President Lee Teng-hui this morning meets with Rev. Edward A. Malloy, president of the University of Notre Dame in the United States, and his deputy Dr. William P. Sexton. During the meeting, President Lee extends his warm welcome to the guests and exchanges views on education with them.
President Lee says that, in recent years, the ROC has been facing many problems concerning education, which urgently need to be solved, and educational reform therefore has become one of the major tasks for the ROC government.
Educational Reform Committe, a task force to evaluate current ROC educational problems, has just completed a report; accordingly, the related authorities should carry out the suggestions contained therein as soon as possible, notes he.
As the world is entering an era of 'developmentalism,' President Lee adds, the ROC has to conduct sweeping reforms in various fields so as to raise her competitiveness in the international community.
President Lee tells his guests that it is also an era of negotiation and communication, stressing that these means should be utilized to reach consensus on the necessity of reforms.
President Lee further points out that the people are a major factor which determines whether the reform will succeed or fail. Thus, the spiritual reform is also very important at this stage, adds he.
In an age of drastic change around the diverse world, President Lee says, each member of the society should possess the ability of reflexion. "Everyone should have a sense of self-assurance while being capable of reassuring others, and uphold individual liberty while respecting the freedom of others. Only by doing so can a new society full of vitality, freedom, democracy, and humanism be formed,”notes President Lee.
President Malloy agrees with President Lee in his ideas on educational and spiritual reforms. Stressing that no reform is easy or devoid of challenge, President Malloy says he believes that, under President Lee's capable leadership, the ROC will see greater progress and prosperity.
Accompanied by Chairman Hsu Shiuh-dong of Far Eastern Enterprise, President Malloy and Dr. Sexton come to the Office of the President for the meeting. Also present are Dr. Ding Mou-shih, secretary-general of the ROC National Security Council, and Mr. Stephen S. F. Chen, deputy secretary-general to the President.