Ministry of Education (MOE) has awarded TKU with NT$ 152,989,510 worth of funding for 2006 academic year. It is the highest among Taiwan’s private universities and institutes.

TKU was able to win this funding by its excellent performance during MOE’s collegiate evaluation that was held earlier this year. According to the results of this evaluation, TKU stood out in several categories. To start with, the promotion of internationalization has been realized through various joint programs and joint degrees with overseas sister universities. Secondly, the academic excellence of the university faculty members is demonstrated by a high proportion of Ph.Ds. and their quality publications (in SCI and EI indices). Thirdly, TKU’s devotion to balance between students’ psychological well being and their academic performance is well illustrated in programs such as Psychological Evaluation and Studying Skills that are offered to freshmen. Finally, the administrative efficiency, which has been confirmed by ISO14001 and BS7799 certifications, has ensured a stable, reliable and smooth operation of the university affairs.

However, the MOE also pointed out some weaknesses in tandem with the use of space and human resources that TKU needs to improve upon. For instance, the money available for students’ computer and library facilities as well as research training is relatively low comparing with other private universities. So is the space available for graduate students and professors for their academic work. As for human resources, there are not enough counseling staff to serve TKU students.

The process of MOE evalutation lasts three years. In the first year, the members on its evaluative committee visit all institutes concerned, while in the second and third years, they will work on the reports delivered by each university. In the end, they will announced their awards and recommendation. TKU is pleased to have won such a generous funding. Chang Gung University and Feng Chia University are in the second and third place in terms of funding awarded by MOE. (~ Ying-hsueh Hu )