National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)

National Cheng Kung University is situated in Tainan City, a historical city with rich cultural heritage and a new metropolitan center for science and technology. The total area of the campus is 172.629294 hectares, including the Cheng-Kung, Sheng-Li, Kuang-Fu, Chien-Kuo, Tzu-Chiang, Ching-Yeh, Li-Hsing, and Kuei-Jen Campuses, the An-Nan Campus and some areas designated for dormitory use. In keeping with this tradition, we seek to be pioneers in the modern sciences and technology. NCKU campuses are all closely interlinked, enabling the nine colleges to share the plentiful resources. In 2006, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education put forth a plan to “Develop Top-tier Universities and Elite Research Centers”. N.C.K.U. was selected as one of the awardees and began a rapid process of upgrading the university in areas of research, teaching and extension services under the leadership of the former President of N.C.K.U. Professor Chiang Kao. In February 2007, a new leadership team led by the new N.C.K.U. President, Academician Dr. Michael M.C. Lai came into being. Indeed, with Academician Lai at the helm, vigorous new guidelines to move the university towards world-class status were established. To elevate N.C.K.U. to the next plateau of excellence, President Lai succinctly brought to the University his clear and executable vision. There are these specific points, which he made clear during his inauguration speech in February of 2007. They are (1) Enhance and cultivate a profound sense of humanism among the 20,000 academically highly qualified N.C.K.U. students. With a holistic education under their belts, President Lai envisions that many of our excellent students will indeed become globally-thought leaders to face and tackle many of the profoundly difficult issues of humanity. To this end, various curricular and academic reforms were instituted, including consolidation of courses offered, improvement of student admission process and re-structuring of freshmen orientation courses. In addition, N.C.K.U. has appointed a distinguished alumnus, Dr. Harold Szu, from the US to teach a unified methodology of the creativity, the innovation and the entrepreneurship as a general education. Furthermore, to support the teaching of creativity and the new general degree for un-declared-major freshmen, the Office of Research and Development has provided a new class of small business innovation research (SBIR) funding of about NT 2Millions which works more like “Angel Fund” for business investment to select two dozens of small business of limited liability companies (L.L.C.). Only freshmen can be the presidents to organize the L.L.C., who will then hire appropriate seniors of different disciplines as his or her partners or employees, in order to accomplish their research products. Faculty serves as the CFO for accountability. Each learns different arts but works together for the success. (2) In any top-tier research university of the 21st century, there are unwritten responsibilities lying on the shoulders of each and every one within the university to courageously confront and mitigate some of the most difficult challenges facing mankind. Indeed, challenges such as global warming, shortage of energy, hatred between people of different ethnic background and so on are all fundamentally interdisciplinary and “trans-disciplinary” in nature. These challenges require all universities to nurture multidisciplinary activities as a culture and not a novelty. N.C.K.U. cannot and must not be an exception. (3) In today’s research activities within any university, there must be high percentage of research activities which take “usefulness” into account. To this end, a great university must promote a strong and robust relation between industries (regionally, nationally and globally) and academia. N.C.K.U. cannot and must not be an exception. Within N.C.K.U., organizations such as Office of Research and Development, Research and Services Headquarters, and N.C.K.U. Research Foundation Corporation are all working seamlessly well to promote this aspect with vigor, and with success. (4) Globalization for a 21st century university must not be a cliché, but an inherent culture. In this regard, the Office of International Affairs, which was established in February 2007, has already integrated viable facilities and greatly strengthened international academic cooperation and interactions. (5) In the field of Student Affairs and Counseling Programs, ethical training/education as well as encouraging social participation were added to the current services provided to students. It is expected that this will cultivate future social elites with humanistic attitude, technological insights, charisma and social caring. (6)...