News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　On July 9th, the advisory committee meeting of National Chiayi University for the academic year 2019-2020 took place on the Lantan campus. The advisory committee consisted of National Taiwan Ocean University Academician I Chiu Liao, National Chi Nan University President Yuhlong Oliver Su, National Chung Hsing University President Fuh-Sheng Shieu, National Chung Cheng University President Fong Zhang-Hua, Nanhua University President Lin Tsong-Ming, I-Shou University President Roger C. Y. Chen, Cheng Shiu University Prof. Tsan-Der Chou, National Pingtung University President Gu Yuang-gun, PingTung University of Science & Technology President Dai Chang-Xian. The leading scholars provided brilliant suggestions on the first-phase results and second-phase prospects regarding “the Higher Education Enhancement Project” implemented by NCYU.

　　In his address, NCYU President Chyung Ay indicated that “the Higher Education Enhancement Project” in 2020 won recognition from the Ministry of Education, and received a grant worth NT$67.18 million, an increase of over NT$10 million from 2019. In the future, they plan to “foster educational innovation and quality,” “develop characteristics of the university,” “enhance publicity in higher education and offer sufficient assistance to the disadvantaged students,” and “fulfill the social responsibility.” There is also “a value-added project on quality and eco-friendly cultivation and sustainable agricultural development in the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan plain and innovation of the Vietnamese orchid industry in 2020,” an international project to fulfill the University Social Responsibility, or USR, as stipulated in the attached guidelines of the Higher Education Enhancement Project. NCYU has been actively implementing the innovative approaches and action plans that had been stipulated through appropriate funding allocation and management mechanism. For the first phase (from 2018 to 2019), fruitful results had been yielded with limited funding, and the university became the first and best example in the country who had signed a cooperation plan with the government unit. President Ay briefed that NCYU is currently planning various innovative teaching and quality assurance strategies. They also strive to incorporate smart technology to showcase characteristics of the university, offer comprehensive assistance to economically disadvantaged students, and contribute to local development with teacher and student expertise. Their objectives are to “cultivate interdisciplinary professionals in highlighted fields, unleash the innovation potential of teachers and students,” “develop food and agriculture elites, and optimize teaching and research environment,” “enhance publicity in higher education, and promote social mobility,” “show concerns for regional needs and work towards local development, art and cultural education, and co-prosperity.” By integrating resources of the university, they hope to make NCYU the “hub of geographical knowledge and social welfare in the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan region.”

　　The implementation results and pragmatic plans NCYU has shown in “the Higher Education Enhancement Project” won recognition among all the members of the university advisory committee. The advisors also shared their experience as a university president, and made substantial suggestions on how the university should actively tackle the issues of the students’ learning and employability and teamwork among the teachers, in the face of a competitive higher education environment, declining birthrate and changing learning attitude of the students. In the midst of shrinking higher education resources, they ought to focus on key and highlighted fields, cultivate interdisciplinary professionals and retain excellent teachers.

　　President Chyung Ay concluded that, aside from the four goals of the Higher Education Enhancement Project to promote advanced innovative strategies for wide-ranging teaching, research and other services, NCYU is dedicated to extending its influence with synergy of teachers and students based on the two existing characteristics of the university – agriculture and education. In terms of agriculture, they set up the Training and Research Institute of Food and Agriculture and Intelligent Agriculture Research Center, as part of the project. In addition, they established the food and agricultural platform offering value-added services, developed various agricultural robots to make a breakthrough in agriculture, established a training and license testing site for agricultural drones, and have been training agricultural drone professionals for the Civil Aviation Administration. In the days to come, they will follow the suggestions of the advisors to integrate the advanced smart IoT technology in creating agricultural drones with the Plant Hospital, and boost the development of value-added agriculture in Taiwan. In the respect of education, NCYU signed a letter of intent with the city government that focuses on six aspects. In terms of teacher training and popular science education, “Pilot Program for Planning and Promoting School-based Experimental Education among Public Schools in Chiayi City” was initiated in 2020. According to the pilot program, they have been conducting experimental education and studies, and will found the Experimental Education Research Center. They hope more experimental elementary and junior high schools will be established in Chiayi City, and will continue to contribute to local education, and fulfill the social responsibility as a university.