NEWS
中文College Features
- Publish Date：2024-09-11
NYCU’s First College Merger! CHASS Excels in Diverse Disciplines, Focuses on Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Sustainability, and Local Engagement
The College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences was officially unveiled on the Chiaotung campus.
By Chance Lai
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In a historic milestone, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) completed its first-ever merger of two colleges since its institutional integration on September 9th. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (based on the Chiaotung Campus) and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (based on the Yangming campus) have officially combined to form the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS). This merger represents the dawn of a new era for NYCU in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, marked by a dual unveiling ceremony held simultaneously across both campuses.
“Culture as the Foundation, Innovation as the Path Forward”: New College Unites 14 Departments to Promote Interdisciplinary Research
This merger is NYCU’s first bottom-up, voluntary college consolidation since the institutional integration, emphasizing “culture” as a shared foundation. It showcases the university’s strengths in medicine and information technology and its deep roots within the humanities. The new college boasts the most remarkable academic diversity, encompassing 14 academic departments, including Foreign Languages, Learning Sciences, Interdisciplinary Design and Innovation Technology, Arts and Music, Human-Computer Intelligence, and Interdisciplinary Philosophy.
CHASS is home to 101 full-time faculty members, many of whom continue to lead academic innovation and make significant contributions to society. Pei-Hsien Hsu, Director of the Graduate Institute of Architecture (GIA) and Chair of the Taiwan Bamboo Association, successfully hosted the 12th World Bamboo Congress this March, attracting bamboo industry professionals from 30 countries to Taiwan to showcase the nation’s excellence in bamboo culture and industry innovation. Assistant Professor Jian-You Li from the Institute of Applied Arts (IAA) transformed mullet fish scales into exquisite works of art using 3D printing technology, earning the Silver Award at the Taiwan Sustainable Action Awards and the Bronze Award at the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Action Awards. Wen-Shu Lai, Director of the IAA, has spearheaded local cultural preservation and revitalization efforts through the Localogy of the Hsinchu Sixth Fuel Factory, which won Japan’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD last year for its participatory sustainable living design. These achievements underscore the college’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and local development.
“Culture as the Foundation, Innovation as the Path Forward”: New College Unites 14 Departments to Promote Interdisciplinary Research
This merger is NYCU’s first bottom-up, voluntary college consolidation since the institutional integration, emphasizing “culture” as a shared foundation. It showcases the university’s strengths in medicine and information technology and its deep roots within the humanities. The new college boasts the most remarkable academic diversity, encompassing 14 academic departments, including Foreign Languages, Learning Sciences, Interdisciplinary Design and Innovation Technology, Arts and Music, Human-Computer Intelligence, and Interdisciplinary Philosophy.
CHASS is home to 101 full-time faculty members, many of whom continue to lead academic innovation and make significant contributions to society. Pei-Hsien Hsu, Director of the Graduate Institute of Architecture (GIA) and Chair of the Taiwan Bamboo Association, successfully hosted the 12th World Bamboo Congress this March, attracting bamboo industry professionals from 30 countries to Taiwan to showcase the nation’s excellence in bamboo culture and industry innovation. Assistant Professor Jian-You Li from the Institute of Applied Arts (IAA) transformed mullet fish scales into exquisite works of art using 3D printing technology, earning the Silver Award at the Taiwan Sustainable Action Awards and the Bronze Award at the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Action Awards. Wen-Shu Lai, Director of the IAA, has spearheaded local cultural preservation and revitalization efforts through the Localogy of the Hsinchu Sixth Fuel Factory, which won Japan’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD last year for its participatory sustainable living design. These achievements underscore the college’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and local development.
The left image shows artwork made from discarded fish scales, while the right image documents an activity led by Director Wen-Shu Lai and her team, utilizing smart technology and ecological ethics to integrate chicken coops and bat habitats as part of a sustainable lifestyle. This project embodies the more-than-human concept and contributes to community welfare and ecological conservation education.
The college’s curriculum design significantly emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, offering six cross-disciplinary programs ranging from Foreign Language Studies to Interdisciplinary Design and Innovation Technology. These programs aim to cultivate leaders with diverse knowledge backgrounds and innovative thinking. This interdisciplinary approach solidifies the college’s leading position in research and teaching while providing international students with an expansive academic landscape. The newly merged college is not only rich in academic resources but also comprises 850 students, including 120 doctoral candidates, 541 master’s students, and 189 undergraduates, with women making up 60% of the student body, reflecting their remarkable academic and professional capabilities in the humanities and social sciences.
“Vertical and Horizontal Integration, Symbiosis of Culture and Nature”: College Unveiling Marks a Milestone in Sustainability
At the unveiling ceremony, the college’s new signage, designed by Assistant Professor Tien Ling from the GIA and students Zhen-Wei Weng and Yu-Hong Tan, captured attention. The sign features three interlocking concrete slabs embedded with metal, symbolizing the convergence of humanities, arts, and society. The sign on the Chiaotung campus is vertically suspended, representing the college’s vertical development in elevating cultural values. On the Yangming campus, it is horizontally mounted, reflecting its hilly landscape and the college’s deep connection to local culture.
The College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences was officially unveiled on the Yangming campus.
In addition to the unveiling, the college held a commemorative planting ceremony featuring native Taiwanese plants such as azaleas, symbolic of Taipei’s Yangming Mountain range, Hsinchu oil chrysanthemums, and Taiwan lilies. These plants mark this historic moment and symbolize the college’s ongoing commitment to growth and sustainability.
The CHASS establishment signifies NYCU’s continued integration of humanities, arts, and technology. The college will uphold the philosophy of “Observing Humanity, Shaping the World,” a slogan proposed by Yu-Qian Liao from the Institute of Science, Technology, and Society, drawn from the I Ching. The motto reflects the college’s mission to drive harmonious development between technology and society, with humanistic care at its core. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and international connections, the college is set to provide society with critical thinking and innovative solutions, nurturing leaders with both cultural and technological expertise to contribute to advancing civilization.
This marks a new beginning for NYCU – a journey that blends technology with the humanities to explore the future of possibilities.
Related Image(s)：
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cover image
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CHASS plaque
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The CHASS identity system uses a “ruler” as the main design element, crafted by renowned designer Chung-Yi Yeh. This symbolizes the CHASS commitment to guiding technological and societal development with human-centered thinking as the benchmark, especially in the face of the explosive technological revolution. The dynamic design also showcases the letters “H” and “I,” representing Humanities, Intellectual, and Intelligence, embodying the spirit of humanities more tangibly.
