President Tsai Ing-wen (fifth left) and National Taiwan University President Chen Wen-chang (fifth right) unveil the plaque of the university's newly established college of international political economy with other guests on Monday. CNA photo May 6, 2024
Taipei, May 6 (CNA) National Taiwan University (NTU) on Monday established a new college of international political economy that will be offering all courses taught in English at its Taipei campus.
The International School of Politics and Economics was conceived in response to the growing importance of new technologies and geopolitics in recent years, NTU President Chen Wen-chang (陳文章) said during a plaque-unveiling ceremony held at NTU's campus on Xuzhou Road.
Taiwan needs to cultivate a new generation of political, economic and financial leaders who are able to embrace new technologies, environmental sustainability, regional history and culture, and international relations, he said.
Therefore, there is a need for all courses to be taught in English, Chen said, indicating that NTU has plans to cooperate with Japan's Waseda University and Harvard University in the United States.
The International School of Politics and Economics has won the support of private businesses and the National Development Council, with funding coming from those sources expected to reach NT$2.85 billion (US$88.05 million) over 10 years, Chen said.
While noting it is hoped to invite an internationally-renowned scholar to serve as dean of the newly-established school, the NTU president said the latter could also help attract foreign talent to study in Taiwan.
According to NTU, the school will offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in three fields -- political science and economics, finance and leadership and management. The enrollment of both local and foreign students is expected to begin in Autumn 2025, starting with a bachelor's degree program in political science and economics and a master's degree program in finance.
Establishment of the school was approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in February this year under the National Key Fields Industry-University Cooperation and Skilled Personnel Training Act, or the Training Act for short.
According to the MOE, the Act was promulgated by the government in May 2021 to foster industry-academia collaboration, with the purpose of cultivating talent and conducting research in several key fields, including the semiconductor industry.
The NTU campus on Xuzhou Road used to house its College of Law and College of Social Sciences.
The global political and economic landscape has changed rapidly over the past few years, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said at the inauguration ceremony, adding that Taiwan plays a decisive role in geopolitics and must cultivate more cross-field talent with international vision and strategic thinking.
Citing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, as an example, Tsai said the fact that the latter has been seeking to recruit PhDs in political science shows that businesses value such talent.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Chen said Taiwan's top university looks forward to inviting Tsai to deliver a presentation at the International School of Politics and Economics in the future.
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