2020 Higher Education Sprout Project, Chung Yuan Christian University
Abstract and Bright Spots of Situation for Goal Achievement
The Project, as a whole, merged with the National Development Policy together with the Educational Policy to implement University’s Educational Philosophy and to use University’s Affairs Development as the planning guidelines; this Project, with feedback to the Project, conducted project research to press ahead, using effectiveness of student’s learning, the opinions obtained from internally and externally interactive persons, and the information obtained from the Project’s results and their evaluation outcome. The mechanism for oversight and evaluation of the Project was done by “Joint Meetings of Higher Education Sprout Project” presided by the President of the University on a periodic basis to comprehensively review the progress and results of implementation of the Project; meanwhile, the University established a “Chung Yuan Higher Education Sprout Website” and issued three electronic news – “Higher Education Sprout Bimonthly Journal,” “Excellence in Teaching Bimonthly Journal,” and “Knowledge Communication Quarterly Journal (for the high-school end)” – to provide platforms for the disclosure of information. The bright spots and features of implementing this 2020 Project are as follows:
1.Cultivate Student’s Professional Capability for Narration and Promote Talent Education on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In response to the National Development Policy and the industrial demands, expected to accomplish two goals – “Cultivating Student’s Professional Capability for Narration” and “Strengthening Talent Education for Core Industries” – a University-level workshop of teaching and learning on capability for narration was established to publish “Reading Strategies: Secret for Instant Combating Power of Capability for Narration,” merging the literacy cultivation of fundamental and professional capabilities for narration into general-education, professional, and capstone courses, with the goal to accomplish student’s professional capability for narration. For the aspect of “Strengthening Talent Education on Core Industries,” the Project focused on the task of talent education on AI. For the aspect of teaching development of teachers, besides collaborating 14 full-time faculty members to publish a book on “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence,” an Enhanced Training Program on AI for the Teachers was developed in cooperation with AI ROBOT at the Tainan Science Park.
For the aspect of student’s education, AI was merged into the fundamental general-education courses – “Introduction to Natural Science,” “Engineering and Science,” “EECS and Human Civilization,” etc. In addition, the number of the practice-oriented teaching facilities was increased to strengthen the University-level AI professional practice classrooms, with the expectation that these facilities would enhance the student’s knowledge and practical abilities.
2.Cultivate Deeply the Key and Top-Notch Areas and Educate Innovative Industry-Academia Talents
Acting in concert with the focal points for pressing ahead of the National Development Plans with multiple and deep cultivation of the University’s key and top-notch areas, in the area of smart manufacturing, the University in collaboration with the Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd, established the “R&D Center for Smart Manufacturing of Semiconductor Carriers,” with the Chih Hsing Innovation Hall as the base, to carry out advanced research on technological transformation. Moreover, to bring about the new prospect on quantum computation, the University was actively promoting the development of key research areas in “information and digital” industry, with purchasing of quantum computer and related facilities in the planning phase. In the area of the development of membranes, funds were raised to build the “R&D Building for Membranes and Circular Economy” and to set up the industry-academia integrated laboratories. So far, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with four companies were signed to set up such integrated laboratories (these labs are expected to be completed and to be used in 2021), providing the funds for cooperative developmental membrane researches on “Treatment of Sustainable Water,” “Green Energy,” “Biochemical Separation,” etc. Acting in concert with the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency of Tauyuan City, the University became an important technological-exchange platform, driving industrial transformation and cultivating innovative industry-academia talents.
3.Love under Pandemic Condition and Educate and Care without National Frontiers
As a result of global coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to ensure the effective learning outcome of teaching, nearly 3,000 courses had been uploaded onto the online teaching platform, providing normal teaching without being affected by the pandemic. The newly established “Special Implementation Program for Students Encountering Family Misfortune Resulting from COVID-19 Pandemic” allowed the University to provide numerous assistances in epidemic prevention measures throughout the process for the incoming foreign students, letting them study with peace of mind. In addition, to promote international mobility and exchange, the University expanded the multiple learning models and formally participated in the FutureLearn International MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) Platform, uploading online the pre-recorded all-English course(s) made by faculty of the University in 2021 – emphasizing the establishment of “International MOOC Platform” and planning to set-up “College’s Self-Study Alliance Via Network” and “Boundless International Digital Academy,” encouraging faculty and students to participate in the online international exhibition and competition activities to make known of the University’s R&D accomplishments.
4.Link Organizational Multiple Cooperation and Carry Out Promotion of Knowledge Responsibility
To carry out the social responsibility and influence of the University, domestically, the University worked with the City Government of Tauyuan regarding the related resources for sustainable development to bring forth and to integrate the field space for regional revitalization of the Tauyuan’s 7 administrative districts in the training of 13 Youth Revitalization Teams, letting the University become the promoter of the Greater Tauyuan area development and regional revitalization. Furthermore, for the international exchange and collaboration, the University implemented “International University’s Social Responsibility (USR) Experience Camp,” leading multiple- international students to participate and to know the landscape, the history, and the spirit of USR for Tauyuan. Meanwhile, the University worked with the UCSI University in Malaysia to bring forth the development of transnational regional revitalization organizations, cooperatively offering courses via remote videos.