TAIBEI—IncreasingnumbersofTaiwanesestudentsarejoiningtheisland’s“Chinarush”seekingeducationontheChinesemainland.

AccordingtoofficialChinesefiguresthenumberofTaiwanesestudentsadmittedintocollegeandpostgraduateprogrammesonthemainlandtotalled461in1996928in1997and839in1998.AlthoughnolatestofficialnumberswereavailableNetbig.comsaidthisnumberhadrisenbetween30to50percentannuallyinthepasttwoyearswithwellover1000enteringmainlandcampuseslastyear.

TheInternetsitebasedintheChinesecityofShenzhenprovideseducationserviceandinformationonChinesemainlandcollegesanduniversities.“ManyTaiwanesebelieveaChineseeducationgivingmoreknowledgeaboutthepeopleandcultureinthemainlandwillincreasetheirchancesintheChinesejobmarket”Netbig.comvice-presidentIngridHuangsaid.“Ibelieveitwillgivemehands-onexperienceinthebusinessfieldintheChinesemainlandandabetterunderstandingoftheChinesemainlandpeople”saidLydiaChanga19-year-oldmajorinjournalismatShiShinUniversity.Changplanstogoontogetamaster’sdegreeinbusinessadministrationinShanghaiwhichshesaysoffersthebestenvironmentforsuchstudies.

AjournalismgraduatestudentsurnamedLinattheNationalTaiwanUniversitysaidhewouldliketostudylawontheChinesemainlandsince“therewillbebettercareerchancesformenowthatmoreTaiwanesecompaniesgoingthere”.

SomebusinessexecutivesweresendingtheirchildrentostudyintheChinesemainland.“Theyhopethechildrencouldbuildupconnectionswhichcouldlaterbecomeusefulintheirbusinessoperations”saidYangChingyaoprofessoroftheChinesemainlandstudies.

ANetbig.comsurveyshowedthecampusesfavouredbyTaiwanesestudentsincludedBeijingQinghuaandRenminuniversitiesinBeijingandJinanandZhongshanuniversitiesinGuangzhou.ThemostpopularstudieswerelawbusinessandChinesemedicine.

AtpresentChineseTaibeidoesn’trecognizediplomasearnedintheChinesemainlandnorhelpwithanyinquiriesaboutstudyingthere.Butrecognizingthetrendeducationauthoritiesaregivingafinalformtoapolicyacceptingcertificatesfromselecteduniversities.

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