Days ago the Ministry of Education (MOE) approved the proposal of Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies (GIIASS) to set up doctoral programs, the first time in Taiwan. According to Chair Wang Kao-cheng, the objective of setting up doctoral programs is to foster experts in strategies, whom are urgently needed in Taiwan.
Chair Wang also indicated that TKU's GIIASS, with its achievements in teaching for more than twenty years, specialized faculty and concept of international and regional integration, will dedicate to fostering more native strategists from both global and local perspectives. The faculty is well-known: Lin Zhong-bin, former Vice Minister of National Defense; Chang Ching-yu, former President of Chengchi University; Huang Alexander C., former vice chair of Mainland Affairs Council; and Wong Ming-hsien . Moreover, students are allowed to take courses in various institutes in College of International Studies, in order to develop their international visions.
As Wang Kao-cheng expected, many future stars in both politics or academy are surely to be produced by these programs. He said that MOE's approval did not come easily, and he was happy to see that TKU's GIIASS passed the trials of strict standards in harsh environment. GIIAS welcomes all interested students (singing-up on May 4th to May 11th 2006, exam on June 4th, permitted number of students 5).
Besides, proposals of Department of Japanese and Department of Spanish to set up graduate institutes were also approved by MOE. According to Chair of Department of Spanish Wang Hsiu-chi, TKU's Department of Spanish distinguishes itself from other departments of Spanish in Taiwan with its foci of research on the cultures, literatures and arts in all Spanish-speaking countries, not just in Spain. Interpretation will be the pragmatic goal of training of the new institute; classes will be conducted mostly through seminars, with the attempts to enrich students' knowledge of Spanish-speaking countries, their international perspectives and potential contributions of presenting Taiwan to the international stage.
Peng Chuen-yang, Chair of Department of Japanese, indicated that the new graduate institute of Japanese will dedicate to studies on humanities, including Japanese literature and language, cultures in various historical periods, and most importantly, the Japanese left in Taiwan since "Japanese colonial rule." Peng also pointed out that cooperation will be establish with The Graduate Institute of Japanese Studies in College of International Studies to promote more academic exchanges between two institutes and bring out more discussions on the political, economic, and social issues in Japan. Meanwhile, a new system will be designed to send those graduates who finish all the required courses to continue doctoral studies in Japanese sister universities. (~ Han-yu Huang)
