Yuan Ze University's diverse talent cultivation and cross domain literacy shine internationally

        Since 2018, the world has experienced changes such as the US China trade war, the pandemic, and the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and the political and economic situation has been turbulent. Recently, the White House announced the imposition of equivalent tariffs on multiple countries, throwing another shock wave. Faced with unknown economic storms and turning points in industrial development, enterprises are actively finding a way out in the cracks, and talent is the soul that leads the success or failure of the company. However, in the face of the phenomenon of declining birth rates and emerging industry demands, how can Yuan Ze University adjust its educational strategy to create an effective growth map for students while creating a win-win situation with enterprises?

                Five key forces to face the new order

        Affected by challenges such as geo economic fragmentation, green transformation, and political and economic uncertainty, various parts of the world are entering an unprecedented period of change, with labor markets bearing the brunt. According to the latest "The Future of Jobs Report 2025" released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), with the booming development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and industrial structural transformation, it is estimated that 78 million new job opportunities will emerge by 2030. Higher education shoulders the dual tasks of talent cultivation and social innovation, and is the fundamental force for national sustainability development. In the trend of declining birth rates and aging society, major universities are striving to transform. Yuan Ze University understands that schools are not only the role of imparting knowledge, but also the key base for cultivating students' ability to adapt to the future.

        In response to global trends and in line with national development strategies, Yuan Ze University actively cultivates students' five key abilities and creates new era talents:

        Information technology and humanities Go Caring: New era talents should become modern citizens who combine technological education with empathy.

        Autonomous cross domain and lifelong learning abilities: According to the WEF report, the importance of resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity, lifelong learning, and other traits has increased by about 20% in the past two years, indicating that talents in the new era need to possess autonomous learning and cross domain integration abilities, know how to solve complex problems, and develop the habit of lifelong learning.

        International Mobility and Cross Cultural Literacy: In the era of globalization, international communication and cross-cultural adaptability will increase individual competitiveness. Yuan Ze University provides students with a multicultural interactive environment through EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) courses, overseas exchanges, and other means to broaden their horizons.

        Social Participation and Civic Responsibility: Yuan Ze University invites new era talents to apply their professional knowledge to care for society, participate in public issues, and cultivate civic literacy and ethical responsibility.

        Problem solving ability and practical application ability: In response to rapidly changing industries and various social challenges, how to turn knowledge into practice, understand problem development and innovation, and integrate sustainability development literacy are important indicators for identifying talents.

        Diversified training aligned with the world

                The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) points out that education is not only one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, but also a fundamental project for promoting all SDGs. Yuan Ze University puts students at the center, cooperates with school development and research, and refers to the "Taiwan Sustainability Development Core Goal" to set the "Magic S" goal, hoping that Yuan Ze University students will have majors in medicine, metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI), green technology, innovation, and humanistic care. At the same time, the principle of "DRIVE" is used to promote curriculum reform, including expanding diversified cultivation partners, strengthening the links between modular courses and cross domain professional courses, innovating teaching methods, visualizing course content, and adding exploration experiences in teaching to enhance learning effectiveness.

        Given the high importance attached to artificial intelligence, sustainability development, and globalization issues, Yuan Ze University is accelerating the creation of a learning environment that is in line with the world. Through three major programs, namely multi-element education (including information technology, STEAM and humanistic care, as well as cross domain capabilities), self-directed learning, and global mobility, the university aims to enhance its teaching capabilities. On the one hand, we have introduced external resources and joined forces with the three global cloud technology giants - Microsoft, Amazon, and Google - to establish a strategic partnership of "three cloud clusters" in Taiwan, providing top-notch information technology knowledge. On the other hand, in the 113th academic year, we have joined the "Taiwan College Artificial Intelligence Curriculum Alliance (TAICA Alliance)", providing students with opportunities to learn artificial intelligence across schools. Yuan Ze University is committed to promoting cross domain integration, designing cross campus micro programs that cover STEAM and humanistic care, deepening students' thinking and social responsibility, and promoting cross disciplinary programs that combine SDGs with professional competence, as well as diverse micro programs and modular courses, encouraging students to learn independently based on their interests or career goals.

        In order to enhance students' international mobility and employment competitiveness, Yuan Ze University has established the "GMAT Global Mobility Advanced Training Program", inviting senior executives from international companies to share their expertise and assist students in expanding their horizons, professional competence, and cross-cultural communication skills. Through diverse overseas exchange opportunities, students are encouraged to visit renowned universities in Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines to receive intensive English courses, professional courses, or summer schools, laying a foundation for their future career development.

        Establishing enterprise academies and building bridges between industry and academia

                In addition to creating diverse learning environments and providing an international perspective, Yuan Ze University is also deeply committed to the Collaboration between Industry and School model, helping students smoothly enter the workplace. In August 2022, the Enterprise Academy was established, and we have collaborated with well-known listed companies in Taiwan such as Far EasTone Telecommunications, TSMC, Xinquan Technology, Coretronic Corporation, etc. to create customized chemical processes covering areas such as semiconductors, smart manufacturing, component integration, optoelectronics, etc. We aim to provide students with a glimpse of the industry landscape, gain an early understanding of corporate thinking, and strengthen the cultivation of sustainable talents through courses on sustainable enterprise systems. Currently, nearly 500 students are participating in various academy programs. With multiple companies continuing to negotiate college contracts, the Collaboration between Industry and School is expected to expand into areas such as semiconductor materials, recycled economy, and fintech, providing students with a wider range of choices and cultivating key professionals in the industry.

        The workplace emphasizes practical skills, and whether it's publishing achievements, internships, or competitions, they all contribute to accumulating practical experience. To this end, the Enterprise Academy will hold the "EarthEver Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition" in 2024. The champion team, Membrane Biosensor, represents the school in the first "Asian Innovation and Creativity Competition (CIC)" organized by Georgia Tech, a top engineering university in the United States. During the competition, top student teams from all over Asia showcase innovative entrepreneurial solutions to address the challenges of global geopolitical and economic situations. The Yuan Ze University team is the only representative team from Taiwan to advance to the finals, and won first place with their research and innovation capabilities. Starting from March 2025, the Enterprise Academy will further participate in guiding the deep energy-saving plan of industrial parks under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and through this, promote multiple Collaboration between Industry and School plans, which have received praise from all walks of life.

        On the other hand, Yuan Ze University's faculty and students are committed to researching and developing cutting-edge technologies, and the Enterprise Academy, as a service unit of Collaboration between Industry and School, plays an important role in promoting the commercialization of the school's research results. Taking the product developed by Professor Wei Yuhong at the Biotechnology and Engineering R&D Center as an example, Professor Wei's team screened and purified a novel local strain from Qigu Salt Mountain in Tainan. Its secreted metabolites have functions such as anti wrinkle, sun protection, moisturizing, and whitening, which has attracted biotechnology companies to negotiate technology transfer.

        Yuan Ze University strives for excellent results in optical exhibitions

                Encouraged by the school, students actively participated in competitions to showcase their skills and received recognition in various fields. For example, students from the School of Electronic Communication utilized data analysis and machine learning techniques to participate in the "2024 AI-CUP Ministry of Education National Taiwan University Artificial Intelligence Competition" and won 4 outstanding works and 5 leading awards; Management students participated in the 2023 International Blockchain Olympiad in the Netherlands for the first time and were awarded the Award of Recognition. In addition, the faculty and students of Yuan Ze University have also won numerous honors in the National Innovation Award, with technologies covering semiconductor green processes, AI medical diagnosis, and more. They also teamed up with the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Imaging Medicine team to win the championship in the "Google Kaggle Artificial Intelligence Challenge".

        In addition to information technology, business applications are also the strengths of Yuan Ze University staff. The Volution team participated in the "2024 Hult Prize" international competition, passed the test all the way, advanced to the final in Kenya, and entered the top 48 globally; In the "2023 National College International Economic and Trade Special Competition", students proposed an integrated transformation strategy database solution with the theme of "ESG Strategies and Suggestions for Taiwan's Cross border Retailer Industry", and won the runner up. Not only that, students have also performed exceptionally well in the field of creative design, including winning the Best Integrated Application Award in the "2024 Linker Unlimited Possibilities - National Taiwan University College Marketing Creative Competition" and being shortlisted for the "2023 American Communication Arts Annual Award (CA)", an international design competition rated as the "First Level of Visual Communication Design" by the Ministry of Education.

        conclusion

        In response to the accelerated transformation of global industries and the flourishing development of AI and digital technology, Yuan Ze University continues to deepen the cultivation mechanism of five key abilities through curriculum innovation, teaching transformation, and industry linkage. It cultivates students with digital literacy, innovative thinking, cross disciplinary integration, forward-looking vision, local care, and global competitiveness, and encourages flexible adaptation and lifelong learning to steadily move forward in the rapidly changing era, becoming high-quality literacy talents that promote social and industrial development.

        In the wave of industrial transformation and sustainability development, Yuan Ze University continues to uphold the concept of "integrating learning with application", leading students to participate in competitions, exercise innovation and practical skills. In addition, it actively matches opportunities such as industry internships and international exchanges to increase practical experience, and collaborates with domestic and foreign enterprises to transform academic research of teachers and students into practical applications. In terms of competition results, technological innovation, collaboration between industry and school, and employment performance, it has outstanding performance, cultivating new era talents for Taiwanese society. In the future, we will continue to implement the social responsibility of universities, improve the innovative talent cultivation model of industry and academia, and accompany students to create extraordinary lives.

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