Taiwan Eases Rules for Corporate Executives to Teach Full-Time at Universities

Taiwan's Ministry of Education is set to relax rules governing industry professionals teaching at universities, enabling corporate executives to be hired as full-time faculty members. This significant shift aims to bolster industry-academia collaboration and cultivate essential talent for the nation's key industries.

Under the proposed amendment to the "Enforcement Rules of the Act for the Appointment of Educational Personnel," qualified corporate executives can now be appointed as full-time university instructors. Previously, such professionals could only serve in part-time teaching roles. The new regulations will also allow their years of industry experience to be fully counted towards their academic tenure, a departure from the previous system where it was halved.

Vice Minister of Education Chu Chun-chang explained that the new system mirrors the arrangement where physicians from National Taiwan University Hospital concurrently hold professorships at the university's medical school. This "dual full-time" model will provide universities with greater flexibility in recruiting industry talent, bringing practical experience directly into the classroom. The initiative is expected to be implemented as early as the second semester of the 115th academic year, which begins next year.

To be eligible, individuals must hold senior positions or equivalent roles in listed or over-the-counter companies, or in enterprises designated by the Ministry of Education. They must possess substantial industry experience and be involved in research and development, technical practice, or talent cultivation. The scope is not limited to specific sectors like semiconductors or artificial intelligence. The Ministry plans to invest NT$4 billion (approximately $120 million USD) in a "Industry-Academia Co-cultivation Talent Program" to encourage universities and businesses to jointly train high-level professionals, integrating the latest industry technologies and market demands into higher education.

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This new system allows qualified corporate high-level talent to be hired by universities as full-time professors while retaining their full-time positions in corporations, forming a similar dual full-time model.