TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On the eve of the new school year, National Taiwan University announced a pilot program offering advanced placement courses to students from five elite high schools in the Taipei area at a press conference on Sunday.

NTU said students who complete courses will receive a certificate of course completion and credits toward future enrollment. Nine courses will be offered in the first year, with enrollment limited to 134 high school students, per CNA.

The five high schools in the program include Jianguo High School, Taipei First Girls' High School, Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, Zhongshan Girls' High School, and Chenggong High School.

NTU President Chen Wen-chang (陳文章) said the five-year pilot program aims to cultivate cross-disciplinary learning and a spirit of independent inquiry, shortening the transition from high school to university.  He said that early exposure to university courses strengthens students' academic abilities and confidence, with advanced academic credit freeing up students to pursue their own academic interests.

NTU will offer high school students the chance to select one course from nine subjects, ranging from calculus, physics, chemistry, sociology, and economics. Courses will be taught by NTU faculty or Academia Sinica fellows, with classes held on Tuesday or Thursday evenings.

Course materials, exams, and assignments will be consistent with NTU's freshman year curriculum. High school students must demonstrate a certain level of proficiency to participate.

The program is subsidized by donations from Fubon Group Chair Tsai Ming-chung (蔡明忠) and Lite-On Group founder Soong Kong-yuan (宋恭源). Students only need to pay a credit fee, approximately NT$3,000 (US$98) for three credits, with an exemption for students from low- and middle-income families.

Chen hopes the program will inspire other universities to offer similar pre-university placement courses. He said a decision to expand the program will be made after yearly evaluations. 

Jianguo High School Principal Chuang Chih-chun (莊智鈞) said high school education is currently too focused on textbooks, which is a pity for students exhibiting potential. He said the program will give students opportunities to pursue courses that interest them and provide more motivation for future studies.