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Doctoral Education in Taiwan: Balancing Market Demands and Supply

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Doctoral Education for the Knowledge Society

Part of the book series: Knowledge Studies in Higher Education ((KSHE))

Abstract

This chapter addresses the reform of doctoral education in Taiwan. Dating back to 1994 when the Taiwanese government launched a reform initiative, doctoral programs have been undergoing momentous shifts. The restructured education system which widened access has not only paved the road to the massification of the higher education institutions (HEIs) but also drove the expansion of doctoral enrollment. However, Taiwan was producing substantially more PhDs than could be accommodated in professional positions that require the PhD as a credential, and the disproportion between supply and demand thus pushed the government to initiate a variety of initiatives to overcome this concern. The government proposed several schemes to strengthen and cultivate research expertise through overseas exchange and through collaboration with industries to expand the job market outside of academia. This chapter also analyzes current graduate education programs. The expanding role of research and the needs of the nonacademic labor market have led to the development of a flexible, quality-assured PhD training system that can enhance doctoral graduates’ employability in an expanding range of career pathways.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Robin Jung-Cheng Chen

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  1. Robin Jung-Cheng Chen
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Correspondence to Robin Jung-Cheng Chen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea (Republic of)

    Jung Cheol Shin

  2. School of Education, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Barbara M. Kehm

  3. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Glen A. Jones

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Chen, R.JC. (2018). Doctoral Education in Taiwan: Balancing Market Demands and Supply. In: Shin, J., Kehm, B., Jones, G. (eds) Doctoral Education for the Knowledge Society. Knowledge Studies in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89713-4_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89713-4_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-89712-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-89713-4

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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