NCKU Deepens “Modular Teaching and Cross-Disciplinary Integration”: President Shen Leads Delegation to the U.S. to Meet Alumni-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

On November 14, National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學, NCKU) President Meng-Ru Shen (沈孟儒) led a delegation to Los Angeles, USA, including Wei-Cheng Luo (羅偉誠), Chief Secretary and Director of the Alumni Center, Rui-Ling Yu (余睿羚), Chief Sustainability Officer, and Peng-Zhan Lin (林鵬展), Vice President of NCKU Hospital. The delegation visited long-time supporters of NCKU’s teaching innovation and cross-disciplinary integration, senior alumni Hsiao-Chung Hsieh (謝孝忠, Mathematics Class of ROC 51) and his wife Ching-Chieh Meng (孟慶傑, Mathematics Class of ROC 51), to engage in an in-depth discussion on the outcomes and future directions of modular teaching. The couple supports and assists NCKU’s cross-disciplinary modular courses, serving as pivotal drivers of this educational reform. The visit was accompanied by Dong-Hai Cheng (程東海, Civil Engineering Class of ROC 67), an alumnus of the Department of Civil Engineering, further strengthening the connection between overseas alumni and their alma mater.

Hsiao-Chung Hsieh has long been concerned with teaching reform and cross-disciplinary capability development at NCKU. The cross-disciplinary modular courses were established in 2017 through donations from Hsieh and Meng, forming a new co-learning platform at NCKU. Every summer and winter, approximately 80 innovative cross-disciplinary course modules are offered. Each module is a 5-day intensive course, emphasizing high-density, high-efficiency knowledge delivery, with a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, and assessments to ensure effective learning. In 2024, Meng-Ru Shen elevated the cross-disciplinary modular courses to university-level status, with planning and execution overseen by the General Education Center.

Under the General Education Center’s guidance, the courses have expanded from primarily STEM and biomedical topics to a comprehensive combination including humanities, life sciences, aesthetics, management, philosophy, and psychology. Notable courses include “Painting Appreciation and Applied Anatomy in Art” and “Mathematical and Philosophical Foundations of Statistics and Machine Learning.” Enrollment during summer and winter sessions has grown from 1,500 to over 4,000 student instances. The male-to-female ratio of participants has shifted from 7:3 to 6:4.

The modular courses also support NCKU’s STEM for Higher Education by offering integrative, hands-on capstone STEM modules that emphasize scientific competition and problem-solving. Additionally, AI-related courses are being developed, such as “Psychological Biases in Scientific Thinking, Statistics, and AI Reflection,” “Language, Reading, and the Brain: Cross-Education and Neuroscience Exploration,” and “Human-Machine Interaction: Textual and Digital Communication Skills.” The organization and success of these courses have been made possible through the generous support and involvement of alumni Hsiao-Chung Hsieh and Ching-Chieh Meng. NCKU expresses its deep gratitude for their selfless contributions, providing a uniquely innovative cross-disciplinary co-learning platform in Taiwan.

During the meeting, Meng-Ru Shen reported the remarkable achievements of the modular teaching program to Hsiao-Chung Hsieh and Ching-Chieh Meng, expressing sincere appreciation and affirming the profound impact of their long-term dedication. He stated that cross-disciplinary modular courses have become a vital institutional foundation for nurturing cross-domain talent at NCKU and represent a successful model of university education innovation. In the future, NCKU will continue to expand international perspectives and deepen cross-disciplinary integration.

The visit was accompanied by Dong-Hai Cheng, alumnus of the Department of Civil Engineering and Executive Director of the Alumni Foundation. Cheng has been actively involved in the operations of overseas alumni associations for many years and recently promoted the “Morning Star Program (辰星計畫)”, an overseas mentor-mentee system, assisting students in applying for international graduate schools and preparing for overseas studies. He also shared the recent achievements of award-winning students in overseas study and employment, demonstrating the positive impact of NCKU alumni networks abroad. Beneficiaries reported that alumni guidance provided warmth and direction in unfamiliar environments, greatly aiding their future planning. Cheng’s dedication plays a crucial role in strengthening the overseas alumni network.

The success of the modular courses demonstrates that educational innovation requires the combined efforts of alumni support, faculty commitment, and student participation. Moving forward, NCKU will continue to integrate alumni resources, enhance the quality and international perspective of modular courses, and promote students’ cross-disciplinary abilities and global competitiveness.