2019 Higher Education Sprout Project, Chung Yuan Christian University
Abstract and Bright Spots of Situation for Goal Achievement
With steady and realistic footsteps, the University cultivated deeply the existing advantage in its development, stressed the integration of data analyses on the multi-dimensionality of students’ learning, accepted extensively the information of satisfaction obtained from employers to the University’s graduates, and ensured highly effective tracking of evaluation and decision-making to enhance the effective accomplishment of the goals of the Project. The mechanism for implementing the Project was done by “Joint Meetings of Higher Education Sprout Project” presided by the President of the University to develop the strategy, structure, oversight, and evaluation of the Project. While for each Sub-Project, regular group and taskforce coordinating meetings were held to make sure that the progress and outcome of implementation of the Sub-Project were well under control. Meanwhile, the University established a “Chung Yuan Higher Education Sprout Website” and issued three electronic news – “Higher Education Sprout Bimonthly Journal,” “Excellence in Teaching Bimonthly Journal,” and “Knowledge Communication Quarterly Journal (for the high-school end)” – to provide platforms for the disclosure of information. The bright spots and features of implementing this Project are as follows:
1.Promote Feature-Oriented Innovative Teaching and Develop Adaptability-Oriented Autonomous Learning
To maintain a stable development of Excellence in Teaching, the University promoted colleges as the core and stressed uniqueness and professionalism for each college to take root from both the faculty’s and the student’s perspectives. From the perspective of students, based on the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) quality-assurance cycle mechanism, the University implemented tracking, oversighting, and assessing, and established “Mechanism of Accountability and Quality-Assurance for the Outcome of Student Learning” and compiled “Quality-Assurance Report on Chung Yuan Christian University’s Student Learning Outcome” which were beneficial to the optimization of quality of teaching and the enhancement of outcome of student learning. From the perspective of faculty, the University promoted the observation of innovative teaching methodology overseas; with the established ecological environment for teaching and workshop for innovative teaching, the University proliferated multiple characteristic development of implementing innovative teaching offered by those faculty who have participated in the overseas training programs.
2.Expand International Top-Notch Advantage and Nurture Innovative Industry-Academia Talents
To expand international industry-academia cooperation, the University established a Liaison Office of International Industries to (1) set up industry-academia locations in Southeast Asia to link e-commerce companies and accelerators in Malaysia, Northern Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., (2) incorporate governmental resources to enhance surveying and expanding of South-Bound international markets for interconnecting and matching Thailand’s e-commerce enterprises, venture parks, and Taiwanese businesses stationed in Thailand, and (3) build up with University’s own fund a Smart Innovative R&D Building (to accommodate the Innovation Pilot Center for Theory in Practice) and complete the establishment of smart manufacturing demonstrative production line to become the largest smart manufacturing demonstration and service site among all domestic academia; meanwhile, the governing body of Taoyuan City placed great emphasis on the CYCU’s smart manufacturing to act in concert with the Asian Silicon Valley Development Initiative to become an important platform for technological exchanges, to drive industrial transformations, to promote international cooperation, and to nurture elite talents for the Industry 4.0.
3.Develop Multiple International Cooperation and Bring Up World-Class Elite Talents
To nurture new-generation talents with advantage, the University actively established global networks, such as (1) participated in the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) of the United States with students finished the Program being eligible to be placed on the honor roll of NAE, (2) participated in the Service-learning Asia Network (SLAN) to enhance students’ capability for international service-learning, and (3) participated in FutureLearn for international Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to expand the University’s high-quality international courses and to provide opportunities for students to take courses offered by international prestigious universities. In addition, the University held the CYCU Week of Academicians from World Renown Universities and the Global Partner University Expo and Forum, along with signing multiple-university alliance agreements, to increase the channels for students to participate in international exchange programs. Moreover, the University and Temple University of the United States jointly established Dual-Degree Undergraduate Degree-Program in Business Management for students to obtain two bachelor’s degrees on graduation from both universities. Furthermore, the University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), and Hon Hai’s Foxconn New Plant of the United States signed a 3-year Institutional Co-Op Educational Cooperation Program to provide the students from UWM with the opportunities to come to CYCU for their exchange studies and for doing internship at the Foxconn plant site. Through these multiple international exchange and collaboration programs, the University enhances its students’ international mobility.
4.Do Well on University Social Responsibility and Implement Promotion of Knowledge Responsibility
With the spirit of “Holistic Education,” the University encouraged both the faculty and students to bring forth teaching across curriculum and social practice through service learning, taking root at the Greater Taoyuan area and the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli area, regarding location creations, regional characteristics, and cares for the underprivileged, through a new mindset of “learning by creativity” to promote knowledge responsibility of the practice of social design. The University also set up “CYCU Knowledge Responsibility Fund” and called for the enterprises, public interest groups, governmental organizations, and mass media to form the “CYCU Practice Alliance for Knowledge Responsibility,” using professional knowledge, technologies, and capabilities through connections and cooperation of resources to systematically push forward knowledge responsibilities, promote local developments, and unleash the university knowledge responsibilities and influences.