Older students could save Taiwan's universities

At first, older people had to be persuaded to attend college. Now they bring their friends and travel from other cities to take classes ranging from healthcare to history and law. This year, 100 universities in Taiwan offered these courses and the older student population has shot up from about 800 in 2008 to more than 3,000 today, reports Cindy Sui for BBC News.

This is happening as many of Taiwan's 160 universities are facing declining enrolment from younger students. At Taipei's China University of Science and Technology, the student population has dropped by several hundred this year. The university had 10,000 students a few years ago, but is now down to about 9,000.

Universities that must compete for a shrinking number of students fear that some will have to close in the coming years if the trend continues. Universities blame the decline on Taiwan's low birth rate. Many young people are delaying getting married, not marrying at all, or are having fewer children or none at all.
Full report on the BBC site