In brief
Coach Chou Tai-ying of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has come under fire for allegedly coercing students into blood donations for research purposes, an issue that has prompted an institutional inquiry.
Chou, 61, expressed remorse for her actions, acknowledging the pressure placed on students, which she justified as an effort to support her under-resourced team. Concerns were raised by local politician Chen Pei-yu, who claimed students faced academic sanctions for non-participation. An internal review revealed that this contentious blood sampling had begun in 2019 and persisted through 2024 for various projects, including those purportedly aimed at enhancing student athlete health.The coach admitted to soliciting assistance from students who may not have been fully qualified to take part in the blood draw process and conveyed her regrets through a public statement. She emphasized her responsibility for creating discomfort among the students.Additionally, Professor Chen Hsueh-chih, who led one of the related projects, also extended an apology, acknowledging that although the intent was to support athletes, it inadvertently caused distress. The internal investigation uncovered students were reportedly required to donate blood up to once daily; however, the samples drawn were later discarded due to procedural flaws.Chen's initial claims suggested that students might have had to submit three samples daily over an extended 14-day timeframe. Following these developments, NTNU's principal Wu Cheng-chi issued an apology for the institution's oversight and pledged to reassess the university’s ethical standards and supervisory protocols.In light of this scandal, Taiwan's deputy education minister announced that the case would be further evaluated alongside the actions taken by both Coach Chou and Professor Chen. Concurrently, the education ministry flagged the possible revocation of the coaching license for another NTNU women's football coach, whose identity remains undisclosed.
