'Yuan' type talents' intelligence 'controls the future

        With the rapid evolution of digital technology, not only is the definition of talent being completely overturned by enterprises, but the learning needs of Generation Z talents are also vastly different from before. How to simultaneously meet the needs of both has become a core issue in university education. This issue's' Cover Story 'takes you to the educational scene to see how Yuan Ze University uses institutional innovation and industry collaboration to proactively lock in key capabilities for businesses in the new era.

                Breaking the framework and assembling combat power independently

        Taiwan's higher education is standing at a new turning point. On the one hand, artificial intelligence is rapidly rewriting the operation mode of industries. Enterprises' expectations for talents have shifted from a single professional technology to composite talents with cross domain integration, problem solving, and artificial intelligence application capabilities. On the other hand, Generation Z students are completely different from the past. They grew up in an environment where the internet, communities, and generative AI tools are widely available. They are accustomed to quickly obtaining information, prefer instant feedback, and tend to shape their learning and career paths through practice, exploration, and context.

        When both the industry and students have changed, the challenge for higher education is how to connect learning, abilities, and future work scenarios earlier and more systematically.

        In the face of new challenges, Yuan Ze University's response is to abandon the traditional learning structure based on "departments" and instead promote a "university bachelor's degree system" with modular design, allowing students to freely combine courses in fields such as AI, data analysis, innovation and entrepreneurship, or sustainability development based on their career plans and interests in addition to their major. In other words, students have shifted from "completing tasks according to the schedule" to "actively designing their own knowledge map and ability framework".

        AI raises the threshold for competition with foreign languages

                Yuan Ze University believes that "cross domain" is a horizontal ability that responds to future work, while "AI" is the underlying language of talent in the new era. Therefore, in the current situation where most schools still consider AI courses as electives or exclusive to specific departments, Yuan Ze University has become the first university in Taiwan to make AI a mandatory requirement. In the first year of college, the university promotes the whole school to take AI courses together and requires students to complete at least three credits of AI application courses before graduation. Not only that, Yuan Ze University has also integrated AI into the core of various professional fields through academic collaboration among six colleges: the engineering field emphasizes AI system development, the business management field focuses on AI assisted decision analysis, the humanities and social fields extend to AI's social applications, and the medical and health fields deepen cross domain integration of AI diagnostic and predictive capabilities.

        This logic is based on the talent cultivation axis of Yuan Ze University: "Understanding AI, Using AI, Creating AI, Leading AI". It is hoped that students will first understand the principles and boundaries of AI, and then flexibly apply AI tools to solve problems in various fields, ultimately guiding the introduction and transformation of AI in organizations and industries.

        In addition to understanding technical language, foreign language proficiency is also a carrier that connects global knowledge and culture. Therefore, Yuan Ze University takes EMI (English taught) as another main axis to cultivate students' global vision and practical skills required for the workplace.

        Integrating resources to advance in the real field

        The changes in curriculum and system, without a connection to real industrial scenarios, may still be idealistic. In view of this, Yuan Ze University's Collaboration between Industry and School framework not only includes internship opportunities, but also invites companies to participate in course design and problem setting. Through enterprise academies, industry courses, thematic research, and practical topics, students are exposed to real industry issues and can verify and revise their own abilities in practical situations.

                This is thanks to Yuan Ze University, as a member of Far Eastern Group, having abundant industrial resources that are difficult for other universities to replicate. For example, integrating resources from "Clinical Practice in Medical Centers, Cross disciplinary Research in Universities, and Group Communication Parks" to develop a platform for production, academia, and research; Every year, through the Far Eastern Group's Industry Education Internship and Talent Training Program, hundreds of internship positions are provided. Interns with excellent performance can stay directly after graduation and receive scholarship support from the company - NTD 50000 for master's students and NTD 40000 for bachelor's students, achieving seamless integration from learning to employment; In terms of the depth of research cooperation, Yuan Ze University and Far Eastern New Century Corporation have collaborated on the "Fuel Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly Process Research" project, with a total amount of NTD 35 million and a duration of four years. It also serves as a think tank to advance the group's layout in the fields of new energy and sustainability.

        In terms of internship system, Yuan Ze University also adopts more flexible arrangements, including one-year, six-month, and off campus internship credit courses during winter and summer periods, allowing students to familiarize themselves with corporate systems, work pace, and workplace culture in advance according to different learning rhythms and career plans. During the process, continuous monitoring of students' learning status and performance in the workplace is conducted through teacher visits and feedback from student and enterprise questionnaires, and the course content is revised on a rolling basis.

        Gradually explore career direction

                Whether the battle armor carefully crafted for students can meet the challenges of the new era will ultimately be seen in the workplace. Generally, schools consider career counseling as a pre graduation service. However, for many young people, career anxiety is not just about 'not being able to find a job', but 'not knowing which path is more suitable for themselves'. Therefore, Yuan Ze University has launched a five stage counseling framework from freshman year onwards, which includes "self exploration → environmental exploration → career planning → career development → employment soft power". Through UCAN career assessment, corporate visits, resume health check ups, one-on-one consultations, simulated interviews, and the school wide "Wo Fei Wang" career information platform, students are provided with sufficient tools and support to gradually clarify their direction during the exploration process.

        From supply to co creation and talent synchronous upgrading

        Looking ahead to the future, as AI, semiconductors, digital transformation, and sustainability continue to drive industrial restructuring, there is a greater need for "meta talents" with cross domain integration, global mobility, and continuous learning capabilities to actively create value and lead positive change in a rapidly evolving environment. To this end, the school has shaped the competency framework of "Yuan Ze University people" through six major competency dimensions: academic, professional, social, technical, leadership, and international. Students are encouraged to apply what they have learned in topics such as smart cities, green technology, and long-term care services through service learning, maker education, and domestic and international exchange programs, and find their own position between technological development and humanistic care.

        In the face of a new round of industrial competition, talent needs to constantly upgrade, and Yuan Ze University is also constantly learning and calibrating in the process of change. It not only acts as a transmitter of course content, but also as a "learning designer" and "ability development platform", guiding Generation Z to achieve sustainable growth and fulfill their dreams.

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