Taiwanese pastry chef Wu Pao-chun may have earned world recognition, but his impressive resume failed to land him a spot at any executive MBA (EMBA) programs in Taiwan as he never went to college and is reportedly seeking to study in Singapore instead.

But the chances may be opening up again for Wu now that President Ma Ying-jeou has spoken personally about the issue at an economics meeting Thursday.

Ma asked the Ministry of Education to review relevant policies and to get rid of the red tape to enable various talents to stay in Taiwan.

"Sometimes working experience is more important than academic qualifications," Presidential Office spokeswoman Garfie Li quoted Ma as saying.

She added that Ma also said the ministry should do whatever it can to let "the pride of Taiwan" stay in the country. Wu became a household celebrity after winning the top title at the 2010 Bakery World Cup in Paris.

The news that he was turned down by local institutions was first reported in the latest edition of the Chinese-language CommonWealth magazine, which said that the National University of Singapore's EMBA program had set up an interview with Wu and welcomed his application.

According to the Ministry of Education, an eligible EMBA candidate needs to have at least a bachelor's degree.

— focusTaiwan.tw