National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University College White Paper Review

This is an internal communication aimed to address the preparation of white papers from each academic unit in the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Taiwan. It outlines the structure of the white papers and the expected alignment of each unit with the univeristy vision and missions.

NYCU htttps://www.nycu.edu.tw/nycu/en

Summary

The planning of the white papers for each college at our university is an innovative and significant action, aimed at addressing challenges like competition among universities, geopolitical changes, declining birth rates, and rapid technological advancements. When drafting the white papers, each college should focus on future development directions, emphasizing vertical and horizontal integration between the university, colleges, and departments, and encompassing cross-disciplinary, cross-college, and international visions and strategies. Additionally, the white papers should undergo two cycles of integration and adjustment, starting from colleges to academic clusters, and then to the entire university. This process should involve discussions and integrations by internal and external committee members and university leaders before disseminating down to the colleges for the second round of adjustment. Finally, the papers shall be submitted to the University for its Final Decision, ensuring alignment with the university's vision and missions.

Format of the White Paper

The consolidation and planning of the white papers for each college at our university is an innovative but essential and meaningful action. Three years have passed since the merger of our universities, and in the face of the current intense competition among domestic and international universities, coupled with various geopolitical and economic factors, Taiwan's declining birth rate, a shortage of talent, and the rapid advancement of technology in the 21st century, every university needs a mid-to-long-term plan to enhance the quality and responsibility of higher education and to open new chapters for nurturing future talents.

The format for this white paper was commissioned by the president and planned by the Chief Strategy Officer and the Office of the Chief Secretary. It was formulated by extensively referencing similar documents and making necessary adjustments to meet forward-thinking principles and to highlight the university's achievements and development (see Attachment). Each college has generally been able to follow this format in their writing, although descriptions of future development are not entirely complete.

This white paper discussion is an internal meeting, not a formal review meeting, so everyone can speak freely. The original hope was that the focus of the deans' reports would not be on past achievements or spatial needs, but on future development directions and the vertical alignment and integration from the university, colleges, to departments.

Vision of NYCU

Post-merger, under the leadership of the president, our university has integrated, transformed, and transcended, building new systems and nurturing campus culture, advancing simultaneously in the fields of humanities, technology, and medicine, striving to become a great university. The figure below presents the vision and mission blueprint of Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

Based on the overall achievements of the initial phase, we propose strategic goals and action plans in four major areas: "Talent Cultivation and Recruitment," "Academic Innovation and Research Development," "Industry-Academia-Research Internationalization," and "Social Responsibility Contribution," to establish our university's advantageous position and competitiveness. To realize industry-academia co-creation and innovative value, we will continue to deepen the 15 specialized research centers, support seven key international competitive fields, connect with four international benchmark cooperative schools, and leverage the influence of alumni industries to jointly map out advantageous fields and establish top-tier research.

Through digital transformation and comprehensive quality management, we aim to create an intelligent and sustainable campus, develop strategies for international competition, and build an innovative ecosystem alliance to achieve resilience and mutual prosperity with global partners, continuously leading sustainable development.

For short-term plans, it is best to plant grains; for ten-year plans, it is best to plant trees; for lifelong plans, it is best to cultivate talent. Entering the new century, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University will combine technology and healthcare, focusing on human-centered exploration, to become a university that "actively innovates to create value," "cultivates leaders in various fields," "courageously adapts to face challenges," and "leads transformation to invent the future."

Education Philosophy of NYCU

Our university's educational philosophy is detailed in the Deep Cultivation Plan, as shown in the strategic pyramid structure in the following figure, with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest level of "sustainable development." As a public university, we bear the mission of providing all students with diverse, fair, and inclusive higher education, fulfilling university responsibilities through accountability on the platform of public higher education.

Our university is built on four pillars: educational innovation, campus life, research development, and industry-academia connections. Through teaching activities, campus life and learning environments, research, and industry cooperation, we are committed to imparting students with disciplinary expertise and liberal arts education, ensuring that they acquire both hard skills and soft power essential for future work. These four pillars, coupled with the bridging project of "Deeply Rooted Locally - Connected Internationally," internalize internationalization by developing the university into a competitive learning environment and extend international connections by engaging in more practical and diverse interactions with the global community. Furthermore, the social responsibility of the university must be deeply ingrained in students' minds, shaping our university into an excellent internationalized institution that nurtures high-quality future leaders.

Learning Community of NYCU

In response to the rapidly changing high-tech era, our university's educational innovation model adopts the following strategies (see figure below), creating a learning community for all learners from high school graduates to alumni and the public. Our university will cultivate students with a spirit of lifelong learning, fostering practical professionals in key national areas upward, and extending downward to high school exploratory and literacy courses, as illustrated in the open-loop lifelong learning blueprint of Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Attachment 4. Alumni or the general public can return to the university for further study, whether pursuing degrees or acquiring new skills. Our university will provide a quality teaching and living environment, advanced facilities, innovative courses, excellent faculty, and industry-academia connections, enabling those who are willing and capable to engage in lifelong learning.

Process of White Paper

Based on the aforementioned university-wide teaching and research foundation, the future teaching and research planning in the white papers of each college should emphasize and align with the university's vision and mission, generally expanding cross-disciplinary, cross-college, and international visions and strategic development. How to connect with other colleges, universities, external enterprises, and industries, including the use of domestic and international resources, should be a significant part of the white papers.

The current stage of the white paper action plan is initially bottom-up, but top-down development priorities must also be considered. It is recommended that the formulation of the university-wide white papers undergo two cycles, first integrating from colleges to academic clusters, and then from academic clusters to the entire university. After discussions and integrations by internal and external committee members and a layer of supervisors, the university-wide white paper should be finalized, and then the future directions should be adjusted at the college level, in sequence through academic clusters, and submitted to the university administration for final approval.

Attachment: Structure Format of White Paper

NYCU XX College Academic Development Plans “Short Name Example: Talent Cultivation”

I. From the Dean

II. Visions and Missions

-              A few full sentences aligned with NYCU

III. Current Status

-              People, Space, Programs, Teaching, Research, Services, Internationalization, Outreach, Facility, etc. 

IV. SWOT Analysis

-              SWOT analysis leading to possible future problems and challenges

V. Academic Development Commitments

As an example, by 2028 (5 years), NYCU XX College will be a first-tier university with leading research-intensive as well as teaching-excellent programs, delivering:

1.      Exemplary education

2.      Word-leading research

3.      In-demand graduates

4.      Thought leadership

5.      Innovation and industrial cooperation

6.      Excellence in international education

7.      Partnerships

8.      Infrastructures and organization

9.      Rules and regulations

10.  Social Justice and Responsibility

11.  Others

 VI. Development Strategy and Plans

-              People – oriented

-              Science – based

-              Research – driven

-              Industry – aligned

(Elaborate briefly the strategy and approaches)

Ø   Strategic Priorities:

A.      Academic Excellence

Theme A.1      Education Excellence – the NYCU Scientia Educational Experience

Theme A.2        Research Quality – innovation and industrial cooperation

B.      Social Engagement

B.1

B.2

C.      Global Impact

C.1

C.2

Ø   Enabling Delivery of College Strategy:

D1. People and culture

D2. Operational effectiveness and sustainability

D3. World-class environment

D4. Others

                   (Enabling resources to meet the commitments)

Ø   Priority Plans per Resources Availability:

E1.    Development without additional resource

E2. Development with 10%, 20% increase in resources

E3. Others 

VII. Conclusions

VIII. Next steps

(Describe briefly the essential steps to be taken in the next year or two towards the realization of the plans.)