The Office of Student Affairs held the “2026–2027 New Student and Parent Forum” at 10:00 a.m. on September 5 on the seventh floor of the Shao-mo Memorial Gymnasium. President Hui-Huang Hsu, joined by the university’s three vice presidents, college deans, and relevant first- and second-level administrators, met face-to-face with nearly 1,000 students and parents. The forum covered a wide range of topics, including student clubs, academic programs, overseas exchange opportunities, AI, and sustainability education, helping new students become familiar with the campus and plan their university experience.

In his remarks, President Hsu noted that since its founding in 1950, Tamkang University has upheld an open liberal academic tradition together with a strong commitment to education. The university has achieved success in institutional performance and international rankings. Despite Taiwan’s declining birth rate, Tamkang maintains an enrollment of nearly 22,000 students. He highlighted two distinctive features of the university: the “Triple Objectives of Internationalization, Information-Oriented Education, and Future-Oriented Education,” which Tamkang has promoted since 1965, and its unique mandatory student club participation program. In the age of artificial intelligence, he emphasized that interpersonal communication and teamwork are more important than ever, and the university hopes to develop these essential soft skills through student club participation.

In response to the rapid development of AI, President Hsu said Tamkang has established the College of Artificial Innovative Intelligence and the Department of Artificial Intelligence, while also collaborating with major international technology companies such as Microsoft Taiwan, NVIDIA, and AMD. All first-year students are required to take “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.” In recent years, thousands of students from non-information technology fields have earned internationally recognized AI professional certifications from organizations such as Microsoft and NVIDIA, demonstrating strong outcomes in interdisciplinary learning. Tamkang University also plans to establish an “AI Governance Committee” as soon as possible to ensure that the development and use of AI comply with standards of safety, regulatory compliance, and ethics, while cultivating students’ abilities in self-directed learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary application.

During the discussion session, new students and parents asked about student clubs, academic programs, and overseas exchange opportunities, with relevant administrators responding to each topic. Dean of Student Affairs Yen-Ling Lin explained that Tamkang University currently has 184 active student clubs and encouraged students to build their interpersonal networks and teamwork experience through club participation. Te-Cheng Cheng, Head of the Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section, added that student clubs span eight major categories, including academic, athletic, and recreational organizations. The “Student Club Expo” was held on September 10 and 11, during the first week of classes, followed by “Club Night” on September 14, helping new students find organizations that match their interests.

Regarding junior-year study abroad and exchange opportunities, Dean of International Affairs Chien-Mu Yeh explained that, apart from five departments under the university’s “Holistic Education” model in which overseas study during the junior year is mandatory, all Tamkang students are eligible to apply for approximately 360 exchange places offered each year. He encouraged students interested in studying abroad to maintain strong academic performance and prepare early to meet the relevant qualifications.

Dean of Academic Affairs Li-Ren Yang introduced Tamkang University’s interdisciplinary learning system. Double majors and traditional minors require additional credits beyond the standard graduation requirements and therefore involve a relatively high threshold. Students may instead make use of the university’s “embedded-credit” second major and minor options. Within the existing 128 credits required for graduation, students can complete 40 credits in another field to earn a second specialization, or 20 credits to complete a minor. He also encouraged students to enroll in interdisciplinary certificate programs, while advising them not to choose fields too similar to their original major. He said that by venturing into different disciplines, students can strengthen their future competitiveness in the workplace.

In response to a parent’s question about how Tamkang University helps students internalize the concepts of “AI+SDGs=∞” and “ESG+AI=∞” as part of their everyday mindset, President Hsu explained that the required first-year courses “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” and “Exploring Sustainability” provide students with foundational knowledge. The university also encourages each academic department to integrate AI and sustainability topics into its curriculum. In addition, through the “Campus Living Lab” competition, students are encouraged to form teams, identify sustainability issues on campus, propose solutions, and put those into practice. Vice President for Administrative Affairs Huei-Chun Chi added that the College of Liberal Arts offers the “Smart Humanities Practice and Innovation Credit Program,” which uses real-world settings such as regional revitalization and University Social Responsibility (USR) projects to guide students in exploring the possibilities created by integrating AI and sustainability.

Following the forum, new students and parents continued discussions with their departments. Department chairs introduced curriculum features, professional development opportunities, and future career pathways. The parent of a first-year student in the Department of Business Administration praised the forum, noting that it addressed concerns about future overseas study opportunities and also provided satisfying information about academic programs and student clubs. The parent said the session also showed that students could seek assistance if they encounter difficulties, giving the family greater confidence about the student’s university life.

The parent of a first-year student in the Department of Chemistry shared that the student already had a strong interest in chemistry and was very satisfied after hearing the department introduction and curriculum briefing. After speaking with the department chair, the parent said they had gained an even greater appreciation for the importance of university-industry collaboration, noting, “The fact that research conducted in the department’s laboratories can be connected with real-world industry.