Dr. Yung Chaur-shin, former Minister of Education, and Chair Professor of Institute of Educational Policy and Leadership, presented a keynote speech, “Challenge, Improvement, and Excellence,” to initiate the 2006 school year The Seminar in Instructional and Administrative Reforms. Dr. Yung analysed the recent problems faced by the local universities as well as the new prospect of university management in the global age. He advised the TKU staff “not to be drowned in the flood of marketing, but to hold fast the founding ideals of a university.”

Dr. Yung first pointed out that in addition to academic researches, a contemporary university must strive to build bridges between the academia and the enterprise, to nurture intelligence for the future society, and to put academic researches into practices. To reach such a goal, he recommended a “Five Es for University Management”—Economy, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Equality, and Excellence. He envisions “Entrepreneurial Model” as a new educational prospect, which echoes the ideals of Founder Chang’s closing remarks.

As to the ideal of searching for excellence, Dr. Yung observed that most universities locate their ideal in being a first-rate academic research university; however, he believed that the excellence of a university should be assessed more comprehensively through evaluating its achievements in academic researches, teaching, management, services, cooperation with enterprises, and the social contributions of the alumni. “Searching for excellence is not enough. The next step is to do more than for being excellent,” Dr. Yung remarked.

Concerning the trend of globalization, Dr. Yung’s observation also parallels that of Founder Chang—that it involves the evolution of students, teachers, and curriculum designs. Globalization not only finds its examples in the contents of researches and teaching, but also in sending students for abroad studies, recruiting international students, developing distance educational programs, involving in global cooperation, and assessing achievement by international standards. (~ Chen Chi-szu )