Regulations for setting up three research centers were formally approved at the 87th Administrative Meeting. Tamsui Campus will step forward towards a research-oriented university. Three proposed centers are European Union Research Center (EURC), Nano Technology Research Center (NTRC), and Instrument and Experiment Center (IEC). The Center for Futures Studies will be merged into Graduate Institute of Futures Studies (GIFS).

The establishment of EURC is aimed at strengthening cooperation with EU so as to quickly grasp the information to upgrade the interactions of academic research with members of EU. Because the “EU Data and Documents Center” has been set up under the Chueh-sheng Memorial Library for many years, TKU wants to strengthen the research position of Graduate Institute of European Studies by means of setting up the EU Research Center.

In order not to lag behind other universities in nano technology studies, TKU President Chang Horng-jinh summoned chairs and elite teachers conducting nano studies from Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering to discuss how to conduct nano related studies in March. Chang also assigned Dr. Chen Kan-nan, Dean of College of Sciences, to take charge of establishing Nano Studies Center, holding nano forums to integrate the teachers’ specialization on nano studies from departments and institutes to upgrade TKU’s research on high technology.

Chen said that the center would gather its budget to purchase related equipments. A heating analyzing laboratory will be set up first and he hoped that the laboratory could attract more teachers who are interested in nano studies to join the studies.