Members of the “Globalization Committee” under College of International Studies met on April 22, 2003. Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Feng Chao-kang, Deans of Colleges and Director of International Exchange and International Education (IEIE) Lily H.M. Chen were also invited to take part in the meeting.

Discussions were centered on “What counter-measures Tamkang University (TKU) be adopted to meet the future tendency of Globalization” and participants have unanimously believed that globalization is the road TKU must take and to upgrade students’ English ability would be the most important foundation toward globalization.

They believed that regardless globalization or internationalization, the language will play a very important role. Therefore, the increasing courses commanded by English must be carried out. Dr. Feng Chao-kang, Vice President for Academic Affairs, proposed that every college has to try to accomplish the goal of 10 percent set for courses commanded by English. Feng also hoped that every college would be authorized to organize common courses so that every college will directly hire part-time teachers to offer the course in accordance with its exclusive characteristics and needs.

Chen Kan-nan, Dean of College of Sciences, frankly pointed out that English ability should be strengthened as students of CS was in trail on the list of the result of freshmen English test. He hoped that although he has upgraded the ratio of courses commanded by English and encouraged teachers to use English text were a bad response from students.

IEIE Director Lily H. M. Chen has asked every college to increase the number of course to be commanded by English. She pointed out that TKU sister universities would have demanded that students would accomplish the 70 percent of special courses when inquiring the issue of student exchange. If the course commanded by English were insufficient, it would be a trouble. TKU has so far more than 30 courses commanded by English. It will be better that one special class of Department of International Trade to be enrolled for next year will command all courses in English.

Touching on how to upgrade students’ English ability, Dean of Colleges took up many proposals. Hsu Ting-chi, Dean of College of Technology, believed that every college should make upgrade the English ability of students of Graduate Institutes top priority. Every college should encourage students of Graduate Institutes to present their papers to international journals. Huang Ping-huang, Dean of College of Education, said that his college will invite more foreign scholars to teach in the college so as to help students English contact. Chu Shi-chih, Dean of College of Engineering, said that encouraging students to take part in TOEFL (test for English as Foreign Language) test which would work as a driving force.

Lin Yao-fu, Dean of College of Foreign Languages and Literature (CFLL), said that an all-English speaking environment has been designed on the building specialized for CFLL and is now undergoing construction. He hoped that the place would build a good learning environment of English.