Fu Jen Catholic University is guided by Ex corde Ecclesia in its administration of the school and its pursuit of holistic education on the basis of Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Holiness. The school places an emphasis on humanistic care and concern and service to society as its core ideals, and is constantly improving the learning environment for both teachers and students, gradually progressing towards a Catholic school which prides itself on health and medical care as well as creative design as its specialties.
In dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the school was quick to launch its ‘Elevating Teaching, Continued Learning During the Pandemic’ complementary program, implementing its five key strategies (improved and innovative teaching, strengthening practical use of knowledge, encouraging self-learning, emphasis on humanistic care and concern, and strengthening international outlook). Leveraging on school funding, whilst also receiving a boost by way of funding from the Higher Education Sprout Project, the school was able to actualize its vision of ‘First in the Nation, Uniquely FJCU’ in various areas – gaining international acclaim, affirmation of the school’s teaching excellence, improved student learning efficiency, as well as bagging awards at international competitions:
For the purpose of actualizing the Higher Education Sprout Project’s (HESP) vision of enhancing international competitiveness as well as developing multiple university features and nurturing talents for the new era, FJCU’s Higher Education Sprout Project Office is helmed by the FJCU President, with the Vice-President for Academic Affairs as the vice-chair, the Dean of Academic Affairs as chief administrator, and the head of the Faculty Development and Instructional Resources Center as deputy chief administrator. The team is committed to enhancing the quality of the school and spurring its multi-faceted development, as well as facilitating the school in elevating its international competitiveness and to build leading research centers, two key prongs of the HESP.
The school received a total of NT$86,794,326 in funding from the HESP in 2022; in addition, as shown in Appendix I, it received NT$7,605,000 for academic assistance (indigenous and disadvantaged students); as shown in Appendix II, it also received NT$900,000 for indigenous students counselling (inclusive of funding from the MOE and the Council of Indigenous Peoples), and NT$400,000 for research on publicity for higher education. Due to the page limit, for other areas, please refer to the FJCU HESP website as well as the Educators – Teaching Achievements Platform website.
Full Speed Ahead, Towards the International Stage
FJCU's HESP goals for 2022 are as follows:
1. Becoming the leading university in the nation in the area of health and medical care, as well as creative design (extension of phase one).
In 2017, both the affiliated Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital and the Fu Jen Creative Design Center was established, leveraging on the rich resources of the school’s 12 colleges to create an interdisciplinary learning atmosphere conducive to cultivating health and medical care and creative design as specialty areas.
2.Focusing on interdisciplinary colleges, enhancing a learning atmosphere of interdisciplinary learning that puts knowledge into practice, and dares to innovate (adjustment of phase two).
In 2021, FJCU established its interdisciplinary college, integrating the resources of the existing 12 colleges to spur the offering of modules centered on interdisciplinary integration, industrial outlook, digital learning, aesthetic literacy, as well as modules tied to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The school places an emphasis on student learning, cultivating interdisciplinary cooperation, putting knowledge into practice, and encouraging self-learning, so as to develop students that are swiftly able to have their finger on the pulse of society and burgeoning industrial trends.
3.Promoting strategies for internal and external cooperation, resource integration, information penetration, and innovative services.
Through organizational restructuring and the establishment of a new Vice-President of Resource and Business Development and an Office of Business Development, FJCU actively recruits and combines both internal and external resources to integrate alumni and partner companies to jointly promote mutual beneficially strategies and maximize the effectiveness of funding. FJCU has been operating and maintaining the various FJCU Line groups for students and faculty, and has opened up a learning and counseling service center to make students and faculty feel heard. In addition, to more effectively use industry-academia resources, the Five Fu Jen Innovations were launched, including Creativity (cross-domain integration), Innovation (technological integration), Entrepreneurship (industry-academia connections), Creation (social responsibility) and Value Appreciation (Fu Jen Values).
4.Establishing the FJCU Committee on Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility to promote the ethics and mission of a Catholic university
The main goals of FJCU’s social responsibility program are local innovation in indigenous regions, investment in ESGs for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Xinzhuang, Wugu and Taishan Districts and SDGs for the FJCU area and the Wen Zai Zhen Urban Land Consolidation Project. Currently, in addition to the health care provided in the Xinzhuang, Wugu and Taishan Districts by the FJCU Hospital, there is also a food bank project, religious landscape project, service learning center, and a rural education and care center, as well as Taiwan’s first Indigenous Students Resources Center and the Indigenous Peoples Local Creative Project Promotion Center. Through these projects, the mission and social responsibility of FJCU as a Catholic university will be carried out in the local community, and its students will be nurtured into altruistic citizens with the virtues of Truth, Goodness, Beauty, Holiness and sustainability.
5. With the actualization of ‘First in the Nation, Uniquely FJCU, FJCU is increasing its value, jointly shaping a high-quality ecosystem in line with the SDGs. In recent years, with the support of the Higher Education SPROUT Project, the faculty and students of FJCU have been able to achieve new heights not only through the international university rankings, but also in terms of research publications, industry-academia cooperation, social services, and domestic and international competitions.