MingDao University (MDU; ) is a private
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
located in
Pitou Township,
Changhua County
Changhua County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
MingDao's specialized areas of research include renewable energy engineering (especially solar, wind, and hydrogen), and its Department of Post Modern Agriculture is active in the promotion of
organic agriculture
Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...
across East and Southeast Asia. The university's motto is "Wisdom, Virtue, Honesty, Progress."
History
The institution was founded as the MingDao School of Management in 2001, and was accorded university status by the
Ministry of Education (ROC) in 2007. In 2020, the university had an enrollment rate of less than 60%.
It is scheduled to shut down on July 31, 2024.
Faculties
* College of Applied Science
* College of Design
* College of Hospitality and Tourism Management
* College of Humanities
* College of Management
Centers and Institutes
Institute of Chinese Studies
International student exploitation
In November 2018 it was reported in
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
that Mingdao University tricked more than 40 Eswatini students in working full five-day shifts in a chicken processing plant.
MingDao University recruited over 40 students from Eswatini to take part in a work-study program.
The program, advertised in June 2018, was called the "Taiwan Work/Study Scholarship" and offered applicants "hands-on practical and work experience" while earning a Bachelor's in Business Administration. The advertisement claimed each student would earn a monthly wage that would cover tuition, accommodation, insurance, and other fees while still leaving 3,000 Swazi lilangeni (US$167) a month to spare for extra spending money.
Once the students began the college program in Changhua County's
Pitou Township, they were shocked to realize they were being sent to a freezing factory with temperatures hovering below 10 degrees Celsius to peel chicken skin. One student likened the situation to "slavery", alleging they could not simply leave since the university would punish those remaining behind.
What they encountered in Taiwan was reminiscent of the case of over 40 Sri Lankan students from Kang Ning University who were duped into working in a slaughterhouse.
Yu Jung-hui (尤榮輝), chairman of the Union of Private School Educators (UPRISE), said that the students were used for "slave labor" and that MingDao University is "almost an international fraud" and called for an investigation.
See also
*
List of universities in Taiwan
The following is a list of universities, colleges, junior colleges, and institutes of technology in the Republic of China (ROC), which consists of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and the Matsu Islands.
Public universities and colleges
Private u ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2001 establishments in Taiwan
Educational institutions established in 2001
Private universities and colleges in Taiwan
Universities and colleges in Changhua County