TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislators Fan Yun (范雲) and Puma Shen (沈伯洋) joined civil society groups on Wednesday (Nov. 13) to call for revisions to the University Act that they said would make education more sustainable and democratic.

DPP Legislators Fan and Shen held a press conference before a meeting of the legislature’s education committee and noted the University Act has not been revised for more than 20 years. Fan said this has resulted in “chaos in higher education,” per CNA.

Fan said the education ministry has limited power to supervise universities because the University Act protects their autonomy. She said this has created issues such as teachers not receiving pay, foreign students being sent to work instead of receiving education, and the heads of student associations being prevented from speaking on campus.

Shen said the University Act leaves universities open to influence from China. He said that many people have been targeted by China’s Thousand Talents Plan and that Taiwan’s universities are vulnerable to research and technology theft.

THE Union Secretary-General Liu Mei-chun (劉梅君) said the University Act needs significant revisions to prevent the collapse of the education system. Liu said that higher education has lost its “higher” status for many people.

National Students’ Union of Taiwan Director Tseng Hsuan-kai (曾宣凱) said a student representative was reprimanded by the dean in April when the student was reminded of the need to maintain neutrality at a school affairs meeting. Tseng said this case highlights the need for reforms to create more democratic campuses.

In response to the calls for reform, Deputy Education Minister Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said the ministry is collecting opinions to serve as the basis for any future legal revisions. He said the ministry has consulted teachers, student representatives, and university leaders.