In a first, Taiwan’s ministry of education has approved a so-called merger between a public and private institution — a policy initiative that scholars say could be a useful model for other universities also on the brink of closure.

In late May, the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), a public institution, got the go-ahead to take over the assets of Hwa Hsia, a private technical university, that this year filled only 42 percent of its capacity.

The island struggles with a declining population — also a growing problem in other neighbouring higher education sectors, including in Hong Kong and South Korea, where dozens of universities are flagged for closure due to under-enrolment.

The Union of Private School Educators, Taiwan (Uprise) disputes the ministry’s description of the move as a “merger”, saying existing laws do not permit such manoeuvres. Scholars speaking with Times Higher Education voiced similar views.

Angela Yung Chi Hou, professor and associate dean at the College of Education, National Chengchi University, in Taiwan, says the process is different in key aspects from a traditional merger. “(From) my understanding, if two universities merge, they shall have equal rights to discuss future development. The case indeed demonstrates that Hwa Hsia does not have any other choice but to close or dissolve the board of trustees,” she says. Even so, she believes the move, which she characterises as a takeover allowing NTUST to make use of Hwa Hsia’s infrastructure, is a good way forward — and potentially a solution for other struggling universities so they could avoid millions of pounds of infrastructure going unused.

According to media reports, current Hwa Hsia students will be able to complete their degrees, although the university is not accepting new applicants.