Ministry of Education Directions for Subsidies to Promote the Development of the Chinese Language Education Industry | Latest News | Office of Global Mandarin Education

Source: Ministry of Education Laws and Regulations Retrieving System

Title: Ministry of Education Directions for Subsidies to Promote the Development of the Chinese Language Education Industry

Announced on: August 5th, 2014

Amended on: February 27th, 2018

All or part of the articles that were announced are not yet in effect, and will be effective on: March 1st, 2018

Issue No. Order Tai-Jiao-Wen(6)-Zi No.1070003312B

Category: International and Cross-Strait Education

1. Purpose: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has enacted these Directions in response to the global trend of learning the Chinese language. The purpose of these Directions is to effectively integrate domestic resources to promote the development of the Chinese language education industry, and encourage the use of integrated service strategies to promote international cooperation and exchange in Chinese language education.

2. The Chinese language education industry includes upstream, midstream, and downstream Chinese language education industries, which are defined below:

•  Upstream: Chinese language education departments and programs, and institutions and companies involved in Chinese language teacher training and Chinese language course and teaching material development.
•  Midstream: Institutions and companies involved in Chinese language teaching ability certification, Chinese language proficiency testing, Chinese language teacher output, and Chinese language learning, courses, and teaching material output.
•  Downstream: Institutions and companies involved in Chinese language education promotion, marketing, and distribution channels.

3. Project implementation method: Project applicants working together with upstream, midstream, and downstream institutions or companies submit a project application that utilize the following integrated service strategies:

• Value-added application or innovation of existing services and products: The integration and improvement of existing education services and teaching materials based on the needs of the target customer and regional characteristics, or the utilization of new technologies, such as cloud technology, smart handheld devices, mobile communications networks, and smart electronic whiteboards, to create new Chinese language education services and products. This includes the development of location-based teaching methods, the design of location-based teaching content, location-based teaching training, and the modification of Chinese language teaching tools, materials, and self-learning products.
• Cross-disciplinary cooperation: Horizontal collaboration between the Chinese language education industry and related fields, e.g. film industry, convention and exhibition industry, tourism industry, translation industry, technology industry, and cultural creative industry, based on the principle to mutually benefit and create synergistic effects, and jointly carry out marketing, exhibitions, contests, and promotions that will increase the added value of the Chinese language education industry. 

• Integrated plans: The development of various integrated new learning models, e.g. immersive learning (teaching scenarios integrated with art, sports, and related fields), integrated learning (learning models combined with internships and industry operations), and mobile learning (Chinese language learning integrated with community activities, visits, and internships).

 4. Eligible applicants (Project applicants):

•  Domestic university established or approved by the competent authority that has a Chinese language center.
•  Domestic university established or approved by the competent authority that has a Chinese language department or program.
•  Domestic corporation or non-profit organization that is legally registered and involved in Chinese language education (hereinafter referred to as "non-profit education organization").
•  Domestic government agency or overseas institution (education division and stationed personnel) subordinate to the MOE.

 5. Subsidy categories, items and principles:

• Subsidy items related to online learning: Hourly pay for teachers that offer online Chinese language courses or Chinese language teacher training courses, and expenses on teaching materials, web design, database maintenance, and printing promotional materials. 
• Subsidy items related to international academic conferences and exchange:

•  Venue expenses for organizing an international academic conference, hourly pay of speakers, and printing expenses.
•  Airfare of prestigious foreign scholars and experts invited to speak in Taiwan, and expenses on transportation, meals and accommodations while they are in Taiwan.
•  Airfare of domestic Chinese language scholars and experts invited to speak or publish papers at international academic conferences, and membership fee of international organizations.

•  Development of the Chinese language education industry overseas:

•  Subsidy categories:

1.  Establishment of overseas Chinese language education locations: Expenses required for the establishment of project offices in target overseas locations in accordance with local laws and regulations, and for offering courses. 
2. Chinese language education output overseas: Expenses for expanding overseas demand and for the marketing and promotion of Chinese language related products and services, e.g. promotion of teachers, teaching materials (including online materials), courses (including online courses), tests, and certifications.
3. Promotion for foreigners to learn Chinese language in Taiwan: Expenses for increasing the number of foreigners that participate in teacher training in Taiwan, Chinese language learning, or online courses.

• Subsidy rules: With the goal of overseas user pays, assemble teams based on overseas Chinese language requirements and formulate Chinese language education output plans for integrated services that include members from industry, academia, public and private sectors.

•  Strategic plans: Implement projects that meet the needs of the domestic Chinese language policy for target overseas areas with high potential, e.g. foreign Chinese language teacher groups receiving training in Taiwan, short-term Chinese language study groups of students from foreign schools, and Chinese language scholars and experts invited to give Chinese language lectures in renowned universities overseas, subsidy rules are as follows:

•  Foreign Chinese language teacher groups receiving training in Taiwan:

1. Member qualifications: In principle, each group of 15-20 members receives two weeks of training in Taiwan. Chinese language teachers with potential for engaging in teaching exchanges (those who play important roles in local Chinese language education) and have not received subsidies from the MOE in the last three years will be given priority.
2. Subsidy categories: Expenses of members while studying in Taiwan will be appropriately subsidized. In principle, each member will receive subsidies in the amount of NT$2,000 a day for two weeks; airfare and insurance premiums are not subsidized.
3. Subsidy rules: The MOE subsidizes the project unit (domestic university or non-profit education organization) organizing the training.

•  Short-term Chinese language study groups of students from foreign universities:

1. Member qualifications: In principle, each group must have at least 15 members, comprising students from mainstream schools (including one to two teachers accompanying the group) at each level of the formal education system in a foreign country, and engage in Chinese language and cultural studies in the Chinese language center of a university in Taiwan.
2. Subsidy categories: In principle, each member will receive subsidies in the amount of NT$4,000 a day for two to four weeks.At least 15 hours of Chinese language courses (not including cultural visits) over the course of five days a week.
3. Subsidy rules: The MOE subsidizes the project unit (domestic university or non-profit education organization) organizing the training.

• Chinese language lectures overseas: For domestic Chinese language scholars and experts invited to give Chinese language lectures at renowned universities overseas, their airfare, hourly pay for lectures, and expenses on transportation, meals and accommodations may be subsidized according to Directions for the Overseas Travel Allowance Disbursement. If the foreign university that sent the invitation is already providing compensation for related items, subsidies will not be provided for the same items.
•  Other strategic plans: Projects that meet the needs of the domestic Chinese language education policy, necessary expenses of the projects will be subsidized.

 6. Subsidy standard:

• Funds required for subparagraph 3 and item 4 of subparagraph 4 in the preceding article include personnel costs, service fee, and miscellaneous expenses. The budget allocated for personnel expenses shall be based on the actual number of project personnel, and may not exceed 50% of the project's total budget. Other items shall be handled in accordance with Budgeting Criteria for Projects Subsidized by or Entrusted by the Ministry of Education.
• In principle, subsidies shall not exceed 80% of the project's total budget. In coordination with international demand or domestic policy, projects in categories that are currently more urgent will be given priority for subsidies, and ratio of subsidies may be increased or the project may be fully subsidized.

 7. Application and review procedures:

•  Application procedures:

• Application deadline: Unless due to MOE policy requirements or special circumstances, project applications shall be submitted at least three months before the planned event. The MOE may deny subsidies to applications that fail to comply with regulations.
• Application Document: The project applicant shall submit the project application form, application documents (see Appendices 1-3), and subsidy application form attached with related certificates (e.g. certificate of registration) to the designated unit specified by the MOE for application; 5 copies should be attached for each certificate.
• If the applicant is applying to two or more government agencies, subsidy items and amounts from each agency should be detailed.

•  Review process: Review is carried out in two stages: preliminary review and review:

• Preliminary review: The MOE may specify a designated unit to review qualifications of the project applicant, and verify if the format of the proposal, attached documents, and budgeting comply with regulations.
• Review:

1. The MOE may form a review committee by inviting domestic and foreign experts from the Chinese language education industry, academia, and research institutes, and appoint a representative to serve as the convener. The review team will review proposals that passed the preliminary review.
2. Depending on operational requirements, the project applicant may be required to give the review committee a presentation; failure to appear at the presentation shall be construed as voluntarily forfeiting the subsidy application.
3. Members of the review committee shall avoid any conflict of interests and maintain a value-free position when reviewing applications, so as to impartially perform their duties. Committee members shall sign a statement before convening the review meeting stating that they are not related to any of the applications being reviewed, and that they agree to maintain confidentiality of matters related to the review meeting. In the event a committee member violates any part of the statement, the MOE may terminate the committee member. In the event a committee member is proven to be related with an application that was approved for subsidies, the MOE may revoke the approval.

8. Application for reimbursement and budget summation:

• Application for reimbursement: After an application is approved by the MOE, the subsidized unit shall submit receipts, which are signed or affixed with the seal of the cashier, accountant, and person-in-charge, that specify the financial institution name, account name, and account number after being notified by the MOE for reimbursement.
• Budget summation: Subsidized units shall submit a results report and income and expenditure statement to the MOE within two months after the project ends for verification.

9. Performance evaluation:

• The MOE may evaluate the performance of subsidized units at any time to ensure project implementation.
• In the event subsidized units fail to complete project conclusion or extension in accordance with regulations or have poor performance, the MOE may take the following actions depending on the severity of the situation:

• Revoke or reduce the subsidy.
• Disqualify the subsidized unit for subsidies the following year.
• Take the situation into consideration when deciding whether or not to increase/decrease the amount of subsidies in future years.

• Recognize outstanding subsidized units so that the competent authority may reward them.

 10. Remarks:

• The MOE may coordinate or provide guidance to subsidized units in planning the direction of their applications.
• Subsidized units shall implement the project as planned. In the event a project must be modified due to certain reasons, approval from the MOE is required and a budget adjustment form for subsidized (commissioned) projects of the MOE shall be attached in accordance with these Directions.
• Subsidized units may not apply for subsidizes for the same items of the same project in accordance with other regulations of the MOE.
• Documents and materials submitted for subsidy application will not be returned.
• Any matters that are not addressed in these Directions shall be governed by relevant regulations of the MOE.

 11. Starting on March 1st, 2018, subsidy applications for the establishment of overseas Chinese language education locations, Chinese language education output overseas, and promotion of foreigners studying Chinese language in Taiwan shall be handled in accordance with these Directions.