Taiwan's education authority has extended the period mainland students are allowed to remain on the island for study from four months to a year, local media reported Wednesday.

The move was to facilitate cross-Straits educational exchanges, as the previous maximum of four months forced students to depart before completing a full semester, the education authority said.

Mainland students in Taiwan could apply for the extension, but the total number would be limited to 1,000 every academic year.

According to reports, 240 mainland students studied in Taiwan last year and 342 in the first 10 months of this year.

Although no restrictions were set for mainland student study projects relating to literature, culture or industry, applications to study "sensitive" subjects, including nuclear sciences or Taiwan hydrology, would be scrutinized and might be rejected.

The Taiwan authority also loosened restrictions on the island’s universities offering courses on the mainland, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2008)