In our modern, globalized era, it is normal for talented individuals to relocate all over the world. Over the last decade, Taiwan has been home to roughly 490,000 resident aliens, including approximately 400,000 laborers and something over 20,000 professionals and technical personnel. Meanwhile, 20–30,000 Taiwanese, mostly white-collar workers, have been emigrating from our shores every year. This “export-driven” model means that our educational resources are, in effect, being put to use to train professionals for the rest of the world.
Taiwanese industry is oriented around innovation, a process that requires skilled personnel. Unless addressed soon, the obvious problems with our personnel structure, declining birthrate, and aging population are certain to worsen our skilled-worker crisis.
We have therefore pushed aggressively for greater flexibility in university salaries and for revisions to the Fundamental Science and Technology Act. The August 2010 implementation of the former ended the practice of basing salary entirely upon the degree held and work experience, making it easier to hire and retain personnel.
The revisions to the law, which just passed their third reading in the legislature, represent an important milestone for Taiwan in terms of freeing universities and research institutions from the strictures of the “civil service” employment model.
We have long treated academics and research personnel as civil servants, placing constraints on the academy’s purchases, on academics’ holding of concurrent positions, and on technology transfers. That, in turn, has made it difficult to retain personnel and promote industrial development.
For example, there are a tremendous number of regulations governing IP transfers and research personnel holding concurrent posts. These not only hinder cooperation between academia and business, but also frequently result in advanced patents losing their edge as documents are shuffled around. These amendments to the act ease regulations on IP ownership, concurrent positions, and procurement, giving academic and research institutions more flexibility, and finally freeing researchers from concerns that their actions may be in violation of the law.
Taiwan has to address the root issues underlying its skilled personnel crisis, and these reforms are only the first step. We still need a comprehensive review of our educational system, as well as of our population and immigration policies.
Skilled personnel are crucial to our national competitiveness, and our educational system is crucial to the cultivation of the workforce of the future. It is a scholar’s duty to be concerned about society and committed to changing it. It is this sense of duty that prompts me to call for social reforms.
Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-Huey is deeply engaged with social issues and has frequently been on the front line of calls for reform.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
