Ministry of Education Approves 2024 Funding for Higher Education Sprout Project: NCHU Ranks 5th Nationally for Five Consecutive Years
2024-07-01
興新聞張貼者
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Source: Office of Research and Development, National Chung Hsing University
The Ministry of Education recently announced the funding approvals for the second phase (2023-2027) of the Higher Education Sprout Project. For the 2024 fiscal year, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) has been awarded NT$460,787,637, maintaining its fifth-place national ranking, following National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Tsing Hua University. This year’s funding represents an increase of over NT$10 million compared to 2023. Since 2018, when NCHU received NT$352,020,000 and ranked sixth nationally, the university has consistently improved its performance, achieving a fifth-place ranking in 2020 and maintaining it for five consecutive years. This achievement highlights NCHU’s excellence in teaching, research, industry-academia collaboration, and social responsibility.
Second Phase of NCHU’s Higher Education Sprout Project
NCHU’s second phase of the Higher Education Sprout Project focuses on five main areas: comprehensive teaching innovation, fulfilling social responsibility, industry-academia collaboration, enhancing public higher education, and key international fields. The university has also established four specialized research centers: the Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, the Advanced Plant and Food Crop Biotechnology Center, the iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Research Center, and the Innovative Center on Sustainable Negative-Carbon Resources.
Responding to National Policy and Social Responsibility
In response to national policies, NCHU has actively enhanced its teaching and research capabilities while fulfilling social responsibilities. The university has established the only national medical school in central Taiwan, promoting holistic healthcare and collaborating with local medical institutions to develop a biomedical research hub in the region. In Nantou, NCHU has founded Asia’s first Academy of Circular Economy, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions and drive local prosperity. Additionally, NCHU has partnered with ten national universities to form the National University System of Taiwan (NUST), the largest interdisciplinary platform for sharing educational and research resources. The university has also created the largest smart manufacturing talent cultivation base in Taiwan, establishing an industry-academia-research platform for intelligent machinery and manufacturing.
Unique Contributions in Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine
NCHU continues to uphold its century-old agricultural tradition by implementing localized care initiatives. The university pioneered Taiwan’s only national-level food safety testing platform, offering comprehensive farm-to-table testing services to ensure food safety nationwide. NCHU also founded Taiwan’s first veterinary school and is constructing the “International Epidemic Prevention and Teaching Hospital Building,” which will be the largest veterinary education demonstration site in central Taiwan. Furthermore, NCHU established Taiwan’s first dedicated medical room for stray dogs and cats and was invited to Guam for an island spay/neuter project, marking the first Taiwan-US collaboration in this field and receiving special recognition from the Governor of Guam. NCHU veterinarians also joined Taiwan’s rescue team in the Turkey earthquake, extending Taiwan’s expertise in animal welfare and international rescue.
International Collaboration and Academic Prestige
NCHU has engaged in comprehensive bilateral academic cooperation with top agricultural universities such as the University of California, Davis (UCD), and Texas A&M University (TAMU). The university has co-organized the 3+X degree program with UCD, initiated joint academic lectures, and conducted veterinary epidemic prevention and clinical talent training in the U.S. Additionally, NCHU collaborates annually with nearly 40 world-class research institutions in specialized research fields, striving to enhance its international academic reputation.
Leading Research Centers
NCHU’s specialized research centers lead the nation in agricultural science. The Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, led by Chair Professor Chun-Liang Lin, excels in circular agriculture, facility agriculture, ecological agriculture, and technological agriculture, showcasing notable achievements and significant social contributions. The center uses the Xixinba Livestock Experiment Station as a testing and demonstration site for innovative net-zero emission technologies, with world-leading technological breakthroughs.
The Advanced Plant and Food Crop Biotechnology Center, coordinated by National Chair Professor Chang-Hsien Yang, brings together a strong research team, including Academician Tuan-Hua Ho and Shyi-Dong Yeh from Academia Sinica, and Yushan Scholar Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem. The center focuses on cutting-edge crop genomics and functional gene analysis research and applications, targeting key Taiwanese economic crops such as orchids, rice, and high-value fruits and vegetables, with globally leading technologies.
The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Research Center, led by Vice President Chuan-Mu Chen, along with Distinguished Professors Hung-Jen Liu, Chiu-Yat Woo, and Chih-Feng Chen, and supported by renowned scholars such as USC Academician Cheng-Ming Chuong, Academia Sinica Academician Wen-Hsiung Li, and University of Toronto Mississauga Academician Robert Reisz, advances research in avian evolutionary conservation, functional genomics, and the development of health-promoting feed additives for livestock and aquaculture.
The Innovative Center on Sustainable Negative-Carbon Resources, led by Director Kuan-Jiuh Lin, proposes establishing the world’s first “Green Hydrogen Carbon Neutral Sandbox Verification Site” at NCHU. The center focuses on four research areas: negative carbon materials, breakthroughs in and manufacturing of new energy, sustainable resource chemistry, and sustainable cloud platform. It aims to develop commercial models that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tons annually, combining global patented smart traffic carbon credit calculations.
Future Prospects
Looking ahead to the second phase of the Sprout Project, NCHU will continue to employ innovative planning and integrated strategies to develop six key competencies: information technology and human care, interdisciplinary learning, autonomous learning, international mobility, social participation, and problem-solving. In alignment with important policies such as the six core strategic industries and the 2050 net-zero emissions roadmap, NCHU will focus on its four major areas of strength: agricultural biotechnology, intelligent manufacturing, healthcare, and green energy and carbon reduction. NCHU is committed to enhancing the quality of cross-disciplinary teaching, internationalizing academic exchanges, thematizing industry-academia collaboration, practicalizing talent cultivation, sustaining social engagement, and achieving world-leading research in key specialized fields. By doing so, NCHU aims for sustainable development and advancement towards excellence.
The Ministry of Education recently announced the funding approvals for the second phase (2023-2027) of the Higher Education Sprout Project. For the 2024 fiscal year, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) has been awarded NT$460,787,637, maintaining its fifth-place national ranking, following National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Tsing Hua University. This year’s funding represents an increase of over NT$10 million compared to 2023. Since 2018, when NCHU received NT$352,020,000 and ranked sixth nationally, the university has consistently improved its performance, achieving a fifth-place ranking in 2020 and maintaining it for five consecutive years. This achievement highlights NCHU’s excellence in teaching, research, industry-academia collaboration, and social responsibility.
Second Phase of NCHU’s Higher Education Sprout Project
NCHU’s second phase of the Higher Education Sprout Project focuses on five main areas: comprehensive teaching innovation, fulfilling social responsibility, industry-academia collaboration, enhancing public higher education, and key international fields. The university has also established four specialized research centers: the Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, the Advanced Plant and Food Crop Biotechnology Center, the iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Research Center, and the Innovative Center on Sustainable Negative-Carbon Resources.
Responding to National Policy and Social Responsibility
In response to national policies, NCHU has actively enhanced its teaching and research capabilities while fulfilling social responsibilities. The university has established the only national medical school in central Taiwan, promoting holistic healthcare and collaborating with local medical institutions to develop a biomedical research hub in the region. In Nantou, NCHU has founded Asia’s first Academy of Circular Economy, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions and drive local prosperity. Additionally, NCHU has partnered with ten national universities to form the National University System of Taiwan (NUST), the largest interdisciplinary platform for sharing educational and research resources. The university has also created the largest smart manufacturing talent cultivation base in Taiwan, establishing an industry-academia-research platform for intelligent machinery and manufacturing.
Unique Contributions in Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine
NCHU continues to uphold its century-old agricultural tradition by implementing localized care initiatives. The university pioneered Taiwan’s only national-level food safety testing platform, offering comprehensive farm-to-table testing services to ensure food safety nationwide. NCHU also founded Taiwan’s first veterinary school and is constructing the “International Epidemic Prevention and Teaching Hospital Building,” which will be the largest veterinary education demonstration site in central Taiwan. Furthermore, NCHU established Taiwan’s first dedicated medical room for stray dogs and cats and was invited to Guam for an island spay/neuter project, marking the first Taiwan-US collaboration in this field and receiving special recognition from the Governor of Guam. NCHU veterinarians also joined Taiwan’s rescue team in the Turkey earthquake, extending Taiwan’s expertise in animal welfare and international rescue.
International Collaboration and Academic Prestige
NCHU has engaged in comprehensive bilateral academic cooperation with top agricultural universities such as the University of California, Davis (UCD), and Texas A&M University (TAMU). The university has co-organized the 3+X degree program with UCD, initiated joint academic lectures, and conducted veterinary epidemic prevention and clinical talent training in the U.S. Additionally, NCHU collaborates annually with nearly 40 world-class research institutions in specialized research fields, striving to enhance its international academic reputation.
Leading Research Centers
NCHU’s specialized research centers lead the nation in agricultural science. The Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, led by Chair Professor Chun-Liang Lin, excels in circular agriculture, facility agriculture, ecological agriculture, and technological agriculture, showcasing notable achievements and significant social contributions. The center uses the Xixinba Livestock Experiment Station as a testing and demonstration site for innovative net-zero emission technologies, with world-leading technological breakthroughs.
The Advanced Plant and Food Crop Biotechnology Center, coordinated by National Chair Professor Chang-Hsien Yang, brings together a strong research team, including Academician Tuan-Hua Ho and Shyi-Dong Yeh from Academia Sinica, and Yushan Scholar Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem. The center focuses on cutting-edge crop genomics and functional gene analysis research and applications, targeting key Taiwanese economic crops such as orchids, rice, and high-value fruits and vegetables, with globally leading technologies.
The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Research Center, led by Vice President Chuan-Mu Chen, along with Distinguished Professors Hung-Jen Liu, Chiu-Yat Woo, and Chih-Feng Chen, and supported by renowned scholars such as USC Academician Cheng-Ming Chuong, Academia Sinica Academician Wen-Hsiung Li, and University of Toronto Mississauga Academician Robert Reisz, advances research in avian evolutionary conservation, functional genomics, and the development of health-promoting feed additives for livestock and aquaculture.
The Innovative Center on Sustainable Negative-Carbon Resources, led by Director Kuan-Jiuh Lin, proposes establishing the world’s first “Green Hydrogen Carbon Neutral Sandbox Verification Site” at NCHU. The center focuses on four research areas: negative carbon materials, breakthroughs in and manufacturing of new energy, sustainable resource chemistry, and sustainable cloud platform. It aims to develop commercial models that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tons annually, combining global patented smart traffic carbon credit calculations.
Future Prospects
Looking ahead to the second phase of the Sprout Project, NCHU will continue to employ innovative planning and integrated strategies to develop six key competencies: information technology and human care, interdisciplinary learning, autonomous learning, international mobility, social participation, and problem-solving. In alignment with important policies such as the six core strategic industries and the 2050 net-zero emissions roadmap, NCHU will focus on its four major areas of strength: agricultural biotechnology, intelligent manufacturing, healthcare, and green energy and carbon reduction. NCHU is committed to enhancing the quality of cross-disciplinary teaching, internationalizing academic exchanges, thematizing industry-academia collaboration, practicalizing talent cultivation, sustaining social engagement, and achieving world-leading research in key specialized fields. By doing so, NCHU aims for sustainable development and advancement towards excellence.
