2022 Higher Education Sprout Project, Chung Yuan Christian University
Abstract and Highlights of Situation for Goal Achievement
The planning policy for the overall Project merged with national development and educational policy and implemented the University’s educational philosophy and its developmental plan. In the meantime, the feedback and promotion of the Project incorporated the learning effectiveness of students, the opinions of interactive stakeholders – both interior and exterior, and the Project’s institutional research was based on the data obtained from Project’s results and evaluations. The mechanism for implementing the Project was done by “Joint Meetings of Higher Education Sprout Project” presided by the President of the University to comprehensively review the progress and effectiveness of the Project’s implementation. In addition, the University’s website set up an “Information Platform for the University’s Affairs,” a “Chung Yuan Higher Education Sprout Website,” and issued several electronic news to provide platforms for the disclosure of information. The highlights and features of implementing the first phase of the Project are as follows:
1. Build Strong Competency of Basic Literacy for the Students, Strengthen Autonomous and Interdisciplinary Learning for them, and Optimize Teaching Expertise for the Teachers
Teachers of the University voluntarily developed textbooks, publishing Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Fun with TOEIC, Spirit-Away Reading Strategy – Secret of Combat-Readiness for Narrative Capability, and Set of Books for Professional Ethics to cultivate the basic literacy of students. Since 2021, courses such as Computational Thinking and Programming, Introduction to Natural Science and Artificial Intelligence have been offered to nourish the basic ability of artificial intelligence for the students. Regarding the aspect of students’ autonomous and interdisciplinary learning, in 2018 accreditation of credits for autonomous learning was implemented. In addition, optimization of programs’ management system was imported to recommend students to take various programs to enhance their interdisciplinary learning capability and the rates of their participations in these programs. In the meantime, a platform of achieving one’s dream was set up to provide information on job-placement and seminars on employability functions to cultivate students’ employability functions. Regarding the aspect of teachers’ teaching expertise, five university-level workshops were in lean-operation; in the spring semester 2022, the number of person-times for the teachers in offering innovative teaching was increased from 450 to 725. Moreover, emerging technologies merged with design of teaching courses were used, along with artificial-intelligence teaching fields and virtual-reality facilities as bases to develop further augmented-reality teaching facilities and teaching plans, to be used by all teachers and students to enhance their capabilities of applying emerging technologies in teaching practice and implementation.
2. Promote Key Areas of Strengths and Cultivate Cutting-Edge Industry-Academia
In 2022, Stanford University announced “World’s Top 2% Scientists 2022,” with 19 professors of the University being ranked for their “Career Impact (1960-2021)” and 18 being ranked for their “Scientific Impact (2021).” In 2019, 2020, and 2022, all-field values of the Category Normalized Citation Impact (CNCI) were greater than 1, which were above the global average level. In 2022, all-field ranking was No. 4 nationally, with the fields of “Chemistry” and “Environment and Ecology” being ranked No. 1. The University signed academia-industry agreements with 80 local companies in Tauyuan, with over NT$ 65 million project funding. In addition, the University incorporated resources of the Youth Entrepreneurship Base sponsored by City of Tauyuan, cumulatively couched 22 campus start-ups; among them, seven obtained the award of “Breaking-Out Industry” by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs. Moreover, the Center for Membrane Technology integrated collaboratively with the University of Tokyo, Japan, and the University of Toulouse, France, to develop researches in utilizing membrane for precision medicine and disease control. Self-financed and built the Innovation Pilot Center for Theory in Practice, coordinated with the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency of Tauyuan City, nurtured elite talents for the Industry 4.0. Furthermore, the Quantum Information Center worked hand-in-hand with Fujitsu Limited, Japan, and Formosa Plastic Group to carry out research in quantum computing, building up “Tauyuan Quantum Valley at Chung Yuan” strategic advantage.
3. Layout Diversified International Cooperation and Strengthen Students’ Capabilities in International Perspective and Global Mobility
The University joined the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), a non-profit organization with the highest advisory status in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), Asia Service-Learning Association, and Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) of National Academy of Engineering, the United States, to cultivate the outstanding talents of new-generation. In addition, the University joined international MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform, FutureLearn; held the Week of International Elite Universities and the Global Sister-University Expo; and signed multiple-university alliance agreements to increase the opportunities for students to study and to exchange internationally. Moreover, the University signed a three-party educational cooperation memorandum of understanding with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), and Foxconn Technology Group (FTG), allowing students from UWM to come to Chung Yuan Christian University for exchange and to do an internship at FTG.
4. Link to Governmental Resources and International Projects and Unleash University’s Impact on Social Responsibilities
The University – accompanied by the Youth Development Administration, Ministry of Education, and the Municipal Government of Tauyuan – developed resources related to sustainability, opening up promotional fields of local revitalization for seven counties and cities. Moreover, the University co-hosted with UCSI University and New Era University College, both at Malaysia, offering in-person interdisciplinary forums on Special Interest Group (SIG). The University visited Jenjarom New Village and Sungai Chua New Village, both at Malaysia, and Community-Build-School Project at Guanghui School at Kaga City of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, PLUS KAGA Project, and Hsia-Bei-Hsien-Lu Street’s Revitalization Project in Tokyo, etc., to realize and push for transnational dialogue and cooperation. Furthermore, the University established “CYCU Knowledge-Responsibility Fund” and “Knowledge-Responsibility Alliance for Practice,” promoting systematically the knowledge-responsibility to unleash the university’s impact on knowledge-responsibilities.
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