On the 28th March, 22 experts from the Chinese Society for Quality (CSQ) visited Tamkang University. They were received by the TKU Secretary General, Dr. Hsu Ting-chi (front row, far right), and the Chief Audit Executive, Dr. Ti-ching Pai. After arriving, the group took part in an informal discussion held by TKU President, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang (front row, fourth from left), at the Chueh Sheng International Conference Hall, Tamsui Campus.

In her opening remarks, President Chang welcomed the guests and jokingly noted that the pink and white azaleas, which line the Tamsui Campus and are usually only in full bloom until the preceding week, “stayed in bloom to help welcome the visitors”. The Chairman of CSQ, Wu Ying-chi (front row, third from left), on the other hand, commented that out of all the institutions and organizations that take part in quality-related evaluations, Tamkang consistently stands out as one of the more outstanding institutions. “I have faith in the quality of Tamkang education, he said, “Because my own daughter is a Tamkang graduate”.

The first part of the discussion involved a report by the TKU Vice President of Administrative Affairs, Dr. Po-yuan Kao (front row, second from left). Vice president Kao talked about the principles of operational management and the process of implementing TQM in daily Tamkang operations. This process eventually became so automatic, the vice president noted, that when, for example, he gave out scholarships, he would automatically remember that he had to write accompanying KPI. “We internalized operational management so thoroughly that it became a part of our DNA!” he joked.

The discussion also consisted of talks by the Dean of the TKU Library, Prof. Hong-Chu Huang and the TKU Chief Information Officer, Hwang Ming-dar, in which they shared their experiences in implementing TQM.