For them, this is a good alternative. Back then "go to the United States" meant a long journey at great expense. Not everyone could afford to make this tough choice. Now students from Taiwan can attend Beijing University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai's Fudan University, National Chiao Tung University and other elite schools. They have the advantage of belonging to the same culture. Their "overseas studies" will not be so costly. They will not be handicapped from the outset. Add to this the earnest effort the Mainland is making to attract them.

How members of the public respond will depend upon their perspective. Those with an "anti-China" perspective will of course pour cold water all over the option. They have issued dire warnings about "being brainwashed into supporting reunification." But many television news or talk shows have invited students to share their experiences, to compare the cost of a university education on the two sides of the Strait, the differences in culture, if any, and the trials and tribulations of daily life. Obviously this is a hot topic, and may even indicate a megatrend. The students surveyed were confident. They spoke of the ways they could increase competitiveness. They brimmed over with ambition. On the one hand, it echoed alarmist fears of "being brainwashed into supporting reunification." On the other hand it reflected the government's habitually tardy and belated response. When Mainland China's Taiwan Affairs Office first announced this policy, Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Education officials declared that "the attraction for students from Taiwan will not be great." They expressed confidence that good students would stay on Taiwan. But the trend suggests this is clearly not the case.

Thirty years ago this sort of "spread your wings and fly" attitude was common among students from Taiwan who attended university in the United States. Now high school students on Taiwan have expressed the same attitudes about attending university on the Mainland. Is this not an alarming scenario?

The international flow of talent in an era of globalization is nothing new. Many researchers have stressed how emigrants are driven from their place of birth and drawn to their adopted homes. Today Mainland China is a "Great Nation on the Rise." It is competing for international talent. Its draw is a factor not within our control. All we can do is try to catch up.

In fact, the most distressing development is that even as we drive native talent away, we are simultaneously preventing outside talent from entering. Studies of white collar workers "running away" reveal that at least one million people have left over the past decade. A few years ago they "voted with their feet," leaving primarily for political reasons. In recent years many of them left with their families. They are "going West" to pan for "gold in them thar hills." So-called "Taiwan businessmen" have traditionally been defined as manufacturing sector leaders. Today that definition must be broadened to include leaders of the financial industry and advertising industry, even such service industries as wedding gown makers and beauty salons. These people left partly in response to economic factors on Taiwan, and partly in response to an unstable political environment, a hostile social climate created by militant Taiwan independence groups, and a Closed Door Policy. The government can do nothing about those determined to leave. Meanwhile, the Green Camp persists in doing everything in its power to prevent Mainland students from entering, and Mainland academic credentials from being accepted. Outside talent is not permitted to enter. Inside talent is forced to leave. Over time what will be the consequences for our nation's competitiveness?

Recently our Minister of Education returned from a visit to Vietnam and Indonesia. He spoke of efforts to recruit students from Southeast Asia. The world is undergoing globalization. The population is aging. Birth rates are declining. Governments the world over are fighting over advanced technical personnel and higher education. The government on Taiwan is aggressively recruiting students from Southeast Asia. On the one hand it is unable to retain its own students. On the other hand it is preventing Mainland students from entering. What can one say about such an irrational policy?

During negotiations over ECFA, every issue was placed under the microscope, including the number of trade goods and what sort of "accomodations" would be made. Now however, a huge gap has opened up between the two sides over the departure and entry of talent. To a considerable extent this gap is the result of a tug of war between internal forces on Taiwan. The scenario is incredible. The consequences are unimaginable. How can anyone not be alarmed?

來來來，台大或北大？
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.08.04 01:18 am

最近台灣高等教育界的震撼新聞：不少優異的高中畢業生選擇前往中國大陸及香港讀大學。這類個案早就零星發生，但今年由於大陸作成政策，台灣學測達頂標級的學生，可直接向大陸一百多所大學申請就讀，人才流向大陸的「制度性」管道於焉成形！

目前作此選擇的學生數尚非驚人，但可想像將會越來越快、越來越多地倍數增加。從國人的主觀感受和客觀情勢來說，此種「來來來，來北大；去去去，去大陸」的趨勢，比起三、四十年前「來來來，來台大；去去去，去美國」的景象更令人震驚。當年台灣學生尚且懷抱著「來台大」的榮譽感；今天這批登陸的青年學子，多半可能具有進台大的實力，卻寧可捨此就彼。當年的「去美國」，乃路途遙遠、成本浩大、不是人人負擔得起的辛苦選擇；今天赴北大、清大、上海的復旦、交大等名校就讀的台灣學生，享有同文同種的優勢，「留學」的經濟壓力也不大，起跑點毫不輸人，更增添了彼岸對台灣人才招手的吸引力。

輿論對此的反應見仁見智。持「反中」立場者當然努力澆冷水，警告「遭統戰洗腦的危機」。但一般新聞或談話性的電視節目，已見陸續邀請當事人現身說法，討論兩岸讀大學的成本比較、文化差異、生活酸甜苦辣種種，顯然視為熱門話題，甚至不諱言這可能是大勢所趨。受訪學生則多自信滿滿，侃侃而談競爭力提升如何如何，顯得企圖心十足。這一方面襯托出「統戰危機說」之危言聳聽，另方面也對照出政府相關政策的後知後覺。當初中共國台辦作此政策宣布時，我方陸委會和教育部的官員都認為對台生「吸引力不大」，有信心把好學生留在台灣。但趨勢顯然並非如此。

相當程度上，三十多年前顯現在赴美留學的大學畢業生身上，那種「展翅高飛」的憧憬和躍躍欲試之心，如今已提早落實在台灣高中生對大陸發展的想像之中！這豈不是一個令人想起來都會驀然心驚的景象嗎？

國際間人才流動，在此全球化時代本來不足為奇，相關研究多強調移民者母國的「推力」，和移入國的「拉力」因素。今天中國大陸以「大國崛起」之姿，吸引國際人才爭相前往，此一「拉力」因素非操之在我，台灣只能期待急起直追。

其實，最令人為之不安的，是台灣在把本地人才外推的同時，又阻擋外界人才流入。有關白領階級「出走」現象的研究認為，十年來累積至少百萬人，前幾年多是出於「用腳投票」的政治因素使然，這幾年則大量出現「西向淘金」的舉家搬遷熱潮；傳統的製造業相關的「台商」定義，如今已廣泛遍及金融業、廣告業、甚至婚紗、美容等無所不包的服務業。這些人出走的原因，除了台灣內部的景氣因素之外，還有不穩定的政治環境、部分激進團體煽動的不友好社會氣氛、乃至政策閉鎖等等。政府對這些中堅階層的出走無能為力，而綠營對於陸生來台、大陸學歷認證等議題也仍全力阻擋；國外的人才進不來，國內的人才相率出走，這消長之間對我國的競爭力是何等的損失？

最近教育部長訪越南、印尼歸來，談及向東南亞地區招生之事。在全球化競爭及人口老化、少子化等因素之下，各國對於高級技術人才以及高等教育的對象，各自都有「搶人」的策略。台灣目前如果連東南亞地區都列為積極招生的對象，則一方面留不住自己的好學生，另方面還要阻擋陸生來台，實在沒道理可說。

兩岸協商ＥＣＦＡ時，對於貿易互動之間多少項目的商品、如何「讓利」等等，都要斤斤計較；但現在兩岸人才的一出一入卻有如此巨大差異，且相當程度是台灣內部的推力與阻力交互作用所致，這種景象之不可理喻，後果之難以承擔，能不令人思之心驚？