In order to promote ties with universities in Taiwan
and cross-disciplinary learning, TNUA and National
Tsing Hua University (NTHU) signed a student exchange
agreement on April 25, 2011.
The agreement will allow exchange programs to start in
Academic Year 2011, allowing different learning environments
to stimulate students’ creativity and broaden their
achievements.
The signing of the agreement took place just one day
after NTHU marked the 100th anniversary of its founding,
said the Hsinchu-based university’s president, Dr. Lih
J. Chen.
Dr. Chen said the agreement not only has laid a new
milestone, but also represents NTHU’s recognition of the
importance of art to the future of his university. Art will
definitely form a major field of studies in NTHU’s future
curriculum, he added.
Dr. Chen said by promoting such cross-disciplinary
collaboration projects NTHU aims to organically integrate
all quality studies to give students a chance of brainstorming
in different learning environments.
He said NTHU actually has a group of “art dropouts”
who are well-trained in music and fine arts, but have had
to set them aside because of their present studies.
In addition, NTHU has started enrolling talented music
and art students to form a fresh source of expertise in
a university that is famous for its science and technology
studies. Such collaboration is common among universities
in other countries, but it is the first time between top
universities in Taiwan, he added.
TNUA President Prof. Ju, Tzong-Ching noted that any
art performance or exhibition itself is an incorporation
of different art disciplines, social aspects, scientific and
technological knowledge, management and executive expertise.
Cross-disciplinary thinking is a major global trend and
there have been many successful cases. With the government
identifying the cultural creative industry as one
of six emerging industries it will promote, there will be
many opportunities arising from cross-disciplinary development
in Taiwan.
In order to expand students’ perspectives and create
different possibilities, TNUA lists cross-disciplinary
learning as one of the major items of school development,
Prof. Ju said.
TNUA has already made efforts promoting crossdisciplinary
learning among its different faculties, and
the agreement with NTHU will create exciting crossdisciplinary
developments on an inter-university level.
The exchange program between the two universities
will offer non-degree full-time studies for 10 students
each semester.