In the face of rapid global changes and regional challenges, Cheng Kung University promotes inter-disciplinary practical education based on the cultivation of professional talents. With the core concepts of “generalist inter-disciplinary” and “guided by interests”, Cheng Kung University establishes a motivation-driven and systematic planning-oriented course selection system, responds to the social demand for inter-disciplinary talents, and explores an innovative mode of higher education, which is committed to breaking through the traditional disciplinary frameworks and helping students to plan learning paths based on their own interests and professional goals flexibly. We are committed to breaking through the traditional academic framework and helping students flexibly plan their learning paths according to their interests and professional goals.
The data show that Chengdu University has achieved remarkable results in school operation. According to the Student Learning Styles Survey, the percentage of students participating in cross-domain learning in the 113th academic year(2023/2024) increased to 85%, students' motivation to learn increased by 5% compared to the 108th academic year(2018/2019), 63% of students recognized teaching innovations, and more than 90% of students believed that the cross-domain learning experience had a positive impact on them. In order to support diversified learning needs, Cheng Kung University has strengthened students' autonomous learning ability and motivation through flexible teaching mechanisms such as the “15+3 flexible semester”, micro-credit course design, and course launching program, etc. The number of students participating in inter-disciplinary courses in 113th academic year(2023/2024) exceeded 7,000, and the proportion of those who believed that their study in the department did not meet their expectations dropped from 40% in 108th academic year(2018/2019) to 32% in 113th academic year(2023/2024). In terms of teachers' pedagogical development, the number of teachers' community participants increased from 180 to 482, of which 211 teachers participated in the innovative courses, and the number of participants in MOE Teaching Practice Research Program reached 520, accounting for 40% of all teachers on campus.
Based on their own characteristics, the colleges of Cheng Kung University have launched specialized micro-programs and cross-disciplinary courses to respond to the needs of modern academia and industries. The College of Liberal Arts has developed a series of courses called “Field Studies of Tainan Culture” by combining local cultural resources, which has attracted more than 10,000 students over the past five years and has successfully promoted the preservation of local culture and the students' sense of local identity; the College of Science has developed modularized courses in the fields of quantum technology and materials science, and has offered summer courses at universities in and outside of Taiwan to strengthen academic exchanges and application capabilities. The College of Engineering focuses on smart manufacturing and environmental sustainability, cultivating students' practical skills through smart manufacturing programs and certification tests for the operation of practical instruments, and linking with enterprises to complete 10 low-carbon technology projects, as well as cooperating with the Naval Shipbuilding Development Center and China Ship Building Corporation to build the “National Shipbuilding Laboratory Tank,” which is the world's second-largest university ship towing experiment tank; The School of Electrical Engineering cooperates with international enterprises such as NVIDIA and AMD to develop AI application and electronic engineering related courses to enhance the competitiveness of students in the field of forward-looking technology. The College of Bioscience and Biotechnology has demonstrated its academic and social responsibility through the Urban Farming, USR Cetacean Conservation, and Global Genomics Symposiums, and its research results have been published In Nature and other top journals; the College of Planning and Design has promoted the “Design for the Reuse of Historic Monuments” project, which has left its footprints of innovative design from Tainan to the outlying islands and has won several national design awards; the College of Management has developed the “Climate Action and Global Business” program with the core of sustainability and integrated its internal programs to enhance students' competitiveness in the field of forward-looking technologies. The School of Management has developed the “Climate Action and Global Business” program with a focus on sustainable development, which integrates the curriculum of the school and enhances the teaching ability of the faculty to meet the international standards of business education; the School of Medicine leads the university in the number of applications for MOE Teaching Practice Research Program and the approval rate, and won nearly half of the awards for excellence in teaching in 113th academic year(2023/2024); the School of Social Sciences has developed a micro-curriculum based on the “Digital Society and Policy Analysis” program, which incorporates the “Digital Society and Policy Analysis” program. Based on the micro-program “Digital Society and Policy Analysis,” the College of Social Sciences integrates policy analysis and community service with local needs, directly benefiting more than 2,000 residents, and has established the Center for Safe, Healthy, and Sustainable Development to cultivate forward-looking, interdisciplinary social sciences talents.
Recently, NCKU was honored with the “Top 10 Sustainable Universities in Taiwan” award, ranked 25th in the Times Higher Education 2024 World University Impact Ranking, and ranked first in Taiwan for five consecutive years, and was awarded the “Healthy Campus” international certification medal by the International Association of University Sports (IAUS), making NCKU the first national research university in Taiwan to receive such an honor.
Focusing on inter-disciplinary learning, pedagogical innovation, and social practice, NCKU has demonstrated its leadership in the field of higher education by comprehensively implementing the multiple goals of educational reform and resource integration. In the future, NCKU will build on this foundation to further promote internationalization and education model innovation, and move towards the goal of becoming a globally outstanding university.