Chairperson Flora Chia-I Chang’s contributions to education have once again received distinguished recognition. At the Selection Meeting for Fellows of the Chinese Association for General Education (CAGE), 6th Term, held on October 20, 2025, she was elected a Fellow. Subsequently, at 12:00 noon on December 12, during the General Meeting and Awards Ceremony of the Chinese Association for General Education held at Huafan University, she was formally presented with the Fellowship Certificate in recognition of her outstanding contributions to general education and the development of higher education, thereby adding another lifetime academic honor to her distinguished career. At the same ceremony, Zhongyi Zou, an alumnus of the Department of Physics of Tamkang University and currently Director of the Common and General Education Center at Chinese Culture University, was awarded the Exemplary General Education Teacher Award. In his acceptance remarks, he expressed special gratitude to his alma mater for its cultivation, adding a proud “Tamkang highlight” to the event.
In her address, Chairperson Chang noted that she has devoted her career to service at Tamkang University. Through Tamkang University’s “Three Circles of Curricula”, comprising professional education, general education, and extracurricular activities, Tamkang aims to nurture students into “individuals with spiritual excellence.” She emphasized the University’s pioneering implementation of mandatory credits for student club participation, requiring all students to engage in extracurricular organizations to develop leadership and communication skills effectively. In recent years, under the leadership of President Keh, Tamkang University has adopted “AI+SDGs=∞” as its institutional development vision, which has also been registered as a trademark with the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This milestone signifies that general education is evolving from a traditional model of holistic education toward the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents integrating AI and the Sustainable Development Goals. Having previously served as a board member of the Association, Chairperson Chang expressed her appreciation for the valuable experiences gained through inter-university exchanges and voiced her hope for continued collaboration to advance general education further.
Chairperson Chang holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Stanford University. Her academic expertise includes higher education, total quality management, and educational administration. She has served as President and currently serves as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and as an Honorary Professor at Tamkang University. With over 40 years of dedication to international education, she has received numerous prestigious honors, including the 25th National Quality Award – Excellence in Management Award in 2018, making her the first woman and the first individual leader of an educational enterprise to receive this highest distinction. In 2023, she was named the 7th Outstanding Educational Entrepreneur by the Chinese Association of Private School Education. She has also been awarded Honorary Doctorates by Josai University (Japan) in 2008 and Reitaku University (Japan) in 2025.
In terms of academic service, Chairperson Chang has served as a Board Member (9th and 10th terms) and Executive Board Member (10th term) of the Chinese Association for General Education. During her tenure as university president, she consistently supported the publication of the Association’s journals, General Education Online and the Journal of General Education, making significant contributions to the research and dissemination of general education. In promoting general education, Chairperson Chang advanced the Triple Objectives of Globalization, Information-oriented Education, and Future-oriented Education,” integrating the Five Educational Disciplines of Conduct, Intelligence, Physical Education, Teamwork, and Beauty into the Three-Circle Curricula. She further proposed eight essential qualities to strengthen students’ core capabilities, laying a solid foundation for Tamkang University’s mission of cultivating talents with spiritual excellence. These initiatives closely align with the Association’s goals of advancing holistic education and enhancing national competitiveness.
Dr. Chin-Yuan Liu, Distinguished Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tamkang University and a Fellow of the first term of the Association, remarked that Tamkang University has been a national pioneer in general education. With Chairperson Chang’s leadership and support, the University’s comprehensive curriculum framework and implementation outcomes have continued to earn widespread recognition. He highlighted the diversity of student club activities, the institutionalization of mandatory club credits, and the introduction, under the “AI+SDGs=∞” vision, of first-year required flagship courses such as “AI and Programming Languages” (renamed “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” starting from the 2025 academic year) and “Exploring Sustainability.” These initiatives effectively cultivate students’ interdisciplinary competencies and align closely with societal trends.
Liu emphasized that the essence of general education lies in nurturing interdisciplinary abilities, well-rounded character, and a sense of social responsibility through curricula, activities, and learning environments, thereby developing modern citizens with a global perspective and practical capacity. He noted that Tamkang University’s achievements in general education fully meet these objectives, as evidenced by graduates’ strong performance in employers' favorite graduate surveys. In particular, Tamkang has ranked No. 1 among private universities for 28 consecutive years in CommonWealth Magazine’s employer surveys, “demonstrating the outstanding results of the general education initiatives long promoted and supported by Chairperson Chang.”
The Fellowship of the Chinese Association for General Education is awarded to members who have made exceptional contributions to the development of general education in Taiwan or to the Association’s affairs. Chairperson Chang was strongly recommended by former Minister of Education Wei-Ling Chiang and unanimously approved by the selection committee, becoming the sole Fellow elected in this term and a permanent member of the Association.
Zhongyi Zou earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in physics from Tamkang University. He has twice received the Outstanding General Education Teacher Award from Chinese Culture University (academic years 2013 and 2019). His course “Generative AI and Applications of ChatGPT” has been incorporated into the eWant National Inter-University General Education Program, attracting 1,471 students, recognized for credit by eight universities, and establishing itself as a benchmark course for AI literacy education nationwide.
