NEWS
College Features
- Publish Date：2024-07-17
Transforming Higher Education: The Journey of the College of Biomedical Science and Engineering at NYCU in Promoting EMI
Compiled by Chance Lai
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Since 2021, the College of Biomedical Science and Engineering (CBMSE) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has prioritized English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). Over three years, the college has nearly doubled its EMI course offerings, with 47% of its faculty now teaching in English. The college’s efforts have culminated in forming the Taiwan Digital Bio-Medicine EMI League, collaborating with China Medical University (CMU) and Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU) to enhance EMI teaching and learning in biomedical fields.
EMI Implementation and Growth
In 2021, the college was selected as a key institution for the Ministry of Education’s “Bilingual Learning Project for Higher Education.” As the only college in Taiwan combining biomedical technology and medical engineering, NYCU’s EMI initiative faced unique challenges. Initially spearheaded by Vice President Professor Shun-Hua Wei, the project aimed to break down English instruction barriers for faculty and students.
From the 2021 academic year, the number of EMI courses surged from 47 to 97 by 2023, marking nearly a 100% increase. This growth illustrates the college’s commitment to EMI, which has gradually overcome the initial resistance from faculty and the apprehension among students.
Overcoming Challenges: Faculty and Student Adaptation
Under the supervision and planning of Vice President Shun-Hua Wei and Chun-Li Lin, a Distinguished Professor and Dean of the College of Biomedical Science and Engineering at NYCU, the college also established a Bilingual Program Promotion Task Force. Associate Professor Chia-Feng Lu and Assistant Professor Yu-Chieh Kao from the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences were invited to serve as the chair and vice-chair of the Task Force, respectively.
EMI Implementation and Growth
In 2021, the college was selected as a key institution for the Ministry of Education’s “Bilingual Learning Project for Higher Education.” As the only college in Taiwan combining biomedical technology and medical engineering, NYCU’s EMI initiative faced unique challenges. Initially spearheaded by Vice President Professor Shun-Hua Wei, the project aimed to break down English instruction barriers for faculty and students.
From the 2021 academic year, the number of EMI courses surged from 47 to 97 by 2023, marking nearly a 100% increase. This growth illustrates the college’s commitment to EMI, which has gradually overcome the initial resistance from faculty and the apprehension among students.
Overcoming Challenges: Faculty and Student Adaptation
Under the supervision and planning of Vice President Shun-Hua Wei and Chun-Li Lin, a Distinguished Professor and Dean of the College of Biomedical Science and Engineering at NYCU, the college also established a Bilingual Program Promotion Task Force. Associate Professor Chia-Feng Lu and Assistant Professor Yu-Chieh Kao from the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences were invited to serve as the chair and vice-chair of the Task Force, respectively.
The Bilingual Program Promotion Task Force is led by Associate Professor Chia-Feng Lu (center) as the chair and Assistant Professor Yu-Chieh Kao (first from the left) as the vice chair. The task force is supervised by Chun-Li Lin (second from the left), the Dean and Distinguished Professor of the CBMSE, and Vice President Shun-Hua Wei. (Photo credit: Global Bio & Investment)
Initially, convincing faculty to adopt EMI required significant effort. Historical attempts by the Ministry of Education to promote bilingual education have often been forceful and ineffective. Faculty hesitated, believing students would struggle even more with English instruction.
Innovative Strategies for EMI Adoption
To address these challenges, the task force implemented various strategies. Activities like English Chat Hour provided informal settings for students to practice English, fostering a supportive learning environment. These extracurricular activities attracted many students, gradually building their confidence in using English.
Associate Professor Chia-Feng Lu noted a significant increase in classroom interactions since implementing EMI. Digital platforms also played a crucial role in enhancing attendance and fostering collaborative learning.
Chia-Feng Lu leads the group discussions and uses digital technology to present the discussion outcomes.
Over three years, these efforts increased student engagement, with around 70-80 students regularly participating in activities. Faculty began recognizing students’ readiness for bilingual education, encouraging more teachers to adopt EMI.
Supporting Students: The EMI Guidebook
The task force created an “EMI Guidebook” in 2022 to assist students new to EMI. Compiled with input from foreign students and local student assistants, the guidebook addresses common concerns and provides practical solutions. It also highlights the benefits of EMI and shares global trends in bilingual education.
The guidebook includes 18 “Solution Toasts,” addressing challenges like building English vocabulary and effective learning strategies. Distributed during pre-EMI workshops, the guidebook helps students acclimate to EMI, fostering a positive learning environment from the outset.
The EMI Guidebook uses simple and easy-to-understand English to explain its contents. It helps you identify each solution's suitable audience, timing, and expected outcomes.
Forming the Taiwan Digital Bio-Medicine EMI League
In May 2023, the college expanded its efforts by establishing the Taiwan Digital Bio-Medicine EMI League with China Medical University (CMU) and Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU). This league aims to tailor EMI strategies for the biomedical field, leveraging the strengths of each institution.
The league plans to host regular seminars and workshops for faculty and students, sharing best practices and enhancing EMI teaching quality. This collaboration seeks to broaden the impact of EMI across Taiwan’s biomedical education sector.
Future Directions
As the EMI initiative enters its third year, the task force will focus on maintaining high-quality instruction and continuously improving based on student feedback. For example, we can empower our teachers with the support from the EMI PD Center (36-hour training) and HEAT at NYCU (60-hour training with international certificate of Higher Education Academy Fellowships) with pedagogy, EMI skills, and technology-assisted learning.
We will highlight the skills for medical technology, patient communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. The assessment checklist of biomedical EMI will further highlight the student comprehension and effective communication during the teacher-student and student-student interaction. The class quality analysis will be provided to the EMI teachers for further improvement.
We will continue to invite colleges/universities in bio-medicine to expand the benefits and improve the development strategy. We will also arrange an international dialogue with partner universities to promote Taiwanese development and talent employment.
Although the Ministry of Education’s bilingual project is time-limited, the task force’s goal is to establish a lasting culture of bilingual learning at NYCU. This sustainable approach aims to make bilingual education a permanent and integral part of the academic environment.
NYCU’s CBMSE has significantly promoted EMI, creating a robust bilingual learning environment. The college is setting a precedent for other institutions through strategic planning, faculty engagement, and student support. The formation of the Taiwan Digital Bio-medicine EMI League marks a crucial step in broadening the impact of EMI, ensuring that Taiwan’s biomedical education remains competitive on the global stage.
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