Higher Education SPROUT Project

National Taiwan University of Arts 2022 Sprout Project Highlights

●Project Orientation: Implementing teaching innovation and improving teaching quality

●Project Objective: Implementing diverse interdisciplinary and innovative teaching

●Project Outline:

The University has systematically reduced the number of credits required for students' majors to include 4 to 15 credits of interdisciplinary elective credits for each department. Through the flexible, interdisciplinary and diverse curriculum resources, we provide teachers with a wide range of contemporary, technological and industrial courses to effectively refine the traditional teaching model. In addition, the School helps increase the students taking interdisciplinary courses in the School to encourage interdisciplinary learning, while the teaching and research centers have gradually formed a central professional curriculum module in this way, effectively creating a learning environment for new fields of art and sharing the results of exhibition, performance, reflection, and discussion among teachers and students.

●Implementation Results:

Compared to the beginning of the program, In addition to the students' enthusiasm in obtaining professional licenses, the number of diverse learning courses has increased 6.7 times, the number of teachers (resources) has increased 5.72 times, and the number of students who have taken courses of the program has increased 6.64 times. The IR analysis revealed that students who participated in the diverse learning program showed a significant increase in grade point average compared to those who did not participate.

After the diverse learning course system (since 2021) matured, the School encouraged teachers to offer interdisciplinary courses for related professional certification training, and a total of 45 students obtained certification. In the field of technological conservation and restoration of historic objects, 9 students obtained the Computer Aided Architectural Drawing license issued by Ministry of Labor (75% of our students passed) and 18 students obtained the Radiation Operators on Radiation Safety license. In the study of intangible cultural assets, the School has trained students to be certified as Traditional Craftsmen (chiseling, painting, clay sculpture, and stone work) issued by the Ministry of Culture, and 18 students were certified as Craftsmen (only a total of 39 nationwide), with a pass rate of nearly 50% nationwide. In the field of communication, 18 students were awarded the Drone Professional license issued by the Civil Aeronautics Administration through the diverse learning program. In the first semester of 2022, 100% of the School's students who took the test passed the certification for academic courses (the certification for skill courses will be held in January 2023). According to the above, through the cultivation of diverse interdisciplinary courses, the various art professions of the School have been utilized and talented students have been cultivated, and license training for different industries has been developed to fill the national talent gap.

●Project Orientation: Implementing teaching innovation and improving teaching quality

●Project Objective: Arts and Culture Development and Youth Entrepreneurship Cultivation

●Project Outline:

After graduating from the University of Arts, about 30% of the students will choose to start their own businesses. Therefore, in the planning of the Cultural and Creative Studio for Higher Education Sprout Project, the University has linked artistic creation with industrial needs and encouraged students to form cross-departmental teams. On-campus instructors assist the team members with industry counseling and technical guidance, bringing together workplace experience, resources and corporate teamwork energy to execute research projects and produce results. The School provides students with appropriate resources and conditions to simulate entrepreneurship without them being restricted to the framework of the college, so that students can actively set up micro-entrepreneurial teams or studios on their own. We also aim to cultivate their competitiveness in the workplace and their ability to connect with the industry after their graduation, while devoting ourselves to expanding students' artistic and cultural development and counseling them to write various project submissions to obtain more resources.

●Implementation Results:

1.Assist students in setting up cultural and creative studios to nurture their youth entrepreneurs capability

The School nurtured 59 teams from 2018 to 2022, and 12 of them have set up companies or studios after graduation. During their entrepreneurship, they received youth entrepreneur subsidies from the public and private sectors (such as the Entrepreneurship Platform of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Youth Department, National Culture and Arts Foundation, U-Start, etc.) as well as domestic and international awards, such as Golden Horse Award finalists, Taishin Arts Award, and Golden Harvest Awards, showing that the innovative cultivation mechanism of the School has matured.

Highlight of the School’s implementation of cultural and creative studio

2.Matching Industry Resources with Team Attributes to Promote Innovative Entrepreneurship Programs

In 2022, the School offered 16 courses on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, with 594 participants. Different from the past, this year, we work with consultants from different industries to offer courses such as Introduction to Business, Marketing Management, Financial Regulations, Product Implementation, Law Seminar, Aesthetic Design, and Brand Management for each entrepreneurship category, so that the content is closer to the practical applications of various industries, leading to an increase in course satisfaction year after year and showing that the course content meets the needs of the students.

Implementation of the School’s creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship Courses

●Project Orientation: Developing characteristics of the School

●Project Objective: Establishing a base for teaching and research (experiment) of art

●Project Outline:

In order to realize our goal of creating a stage for the exhibition, performance, reflection, and discussion of the technology and art of the School,  we have adopted a curriculum structure of establishing the Center for Teaching and Research in the Art of Foresight, integrating internal resources to adjust the curriculum restrictions in phases according to laws and regulations, building innovative teaching spaces and establishing organizational units, and assisting teachers and students in engaging in new media art experiments (interdisciplinary) since 2020. With the output of international exhibitions, performances, and reflections and the research and creation of the industry, government, and university, while innovating in art teaching, the School also acts as an art pioneer by using the characteristics of the School to promote the era of art and technological innovation.

●Implementation Results:

1.Practicing a grand stage for exhibition, performance, reflection, and discussion of technology and art

The School has built a number of innovative teaching areas with our university funds and project resources, such as the First Laboratory and Second Laboratory for Historic Objects, technology, and art experimental space, art home, a motion capture system, a professional recording studio, and an immersive sound laboratory C-Lab, the only one of its kind in Taiwan and second only to Taiwan's Contemporary Culture Laboratory (C-Lab) in terms of equipment scale. The School also conducts interdisciplinary teaching, special project production and performance. From 2021 to 2022, the results of the Center were presented at the Greater Taipei Arts Festival. For example, the Center integrated its professional technology resources in the School's self-produced play ‘“Epitome of Time” Repetition’ so that from choreography, music composition and creation, stage decoration, theater lighting, costumes, to the introduction of new media technology video were all carried out by our students. It was performed at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and the NTUA Performance Hall, fulfilling the School's social responsibility with artistic characteristics and practicing the grand stage of exhibition, performance, reflection, and discussion of technology and art.

Stage photo of “Epitome of Time” Repetition

2.Technology and Art Experiment (Interdisciplinary) Courses

In addition to the relevant performance and professional licenses and certificates obtained by our students through the School’s diverse courses and the students’ interdisciplinary learning, the Center offered 74 courses from 2020 to 2022 with 778 attendees (33% of the total number of attendees in the Diverse Learning Program), and our students were very active in taking those courses. In terms of the professional performance, many students formed teams through the Program to participate in competitions and subsequently obtained awards, such as the Digital Media Design Award, the Taishin Arts Award, and the grants from the National Culture and Arts Foundation. Meanwhile, the Historic Object Conservation Research Center, the Center for Sound Arts and Acoustics Research, and the Research Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage offer courses that bring students to the art field to engage in collaborative projects between industry, government, university, and institute.

Awards received by students who participated in the Center's programs

Implementation of diverse learning in the Center

3.Sustainable Management and Industry-Government-University Special Project Cooperation

During the implementation period of the Higher Education Sprout Project, the centers linked up with a total of 85 units in the industry, government, university, and institute sectors. In terms of the amount of industry-university cooperation, since the establishment of the centers in 2020, a total of 31 cases have been undertaken, with an accumulated amount of more than NT$33.86 million, which has been growing year by year (the number of cases awarded by the public and private departments of the School and the National Science and Technology Council has increased by 42% compared to year 2018). It also opens up a number of opportunities for interdisciplinary industry-university cooperation, allowing cultural assets, performing arts and acoustic arts to be presented in a new light through technology.

Industry-Government-University-Institute Cooperation of Centers

●Project Orientation: Developing characteristics of school

●Project Objective: To sustainably pass on domestic and international cultural assets through NTUA's resources advantage

●Project Outline:

By integrating the teaching and research capabilities of the School’s Historic Object Conservation Research Center (tangible cultural assets) and the Research Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage (intangible cultural assets), the University develops a support system for the development and revitalization of cultural asset through the linkage of our courses and the industry, government, university, and institute, as well as the mutual integration of contemporary technology and cultural assets teaching and research, thereby revitalizing art and cultural education and related industries and enabling the value of cultural assets to take root in the local community.

●Implementation Results:

1.Establishing a Conservation Guide for National Historic Objects

In addition to the diverse learning curriculum that nurtures students with expertise in traditional crafts, architectural drawing, conservation and reparation science of historic objects, and 3D digitization, through the "R Language Application Scientific Analysis Research Program (Phase II)" and the research project on the development of a surface moisture measurement system for ancient monuments and murals, as well as the joint efforts of industry, government, university, and  institute, the Center for Heritage Conservation and Research of the School cooperates with the Bureau of Cultural Heritage of Ministry of Culture to publish the "Handbook for the Maintenance of Traditional Architectural Wooden Paintings" and the "Handbook for the Survey of Traditional Architectural Paintings" in 2022 to build a cornerstone for the preservation and maintenance of Taiwan's cultural assets for the use of relevant businesses. In July 2022, three presentations were held to solve the difficulties and controversies in the implementation of the traditional architectural painting survey or restoration cases due to the lack of relevant reference bases. These two handbooks provide the basic procedures and relevant reference forms for the various stages of traditional architectural painting surveys and wood painting restoration, and may serve as a reference for communication and discussion among stakeholders in the cultural heritage industry, government, and property owners. In addition, in terms of cultural assets economy, the School cooperated with the Bureau of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture from 2020 to 2021 in the extension of its training program for the restoration of mural painting for Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi in Penang, Malaysia. In the end, the Northern Taiwan (Taipei City, New Taipei City, Keelung, and Taoyuan) Cultural Heritage Building Materials Bank was established by drawing on the experience of domestic and foreign establishment of such banks to complete the research, teaching, and circular economy of cultural assets.

Promotion briefing for the "Handbook for Survey and Maintenance of Traditional Architecture Paintings

2.Passing on Intangible Cultural Assets

The Research Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage was in preparation in 2021 and officially established in 2022. In addition to nurturing and reviving the traditional craftsmen (six of them obtained certificates from the Ministry of Culture), it is also engaged in research projects such as "The Contemporary Heritage of Intangible Cultural Assets - Take Banqiao Jiangzicui Chaohe Society for example," "Research on Lead-free Glazing of Cochin Ware," "Research Project on Scientific Testing of Chinese Wooden Construction Materials," and "Lost Craftsmanship: A Project to Promote and Exhibit Tangible and Intangible Potential Cultural Assets.” In terms of the traditional performing arts, the School has successfully developed students' ability to perform traditional music, and they were given the chances to perform with the professional orchestras. They also had two collaborative performances with opera troupes, won one award, and published five research publications, showing that the School has gradually completed the teaching capacity of intangible cultural assets research.

Research and Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Assets

●Project Orientation: Fulfilling Social Responsibilities

●Project Objective: Implementing the Goal of “The More Local, the More International It Is” of the Greater Taipei Arts Festival

●Project Outline:

The Greater Taipei Arts Festival has been held for seven times since 2016. It has been developed on site through the "narrowing the gap between students’ university learning and the employers’ expectations in the workplaces” and the "creation of art and culture". By combining the north side of the campus (former faculty dormitory) as an exhibition space for creative works, and by elaborately producing various types of programs that link industry, government, university, institute, and interdisciplinary innovation, their performances show the educational achievements of various departments of NTUA. In addition to allowing students to get close to international artists and broaden their creative horizons, the event also combines local performance groups by inviting schools from nearby and remote areas and neighborhood residents to participate in exciting demonstrations and workshops, with the goals of promoting local social responsibility, allowing arts and culture to take root locally, and building a "common good" art city in Banqiao.

●Implementation Results: 

1.Inviting heavyweight artists from home and abroad to jointly produce and operate Taiwan's art brand

(1)DAGUAN Performing Arts Festival

Every year, the DAGUAN Performing Arts Festival invites famous performing arts groups from home and abroad, such as the Compagnie L'Oublié(e) and the Théâtre du Soleil of France, and the Landestheater Linz of Austria. The programs combine multiple formats, and their content includes interdisciplinary collaborations in theater, dance, music, and new media. Invitation for a total of 81 performances in 48 sections have been made, 34 performances and 25 extended workshops/seminars/master lectures have been held, 977 students have been trained, and a crowd of 12,197 people have been gathered. Among them, Wu-kang Chen's "One Danced" and Ning Wang's "Movement" were nominated for the 20^th Taishin Arts Award in the 4^th quarter of 2021. 

(2) Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts

The Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts has invited renowned artists from home and abroad, such as Claude Closky and Julien Prévieux, winners of the Prix Marcel Duchamp, Gary Hill, a master of contemporary video art, and Yoichiro Kawaguchi, a highly regarded Japanese artist in the field of computer graphic art. During the exhibition period, an average of 400 people visited the exhibition daily, and tours were held for schools and corporations at all levels (about 800 viewers per year), creating a local and international art education garden while taking root in art education.

Gallery of DAGUAN Performing Arts Festival

2.Local Value-added Township Planning with Art, and Creation of Urban Art Culture

The School has made remarkable progress in linking with neighboring organizations and promoting arts and culture education in the local community, reaching five types of audiences in New Taipei City and some other cities: elementary and junior high school students, senior high school students, college and university students, community college students, and public parent-child playgroup participants. The School shall also continue to develop the "Daguan Art Education Park", which integrates four schools between Nanxing Bridge and Fuzhou Village, to realize the vision of aesthetic education and urban art culture creation. To date, we have assisted in offering more than 200 classes and serving nearly 6,000 students from various schools in the Daguan Park.

Students participating in performing arts at Daguan Art Education Park

3.Integrating Various Departments to Promote Industry-University Cooperation

The School has gathered talents from its 13 departments to participate in projects such as "exhibition execution, art criticism writing, software and hardware setup in exhibition, and performances in related activities". Our alliances include the House Foundation for the Arts, Wild Bunch International, Unsullied Dance Theatre, Industrial Technology Research Institute, BenQ Materials, ART PRESS, Art in the Non-Pond, ARTouch.com, Museum Island, Taipei International Art Fair, and the Institute of Anthropology at Tsinghua University, and so on, joining hands to sustain the future development of art education and cultural affirmation.

Gallery of Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts