Objectives
Background
As a globally renowned institution for science and engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) emphasizes academic research in applied sciences and the cultivation of professional talents, with a focus on science and engineering, information, and management. In recent years, NYCU continue to expand the development of academic research beyond science and engineering to the professional domains of humanities and social sciences. For instance, new departments of humanities, multi-ethnic culture, communication, applied arts, music, and education have been established under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Hakka Studies. Building upon this foundation, NYCU sets to become a complete and comprehensive university focusing on multi-oriented academic development.
To promote cross-disciplinary collaboration between the science/engineering and humanities/social sciences departments and to open up a wider range of academic research, NYCU has passed the resolution to establish the Research Center of Humanities and Social Sciences (RCHSS) at the fourth meeting of the University Council on April 23, 1997.
Mission Statement
RCHSS is envisioned to “establish the humanistic characteristics of NYCU” to promote top-notch research in humanities and social sciences; adopt “social technology” as the unique focus of development to progressively consolidate the interdisciplinary research between science/engineering and humanities/social sciences departments of the University; and promote research cooperation and exchange between domestic and international communities, thereby promoting forward-looking issues of social development in Taiwan.
Organizational Planning
RCHSS has a director who convenes the chairperson of the General Education Committee and the deans of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Hakka Studies to form an Executive Committee, who will serve as the supervisory and decision-making unit of RCHSS. For publication matters, RCHSS will propose to the University to appoint professional scholars to form an Editorial Review Committee, who will provide all-rounded opinions to the promotion of RCHSS’s affairs.
Key Objectives
- Promote cross-disciplinary research coopetition
- Establish a communication network for humanities and social sciences research communities in the Asia-Pacific region
- Invite scholars from home and abroad to conduct visiting research
- Produce book series and monographs
Research Projects
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Outcomes
- Since its establishment, the RCHSS has continued to invite at least 13 overseas scholars each year to engage in collaboration and conduct research in Taiwan as visiting fellows.
- The RCHSS has continued to promote academic ethics courses as well as hosting activities for humanities and social sciences research on campus.
→ Promotion of Academic Ethics Courses on Campus
By undertaking the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s On-Campus Academic Ethics Education and Management System Development Program, the RCHSS has established the Center for Taiwan Academic Ethics Education as a platform to promote academic ethics education across Taiwan’s higher education settings. The Center is devoted to the development of digital courses and online examination mechanisms. To date, the Center has developed more than 100 units of courses offered in both Chinese and English along with over 1,000 exam questions. In line with the policies of the MOE and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the Center has cooperated with more than 100 universities and colleges in Taiwan to promote relevant courses among students and has become one of the major educational training platforms for nearly 100 medical and research institutions, serving over 500,000 users. The Center is now one of the most important facilities for academic ethics education in Taiwan.
- Since its establishment, the RCHSS has published many monographs in humanities and social sciences.
《滄桑十年：簡及與台灣農民運動》（2012）
《全球化時空、身體、記憶：台灣新電影及其影響》（2015）
《族群、社會與歷史》（2015）
《蘭嶼的族群認同與媒體》（2015）
《台灣海洋文化的吸取；轉乘與發展》（2015）
《近代台灣知識分子的軌跡：1920年~1945年的思想》（2015）
《跨域思維：台灣與全球客家政策對話》（2016）
《台灣農民運動與土地改革》（2017）
Each year, the RCHSS also maintains a publication volume of more than 10 journals (domestic and international in total), apart from organizing large-scale international conferences, academic workshops, and academic ethics education promotional activities. For academic ethics promotion, the RCHSS has held more than 20 domestic and international seminars or forums and an over 30-session speaking tour, with all the events welcoming nearly 5,000 participants in total. The RCHSS had also invited international scholars from the United States, Australia, and Japan to Taiwan for exchanges and participate in four international academic visits, where the outcomes on issues regarding academic ethics will be published as monographs in the future.
The Center’s Vision: A Grand Plan for Humanistic Thinking Promotion
In recent years, with the rapid development of technology, artificial intelligence research in full swing, and the advent of technological applications and inventions derived from big data analysis, it can clearly be seen that this big wave of technology has open up our future to infinite possibilities and imagination. The RCHSS at NYCU adopts “social technology” as its vehicle of development to push forward with interdisciplinary collaboration between science/engineering and humanities/social sciences domains. This has allowed the RCHSS to enjoy a competitive advantage in technology while maintaining a caring approach towards social issues that reflects its development in humanities. Therefore, under this research axis, RCHSS hopes to explore the future development and applications of science and technology in society through cross-disciplinary interactions that are built upon a strong foundation of humanistic values. Moving forward, the RCHSS envisions itself to become a research center based in Asia that is in line with international academic standards, thereby transforming NYCU into an internationally renowned comprehensive university.
