Abstract

Higher education expansion is not a new development in the world. Different countries have faced various contexts and factors that push the expansion to occur. Since 1996, the Taiwanese government has allowed the private sector to open new higher education institutions or be upgraded for open more access at the higher education level to correspond to the general public’s educational expectations. This article starts by describing the expansion of higher education from the elite to universal stage both globally and locally. The article then specifically introduces the case of the doctoral manpower structure in Taiwan and lists three specific scenarios regarding local PhDs’ reality in the current competitive job market, highlighting the further talent fault crisis in society today. In addition to discussing the consequences and challenges at the doctoral level of talent cultivation, the article further identifies the main issues facing the current manpower planning in Taiwan. The article calls for all stakeholders of the agenda to rethink the purpose of doctoral manpower cultivation in Taiwan over the long run.

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