The establishment of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies in Tamkang University (TKU) is aiming at cultivating leaders with ability of great insight into the global future development, so said TKU Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang.

Dr. Chang made the remarks when he addressed the opening ceremony of the International Colloquium on Teaching Futures Studies held at Chue-sheng International Conference Hall, Tamsui Campus on Nov. 6-7, 2002.

The Graduate Institute of Futures Studies, the Center for Futures Studies, and the Graduate Institute of Educational Policy and Leadership, TKU cosponsored the seminar.

Some 50 scholars and specialists, including 10 foreign scholars took part in the two-day discussion. A total of 16 papers related to education on futures studies and its cooperation on master and doctorate programs have been read at the gathering.

Chen Kuo-hua, Director of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies, TKU, said that the meeting was very successful and many conclusions have been adopted. Other concrete conclusions included the cultivation of the seeded team of the international education on futures studies, the establishment of a national education network on futures studies to gather those teachers with a common goal of dedicating themselves to the education on futures studies, global education, social education and educational development, the establishment of national and international education union system.

The conclusions also included the efforts to strengthen cooperation with professional teachers’ unions to offer the school, local governments, curriculum development committee and government agencies concerned to design a professional growth project by using the method and theory of futures studies so as to promote experiencing exchanges of futures studies at home and abroad, Chen said.

As to the international exchange and school cooperation, the participants reached a conclusion to set up a common prospect on planning as a whole the international strategy on futures studies, the guidance of the theses for master and doctorate degrees on futures studies, the development of doctorate program on Futures Studies, the courses selection and the resources sharing to enable futures studies as one of the international academic goals, Chen said.

They also discussed issues related to teaching outline and teaching materials of futures studies and the mutual visits of professors and students, Chen added.