Founder, Chairperson and President

Dr. Clement C. P. Chang

Founder, Tamkang University
(1929.3.15~2018.5.26)

Transcending

With the rapid spread of higher education, the scarcity of government resources, and the intense competition among Taiwan's more than one hundred universities, Tamkang University must now emphasize its distinguishing strengths to further burnish the Tamkang brand. Over the years, TKU has experienced Four Waves of Development—"the Foundational Period, balancing quality and quantity," "the Positioning Period, emphasizing quality," "the Uplifting Period, featuring strategic academic internationalization," and "the Transformational Period, involving diversification, in line with the times". These waves have led TKU into a comprehensive university with four distinct campuses: the Tamsui Campus, the Taipei Campus, the Lanyang Campus, and the Cyber Campus. On the 67th anniversary of the school, we now with the help of our many alumni celebrate the advent of the Fifth Wave, displaying a spirit of perseverance and transcendence, as symbolized by our new Hsu Shou-Chlien International Conference Center.

During the past sixty-seven years, TKU has practiced four models of governance: the Collegial model, the Bureaucratic model, the Political model, and the Market model. They jointly help promote the Total Quality Management. Previously, in my featured article, "Tamkang, the Fourth Wave", I pointed out the need to promote the Three Circles of Curricula—professional, general education, and extracurricular curricula—to put into practice the Five Disciplines of Education of "conduct, intelligence, physical education, teamwork, and beauty". In this decade, quite a number of students went effectively under the nurturing influence of "Triple Objectives of Education" : Globalization, Information-oriented Education, and Future-oriented Education. They have equipped themselves with the core values of the "Three Circles and Five Disciplines of Education" to truly possess "Excellence with a Soul." They now become the mainstays of the nation and society.

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W. Chan Kim and Ren Mauborgne stated that "… understanding the context and right strategic moves is the key to success." The long-term performance of Tamkang has already received affirmation from all walks of life. And, our building of a conference center that reflects our worldview, will not only raise the profile of our research, but render better administrative services. This and other high quality innovations, in line with the times, duly bring into full play the "Matthew Effect". They set us on a new Sigmoid-curve arching towards the next wave's peak.

In the Age of the Fox, typified by intense change and transformation, we need to maintain our hold on the operating characteristics of TKU. We will base our strategy on the emerging trends in higher education. We should continue to take "simplicity, truthfulness, firmness, and perseverance" as the essence and accordingly deepen "Tamkang Culture." We encourage every Tamkangian to "establish a firm foothold at Tamkang University, hold the world in view, grasp the latest information, and create a brighter future." We encourage all the faculty members and students at Tamkang to meet all sorts of challenges, and to spare no efforts in carrying on our glorious mission hand-in-hand. By so doing, we shall continue to enrich the Five-Tiger Hill Saga.

Tamkang University (TKU) has used a succession of waves as the transitional hub for all of its administrative development. In 2017 TKU embarked on a new epoch, “The Fifth Wave,” with the spirit of transcendence, repositioning the dual-track transformation, using "AI+SDGs=∞" 5 times of efforts to create a smart future. Looking back, “the First Wave” unfolded the threefold foundational policy of Global Perspective, Informational Literacy, and Vision for the Future; “the Second Wave” advanced Total Quality Management (TQM); “the Third Wave” promoted international academic resources; “the Fourth Wave” ushered in the management thinking of the Market model which were integrated with the original Collegial model, Bureaucratic model, and Political model to become the Four Management Models, shaping four campuses.

The Fourth Wave took the Palace-style Buildings as an image to construct the House of Quality of TKU to link up with the mission of “To maintain Tamkang’s venerable heritage, create a positive influence on society, and nurture talented, ambitious professionals.” Utilize the six strategies: “Wave-by-Wave Development and Four Distinct Campuses,” “The Three Circles and Five Disciplines of Education and nurture excellence,” “TKU’s Triple Objectives and create an academic kingdom,” “Setting up the Sigmoid Curve and activate the Second Curve,” “Promoting the Matthew Effect and strive for social resources,” “Blue Ocean Strategy and create competitive advantage,” to establish the direction of development. Develop the full spirit of participation and continuous improvement, adjust the organizational culture so as to continue the outstanding school performance to win the 19th National Quality Award.

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From the Fourth Wave to the Fifth Wave, TKU has used the five general trends of a macroscopic view policy, winning leadership team, high quality faculty and student body, sufficient resources and facilities, and clear-cut performance indicators to be the school goals responding to the changing 21st century economy, technology and industry. Using the “Map of the Learning Value Chain,” TKU has set up a system that with the student as the core while allowing the faculty and administration to support mutually and grow collectively. TKU has planned a systematic, diverse faculty improvement and encourages the overall development of teaching and academic career. TKU has implemented an overall evaluation standard of the curriculum, instruction and assessment mechanism in order to improve the quality of learning and teaching. With the aim of producing an industry-university environment that “knowledge and skills progressing collaboratively” TKU has strengthened the ability of the faculty to do research and development and the ability of students to obtain employment and thus to create another academic kingdom with a new Sigmoid Curve.

In the 2022 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), Singapore retained its position as the number two country in the world. The key characteristics of being the top 3 in the world since 2013 include the steady improvements in the outstanding performance in formal education, the investing in life-long learning, strengthening skills, attracting and retaining global talent, etc. It has been a target of benchmark learning. TKU has been founded over 70 years and has nurtured students with the Three Circles Curricula, Five Disciplines of Education, and the Eight Essential Qualities. By promoting the forward thinking of Triple-Objective Education, TKU is capable of keeping pace with the times while possessing complete Tamkang DNA and earning the first place for 26 consecutive years in Cheers Business Magazine survey of the most favored private university students by enterprises. TKU, in the future, shall continue producing the most favored students by businesses and most outstanding students to promote the excellence of Tamkang Culture. Together with the support of TKU alumni worldwide, we shall establish a superbly outstanding, comprehensive world-class university.

Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang

Chairperson, Board of Trustees

Dr. Huan-Chao Keh

President, Tamkang University

Message from the President

Tamkang University (TKU) was founded in 1950. Adhering to the Triple objectives of Globalization, Information-oriented education, and Future-oriented education promoted by the Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang; undergoing four periods of development: “The Foundational Period,” “The Positioning Period,” “The Uplifting Period,” and “The Transformational Period,” Tamkang University was further formulated into one comprehensive university with the integrations of Tamsui, Taipei, Lanyang, and Cyber campuses. In November of 2017, the Hsu Shou-Chlien International Conference Center was inaugurated under the donations of former TKU alumni; this continues the excellent heritage of Tamkang culture. With the quick infusion of new power, the new course of development of the Fifth Wave “The Transcending Period” was launched.

As for the aspect of planning the teachers' teaching and the curriculum, Tamkang University has upheld the concept of "the learner is the center." From the first mile of incoming new students to the last mile of the graduating seniors, and to the first mile of facing job employment or starting a business, all require different stages of learning demands, and TKU has created a comprehensive learning plan and built a "student learning value chain" for students in their four undergraduate years. As for the aspect of students' learning, Tamkang adopts the "Three Circles Curricula": Professional curriculum, General curriculum, and Extracurricular curriculum, with honors program, cross-field courses, employment programs, and capstone courses as auxiliaries. TKU has not only achieved the effectiveness of intensive professionalism, learning application and advancement, and unified learning, but also has been able to deepen the five Educational Disciplines of "Conduct, Intelligence, Physical Education, Teamwork, and Beauty" to foster in students the possession of the eight essential qualities of "Global Perspective, Informational Literacy, Vision for the Future, Moral Integrity, Independent Thinking, Cheerful Attitude and Healthy Lifestyle, Spirit of Teamwork and Dedication, and the Sense of Aesthetic Appreciation," to become an outstanding Tamkang graduate.

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Tamkang has performed well in various world university ranking surveys, including THE, QS, and US News & World Report, ranking No.10-20 in the nation. The "2023 QS World University Rankings" announced in mid-2022 placed our university at a global ranking of 1201-1400 and 18th in the domestic ranking. In October 2022, the "2023 Global Best Universities Rankings" published by U.S. News & World Report ranked our university globally at 1,413th, 15th domestically, and 5th among private universities in the country. In "Webometrics Rankings of World Universities, WRWU" published in February 2022, the university ranked No.1054 worldwide, No.13 in the country. On June 1st, 2022 “Times Higher Education” (THE) has released the "2023 World University Impact Rankings," where our university is globally ranked between 201-300, ranking 6th domestically. There has been significant improvement compared to last year. In the “2023 Taiwan’s Best University Rankings” published by Global Views Monthly magazine, the school is ranked first in the “Humanities and Social Sciences” category among all the private schools, ranking No.3 in the country.

The Triple Objectives of Globalization, Information-oriented Education, and Future-oriented Education were continuously cultivated as Tamkang steps into the fifth wave. Tamkang first established an international partner relationship with the Chuo University of Japan in 1968. It has now signed an academic cooperation agreement with 266 universities in 44 countries on five continents. In 1994, the first international mobility program for domestic juniors to study abroad was established. Each year, juniors are selected to study at overseas partner institutions, and, so far, over 9,200 students had completed their dream of studying abroad. In 2015, Tamkang earned the Outstanding Internationalization Award from the Ministry of Education and thus became a model school for internationalization. In 2018, the “Tamkang Clement and Carrie Chair” was established with the hope of being able to promote more internationally renowned scholars to conduct lectures, to engage in intensive lectures series, and to do cooperative research thus promoting Tamkang’s position on the stage of the global village. As of 2023, the Tamkang Clement and Carrie Chair Fund successfully invited 21 internationally renowned scholars from 10 different countries including United States, Canada, France, Austria, Poland, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Germany, and Singapore; among them, seven scholars possess national academician qualifications, and one is a Nobel Prize laureate. This gradually accomplishes the purpose of the formation of the Tamkang Clement and Carrie Chair, achieving the founder’s vision of creating a world-class university.

As for the Information-oriented Education, Tamkang, taking “intellect” as its core spirit, implements a digital transformation, and creates the smart campus 2.0. Inaugurated in the 2020 academic year as a virtual operational hub in Tamkang University, the College of Artificial Innovative Intelligence (AII) integrates the resources of academic units on campus, promotes interdisciplinary teaching and research, strengthens the industry-academia cooperation, and combines with USR to implement the concept of local revitalization effectively, adapting to highly qualified industries, reducing learning gaps, and cultivating students’ employability in the AI cloud era. Future-oriented Education is located in having the characteristic of social responsibility in the diverse “Collaborative Foresight” as this continues to refine future studies courses, upgrading teaching instructions in order to strengthen the clear understanding of students in their Future-oriented Education and competency development. In 2020, Tamkang University embarked on its journey to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To integrate the SDGs into professional competence, and practice the sustainable values of global prosperity, in addition to the interdisciplinary General Education program "Micro Program for Sustainable Development" that was launched in the 2021 academic year, starting from the 2022 academic year, we have introduced two distinctive interdisciplinary courses in AI and sustainability: "AI and Programming Language" and "Exploring Sustainability," each worth 1 credit as mandatory General Education courses. These courses complement the introduction of approximately 300 Microsoft AI Cloud professional courses by the College of AI Intelligence and the "Nurturing Sustainability" program, consisting of 14 sustainability development courses under the "XPlorer Project" (Competency-Based Higher Education Learning Innovation Project). To achieve the medium and long-term vision of "Collaboratively Creating a Great Tamsui, Embracing a Smart and Magnificent Future," we are advancing towards the educational development goals of "AI+SDGs=∞" and "ESG+AI=∞," aiming to build Tamkang University into an international smart future-oriented, and cloud-based university city.

Tamkang promoted TQM since 1992 and won the 19th National Quality Award in 2009. The Chairperson of Tamkang University, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, won the Business Excellence Award of the 25th National Quality Award in 2018. Tamkang was the first university worldwide to confer the International Safe School status by the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 18th, 2008. In 2012, Tamkang was once again issued the International Safe School Status after passing the WHO Safe School Re-evaluation. From 2011 till 2013, Tamkang continuously received the R.O.C. Enterprises Environmental Award and received the life-time prestigious EPA Environmental Award. The quality of running a university has been affirmed by various fields.

In 2023, the immediate strength of about 310,000 graduates in different industries allowed Tamkang University to rank No.1, among all private universities for 26 consecutive years in the “Top 2,000 Enterprises’ Favorite College Graduates” survey conducted by Cheers Business Magazine, and No.10 among all institutes of higher education in Taiwan. In the survey’s nine main categories, among private universities, Tamkang ranked No.1 in eight out of the nine categories. According to the "2023 Corporate Favorite College Graduates Rankings" published by Global Views Monthly Magazine on February 20, 2023, our university ranked 9th in the overall ranking and No.1 among private universities. Tamkang is ecstatic to have such outstanding performance, yet this urges us to double our efforts in the future to add value to academic professionalism, strengthen teaching, enhance industry-academia cooperation, and establish a teaching ecosystem of innovative entrepreneurship. The Fifth Wave of the school, under the foundation of Tamkang Culture and the accomplishments of the Founder and other successive presidents and the outstanding achievements, should again be carried on by building upon the initial successes and by taking the spirit of the old to create the new so as to erect a superb new look in the future of the university and march forward to be a first-rate, world-class comprehensive university.