News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　National Chiayi University is the result of the merger of Chiayi Junior Teachers College and National Chiayi Institute of Technology more than 20 years ago since Feb. 1st, 2000. President Chyung Ay, the 7th president in NCYU history, will retire on Jan. 31st next year, and the selection for the new president began in mid-November last year. On Dec. 2nd, Han-Chien Lin, Professor of the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, was voted as the 8th president by the Eighth Presidential Selection Committee. He will assume the post as president starting in next February after the appointment is submitted to the Ministry of Education for approval.

　　A global call for candidates for the presidency was announced by the Eighth Presidential Selection Committee of NCYU on May 19th this year both in the media and online. Official letters had been sent to colleges and universities, academic research institutions, various units of the university, and the alumni association for recommendations. After qualifications of the candidates were reviewed and approved by the committee, information about the four candidates was announced on the official website of NCYU on Oct. 5th. A hard copy of the candicates’ information were also publicly displayed at the Personnel Office Nov. 16th during office hours from Oct. 18th to Nov. 16th. To give the faculty and students a fuller understanding of the presidential candidates’ philosophy of governance, “Presentation on Presidential Candidates’ Governance Philosophy” took place at the International Conference Hall on the Lantan campus on Nov. 11th. The four candidates were invited to present their and ideas and insights for running the unversity. The presentation was broadcast live on the Minghsiung and Sinmin campuses. A multimedia recording of the presentation was released on the website afterwards.

　　On Nov. 17th, in accordance with Point 7 of Regulations on Selection of the Eighth Presidential Selection Committee, the faculty (including the assistant professors in the old system) were requested to exercise the right to consent to respective candidates by secret ballot. As to counting of the votes, the candidates shall pass the first review if the voting rate reached at least one-third of the number of teachers listed on the electoral rolls, and the number of votes reached at least one-third of the total number of votes. Results of the vote counting: three of the four candidates passed the first review.

　　On the afternoon of Dec. 2, the three presidential candidates briefed on their philosophy of governance and answered questions by the 19 attending committee members of the NCYU Eighth Presidential Selection Committee, who later exercised the right to consent to respective candidates by secret ballot.
According to the presidential selection committee, the new president would be declared elected only when he won a majority of the votes and the highest number of votes of the committee members present. Prof. Han-Chien Lin of the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, who was approved by more than half of the members present and received the highest number of votes, was elected as the new president of NCYU. The appointment will be submitted to the Ministry of Education for approval, and the new president is expected to take office in February next year.

　　Dr. Han-Chien Lin joined NCYU (then National Chiayi Institute of Agriculture) as a faculty member in 1997 and has been teaching for more than 20 years. Dr. Lin has a wealth of experience as an administrator during the decades. He has served as, for example, Chief of the Planning Division of the Office of Research and Development, Chairman of the Department of Forest Products Science, Chairman of the Department of Forest Products Science and Furniture, Chairman of the Military Education Office, Dean of Student Affairs, Chief Secretary of the Secretariat Office, Chief of the Office of Research and Development plus Director of the Operation Center of Industry and University Cooperation, Chairman of the Global Master Program of Agricultural Science, and Dean of the College of Agriculture.

　　Dr. Lin has a wealth of experience as an administrator during the decades. He has served as, for example, Chief of the Planning Division of the Office of Research and Development, Chairman of the Department of Forest Products Science, Chairman of the Department of Forest Products Science and Furniture, Chairman of the Military Education Office, Dean of Student Affairs, Chief Secretary of the Secretariat Office, Chief of the Office of Research and Development plus Director of the Operation Center of Industry and University Cooperation, Chairman of the Global Master Program of Agricultural Science, and Dean of the College of Agriculture. From 1997 to 2021, he published 10 books and chapters (including 3 abroad and 7 at home) and 96 journal articles (including 48 SCI papers, 5 foreign journal papers, 3 EI papers, and 40 reviewed articles at home), among other academic publications.

　　In his philosophy of governance, Prof. Han-Chien Lin indicated that under the changing environment of higher education, impact of decling birthrate, future national policies, and internal and external circumstances facing the universities, he expects himself to pass on the heritage of the predecessors, focus on the development and positioning of the characteristics of the university, with its different colleges and departments. He wishes to become the leader of the university’s vision, motivator of educational enthusiasm, advocate of innovative knowledge, integrator of diverse resources and dissents, and the bearer of performance responsibilities. With limited resources, it is pivotal to plan for effective and proper utilization of resources, institutionalize the allocation of funds, plan for proper allocation of teachers, and maintain openness and transparency of financial managemen. The objective is to ensure the basic needs and quality of teaching and learning, and distribute resources where most needed, so that equal importance can be given to education, research, services and promotion. With “Vision 2030: Passing on the Heritage – Ten Years to Grow a Tree, One Hundred Years to Educate a Person” as the motto for future development, he expected himself to lead NCYU into a new era.