Taipeis Ming Chuan University has recently earned the distinction of being Asia's first university to be accredited in the U.S. education system, after a five-year assessment by America's Middle States Commission on Higher Education. From now on, the academic degrees and credits that students receive from MCU will be recognized by over 500 universities in the U.S.

There are currently over 169 colleges in Taiwan.

In the face of the decreasing birth rate, competition to recruit students is fierce for colleges in Taiwan.

After a five-year effort, Ming Chuan University, a private institution in Taiwan, has finally obtained accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, becoming the first university to obtain an American accreditation in all of Asia.

What benefits does an accreditation entail?

First, students planning to apply for graduate schools in the U.S. can choose to remit degrees or credits in American colleges.

American students wishing to apply to Ming Chuan University will also be able to obtain scholarship and loans from government federations.

In addition, for students wishing to pursue employment in countries that don't recognize degrees obtained in Taiwan can send the accreditation certificate to employers.

The Board Chairman of the Middle States Commission, Victor Liu, says that currently the organization has accredited a total of 524 colleges, including prestigious universities, Columbia Univesrity and Carnegie Mellon University.

Ming Chuan University's accreditation is a nod toward all the efforts of the university.

Hopefully Taiwan's other colleges will strive towards this goal.