Higher Education SPROUT Project

Subproject 1 – Outcomes and Highlights of Implementing Innovation in Teaching and Improving Teaching Quality

　　In light of the era of technology innovation, IT-related courses, such as “Object Recognition Practice using Yolo and TensorRT Technology on Jetson Nano Platform” and “Basic Practical Training on App,” have been offered to strengthen the practical skills of information technology. For non-IT courses, the integration of IT courses allows students to become more comfortable with practical applications. For example, the Department of Architecture organized the “Grasshopper Learning Camp” and the “Computer Aided Design C4D Modeling and Special Effects Practice” of the Department of Industrial Design organized advanced training courses such as “Object Oriented Programming Study” and “Mobile Application Programming Study” to strengthen students’ programming skills. Faculty members were encouraged to offer courses for professional licenses and assist students in obtaining various professional licenses with subsidies. Meanwhile, in order to improve their competence in the workplace, students were encouraged to enhance their learning by focusing their efforts on any gaps concerning their employability.

　　With the aim of providing students with opportunities to engage in diversified learning activities beyond the classroom, students were encouraged to develop their own self-learning communities based on the principles of continuous improvement, innovation, and practical work. Seventeen self-learning communities are subsidized in the 2022-23 academic year, among which students from the Department of Information Management have formed their own “Technology Oriented Service Design” learning community and participated in several competitions during the self-learning period. They won the first runner-up in the Digital Nanshan Health and Wellness Creative Proposal Competition with the theme “Guarding Your Grandpa.” In the 27th International ICT Innovative Services Awards (InnoServe Awards), they were selected in the IP Information Application Category and the Education Open Data Category with the theme of “Spotlight for Document Review,” and won the second place in the Education Open Data Category.

　　In order to create a cross-disciplinary learning environment and cultivate students’ second specialties, cross-disciplinary credit courses and industry professional credit programs have been offered to enable students to identify industry problems and solve them through the assistance of faculty members and industry professionals, thereby transferring practical experiences from the industry to students, reducing the gap between academic knowledge and practical experience, and encouraging them to take courses from other departments. Students with outstanding performance in these courses are rewarded with the Certificate of Excellence in Cross-Disciplinary Learning. Also, sixteen innovative teaching projects of faculty members are being implemented. In contrast to the conventional teaching style in the classroom that is centering on teachers, faculty members design their courses with a student-oriented approach, observe students’ learning difficulties in the classroom, and introduce appropriate teaching methods to solve students’ problems in learning and enhance their learning effectiveness.

　　In order to develop the core competencies and teaching objectives of different faculties and departments, and to showcase their highlights, a total of five faculty-specific special projects were implemented this year. These include the Department of Architecture’s “Online Metaverse Co-Teaching – Taiwan-Japan Remote Cross-National Sustainable Campus Co-Teaching Project,” the Department of Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering’s “Innovative Teaching and Learning in Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering and Enhancement of Industry-Academia Connection Highlight Project,” the Department of Information Engineering’s “Smart Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Specialized Teaching – A Case Study of Taichung Veterans General Hospital’ Rehabilitation Medicine Industry-Academia Cooperation,” the Department of Information Management’s “Construction of a Network Sharing Platform for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship,” and the Department of Cultural Tourism’s “Project in Creative Teaching and Enhancement of Teaching Quality in Miaoli Local Innovation and Rural Community Guided Tour.” “Online Metaverse Co-Teaching – Taiwan-Japan Remote Cross-National Sustainable Campus Co-Teaching Project” was a cross-national exchange of design classes with Japanese experts and scholars in sustainable campuses. Through a “four-learning” model of teacher-guided learning, students’ self-learning, group learning, and cross-national co-learning, and the use of high-tech equipment, students learned to use new technologies for self-learning, scientific investigation, cross-national collaboration, and thematic inquiry in design operations. “Innovative Teaching and Learning in Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering and Enhancement of Industry-Academia Connection Highlight Project” aimed to incorporate innovative teaching elements into the civil and disaster prevention curriculum and strengthen the linkage with industry as the main axis of the project, in order to encourage students of the Department of Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering to apply what they have learned in the shortest possible time after leaving school, thereby enhancing students’ learning effectiveness and create advantages for their future career. “Smart Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Specialized Teaching – A Case Study of Taichung Veterans General Hospital’ Rehabilitation Medicine Industry-Academia Cooperation” linked the three major development areas of the Department of Information Technology’s curriculum: Multimedia, Network Communication, and Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things, and strengthens the new Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence cross-disciplinary specialization program in collaboration with the Department of Information Management to enhance students’ overall practical competencies in information application and to foster students’ employability in a seamless connection with the industry. “Construction of a Network Sharing Platform for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship” was a forward-thinking project that aims to nurture students with talents in “creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship” for business application and management that will be required by future industries. This would enhance Taiwan’s soft power and the international competitiveness of industries and enterprises. “Project in Creative Teaching and Enhancement of Teaching Quality in Miaoli Local Innovation and Rural Community Guided Tour” aims to develop a unique teaching context and to promote local creativity and guided tours of rural communities in Miaoli and establish features of integrating teaching and learning in the Department of Cultural Tourism with local communities. Besides, the project was designed to deepen the connections between the university and Miaoli in terms of local creativity, guided tours of rural communities, and innovation in local industries and humanities, thereby achieving the sustainable vision of the NUU to lead the urban and rural development of Miaoli.

Subproject 2 – Outcomes and Highlights of Developing School Characteristics

　　With the aim of strengthening the research capabilities in intelligent Green and Orange Tech (i2GO Tech) research energy, the University actively encourages faculty members to conduct cross-disciplinary research with this axis and promotes key development projects. Five projects will be implemented in the 2022 academic year, together with another five projects in collaboration with Taichung Veterans General Hospital in 2022. To integrate resources and implement cross-disciplinary projects, the university has established three special research centers (Intelligent Green Energy Research Center, Research and Development Center of Long-Term Care and Digital Service, and Glass Optical Materials Research Center), and set up a dedicated video gallery for the achievements of special research projects of the University. Also, the University has established 7 specialized smart laboratories for research and development and in-depth teaching activities to integrate smart technology and application-related courses. In the 2022 academic year, the University organizes visits related to the intelligent Green and Orange Tech and encourages students to participate in internships at off-campus institutions in this field, providing a total of 24 grants. For the sake of expanding of international academic exchanges, the University continues to offer various foreign language study camps, workshops and seminars, and offers courses in English (EMI courses), diverse foreign languages, and international volunteer training courses. In addition, in response to the global pandemic, faculty members and students are encouraged to participate in online exchange activities including international seminars, training programs offered by sister universities, lectures by international scholars, and overseas admissions and educational exhibitions to facilitate internationalization. In terms of developing distinctive connections with local characteristics, teaching materials for indigenous peoples and the Hakka have been developed. Also, courses on Hakka industry, culture and innovation have been promoted and offered. An app, a website and teaching materials for tourism in Chinese language have been developed, along with exhibitions of indigenous culture, lectures for tribal teachers, as well as exhibitions of Hakka crafts and creativity, in order to promote and deepen the distinctive local culture. 

　　The University has established and upgraded the university-level “Intelligent Green Energy Research Center,” “Research and Development Center of Long-Term Care and Digital Service,” and “Glass Optical Materials Research Center,” and built smart laboratories to foster the University’s unique features in teaching and research in order to promote academic excellence, enhance research capabilities, and strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation. In 2022, NUU promotes 5 key development projects based on smart management, sustainable environment, regional industry, local culture and innovative design in conjunction with the medium- and long-term development of the University. Regarding the linkage with industry, the University invites advanced talents in the industry to conduct lectures and seminars to promote industry-government-academia cooperation through the linkage of industry and academic discipline, and facilitate the development of students’ professional skills and their exposure to the current situation of the industry. Aiming at strengthening the research capabilities of faculty members and nurturing students to become talents with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, the University has stipulated the guidelines of relevant awards and grants, and 68 awards and grants were offered in 2022. The University encourages faculty members and students to actively participate in internships and visits in the field of intelligent Green and Orange Tech as well as engages in various competitions and seminars to enhance professional skills and industrial competitiveness.

　　With the goal of enhancing the University’s international competitiveness, NUU is actively engaging in international activities. In 2022, the University continuously focuses on the various themes to achieve the planned learning outcomes. These include the 2022 NUU English Camp, where foreign teachers teach students in English, allowing students to learn more about different cultures and interact naturally with each other in English, and strengthening their skills in English expression and application; the Volunteer Work Camp, which enhances the English oral expression skills of young volunteers; the 5th NIT-NUU Bilateral Academic Conference 2022, which provides a platform for international academic exchange for faculty members and students, while maintaining good international cooperation with sister universities in Japan. NUU encourages teachers to provide overseas educational experiences for their students. In 2022, the University conducts a number of international multicultural workshops, including 15 international volunteer training courses, 32 international lectures, workshops, and distance learning activities by overseas scholars, and 67 courses in English and foreign languages with the purpose of broadening the horizons of students and faculty members and creating an ideal environment for international interaction, exchange, and learning. 

　　With the aim of deepening the local culture and actively developing the indigenous and Hakka culture, NUU has organized ethnic culture exhibitions, consulted and interviewed tribal elders to compile exemplary tribal teaching materials, invited indigenous artisans to participate in teaching, and incorporated diverse opinions into our classes for indigenous students in order to establish the unique features of NUU’s indigenous programs and cultivate indigenous talents. In terms of preserving distinctive Hakka cultural features, NUU is actively promoting specialized local Hakka courses, compiling Hakka language teaching materials – “Singing Mountain Songs with Authentic Hakka Accents,” and improving the online platform of distinctive Hakka culture in order to convey the essence of Hakka language and culture. In addition, the University has organized a number of Hakka craft culture and creative tours, combined with local Hakka culture and creativity in Miaoli, and encouraged students to develop and actualize creative ideas by linking local culture, transforming Hakka imagery into action, and stimulating the possibility of innovation in traditional Hakka cultural industries. NUU has also refined the tourism APP, website and teaching materials in Chinese to integrate the unique cultural features for tourism in 18 townships and cities in Miaoli, incorporating local tourism information into the teaching and digital platforms to cultivate students as professionals for hospitality and tour guiding for local tourism. Moreover, NUU promotes local culture, tourism and industries to promote unique cultural features of Miaoli.

Subproject 3 – Outcomes and Highlights of Increasing the Publicity of Higher Education

　　From 2018 to 2022, NUU increased its admission of economically or culturally disadvantaged students from 11% to 21.65%. In addition, NUU has waived or subsidized the transportation and accommodation fees for a total of 410 economically disadvantaged students from other counties/cities to reduce their burden in taking examinations and assisted nearly 2,000 students in replacing work-study with academic pursuits. Also, in response to the trend of diversification, the University has introduced a new “Vision Project” with new admission channels starting from the 2021 academic year, expanding the number of places available for economically and culturally disadvantaged students to 61. In 2022, NUU’s indigenous students developed their own courses and collaborated with indigenous schools in rural areas to teach students about indigenous culture and ethnic language, raising their knowledge of their own culture and sense of ethnic cultural identity through the approach of learning by doing. Moreover, the “Distance-free Learning in Rural Areas: Library Resources Sharing Project” helps rural schools in Taiwan to meet students’ needs for reading by purchasing and distributing 4,618 more e-books to 35 elementary, junior high, senior high, and vocational high schools.

　　In order to help more economically or culturally disadvantaged students to be admitted and have the opportunity to receive quality education, NUU has launched recruitment of students with special talents since the 2018-19 academic year, and introduced a new “Vision Project” with new admission channels starting from the 2021 academic year, increasing the quota for admission to 61, and the number of applicants for the 2022 academic year has reached 372. From 2018 to 2022, NUU’s enrollment of economically or culturally disadvantaged freshmen has increased from 11% to 21.65%, and the number of freshmen who are Taiwanese new immigrants or their second generation has increased from 174 to 691. In the future, the University will continue to actively promote relevant admission channels to facilitate equitable access to education. 

　　NUU aims to provide one-stop services for indigenous students through the Indigenous Student Resource Center (ISRC), which provides resources for campus life, coursework, and career counseling for indigenous students. In 2022, a total of 19 activities were organized, including cultural awareness courses, student counseling workshops, vocational seminars, as well as tribal visits and exchanges. Besides, the University continues to enhance the learning achievement and self-confidence of indigenous students through five directions: academic counseling, life adaptation, career guidance, cultural retrieval, and talent cultivation. Also, the number of counseling sessions for indigenous students has increased from 395 to 527. The Indigenous Student Resource Center will continue to provide support for indigenous students and promote indigenous culture. In 2022, NUU’s indigenous students developed their own courses and collaborated with two indigenous schools in rural areas to teach students about indigenous culture and ethnic language, raising their cultural awareness and sense of ethnic cultural identity through learning by doing. They also produced a documentary showing the accomplishments of their activities in order to rectify the stereotype of indigenous culture among faculty members and students.

　　NUU’s administrative affairs are gradually being reviewed and information is gradually being made available in the University’s public information portal. Since the 2020 academic year, the University has been actively promoting the visualization and presentation of information on school affairs and important activities both on and off campus through various platforms, and making videos on school affairs to provide the general public with information on the University’s performance and future direction. In line with the demand for STEAM talents, NUU is working on special videos for women in the fields of technology and engineering in 2022, with a view to creating a more diverse and friendly learning environment. NUU is also taking concrete actions to actively pursue the transparency of school information and the implementation of public responsibility in school governance.

Subproject 4 – Outcomes and Highlights of Fulfilling the University’s Social Responsibility

　　With the spirit of caring for the local community, and given the aging society in Taiwan, NUU has trained seed instructors for physical fitness to go to the communities in the county to teach towel exercise for the elderly and build a community sports culture, which has received positive feedback. NUU keeps paying close attention to issues related to social responsibility development, and has organized Hakka language education workshops for new immigrants to improve communication between the caregivers and the care recipients. Responding to the issues of environmental sustainability, the University has organized sustainability-related lectures and beach clean-up activities, and faculty members and students from the Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering have conducted wastewater technology exchanges with local enterprises in order to mitigate ecological hazards. For the purpose of cultivating talents for local industries, the University offers training courses to enhance individual competitiveness and industrial efficiency, and infuses local craftsmanship and sustainability concepts into the creative workshops. Apart from explaining the knowledge, industrial waste has been transformed into artworks, fostering creative ideas and the spirit of creativity among local students. 

　　The Department of Information Management offers a cross-disciplinary approach to design thinking to solve social problems through the “Creative Thinking Approach” course, focusing on nature-based bionic design, and has formed teams to participate in the Biomimicry Design Challenge with the theme “Bionic Design Toward the 2050 Net Zero Carbon Emission Goal.” A total of 3 teams were shortlisted in this national competition. Also, the University has been trying to guide students to explore the characteristics of Taiwan’s local industries by combining resources from the University and local industries, and promoting “marketing Taiwan’s local characteristics” with history, culture, and storytelling as the core elements of the story to design creative marketing strategies for local industries. A total of 20 teams of students were sent to participate in the national competition, and 7 teams were shortlisted.

　　Through university education, NUU cultivates students’ passion for service learning, instilling in them a sense of respect for life and bringing care and warmth to the underprivileged. Since the 2018 academic year, NUU has been offering a “Micro-credit Course on Social Care,” designed to bring students to serve in community organizations and to demonstrate local care and altruism. This year, NUU cooperated with local associations to care for elementary school children from local families in Miaoli with special needs. NUU also participated in the service of a charity garden party organized by the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation. Students and faculty members assisted in this activity to inspire the public to care for the needy people living in vegetative state and their families, and to do what they can to show their care for the society and bring more harmony to the society.

　　This year, the NUU Youth Migratory Creation Workshop took Tongluo Township as the venue and connected various themes such as local agriculture, specialties, humanities, community, and business circle. With activities including training courses, field visits, project consultation, hands-on experience, and presentation of outcomes, students and youth were encouraged to propose business plans, marketing video scripts, and design ideas for product development that are related to local innovation and entrepreneurship. A total of 14 teams were shortlisted to participate in the hands-on work, producing 8 video to introduce Tongluo and proposing 10 entrepreneurial ideas. Besides, 10 product development ideas were proposed, including 1895 history board game, florist’s daisy, lemongrass, mulberry leaf extraction technology and essential oil hand soap, as well as pottery and creative products of camphor wood. Aside from the on-campus exhibition, a one-month exhibition was also held at the 1895 Culture and Living Museum next to the Tongluo Railway Station to share the creative achievements of student teams with local residents.