Introduction to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The objective of the college is to "build deep-footedly on Kinmen from the localized and globalized academic perspective, and establish an Asian perspective covering Taiwan, Mainland China, and Southeast Asian countries, and thus enhance the international perspective of students". The college is currently composed of 6 departments and 1 master degree program, including Department of International and Mainland China Affairs (Bachelor degree, Continuing Education, Master degree), Department of Ocean and Border Management (Bachelor degree, Master degree), Department of Architecture (Bachelor degree, Master degree), Department of Urban Planning and Landscape (Bachelor degree), Department of Applied English (Bachelor degree), Department of Chinese Studies (Bachelor degree), and Graduate Program of Culture and History of Hokkien.

The teamwork between faculty staff teaching and administrative missions is well arranged in order to develop the effective academic units to the maximum. In terms of the teaching development, our college follows the related teaching improvements and improvement plans of the University, and encourages the teachers to develop featured teaching materials, textbooks and publications with local customs. Besides, our College also actively encourages the teachers to improve their self-teaching ability, and invites the excellent teachers in various academic fields to the University to share their experiences on teaching and research.

In terms of research and development, our college also actively encourages teachers to publish academic research achievements in famous local and foreign journals and important seminars in order to extend and expand the academic reputation and influence of the University. Besides, our College has finished the research award stipulation for those teachers striving for resources of the University to strengthen teaching and research tasks.

Characteristics of the College include:
(1) Research on cross-strait and international affairs
(2) Unique research on ocean and border Management
(3) Teaching and research centered on architectural design
(4) Teaching and research of local and global urban planning and landscape
(5) Foreign and Chinese language teaching from a global perspective
(6) Teaching, research and conservation on Minnan culture and its assets

Philosophy of Governance of the Dean

In order to achieve the objective and vision of our College under the external environment of constantly changing, full of challenges and opportunities, we will continue to develop in the following directions on the existing basis under my leadership: 

1. About teaching

 (1) Promoting the integration of cross-departmental courses: The integration of cross-departmental courses has begun to be valued. Our College penetrates from the marine elements to integrate ocean literature (such as Department of Chinese Studies), ocean culture (such as Master Program in Southern Min Culture), Urban planning and landscape design of the offshore islands (such as Department of Urban Planning and Landscape), island and immigrant architecture(such as Department of Architecture), cross-strait ocean governance, international relations or international law of the sea (Department of International and Mainland China Affairs), ocean resource conservation and law enforcement, border control and law enforcement (such as Department of Ocean and Border Management), and the foreign language ability required for immigrants through the ocean (such as Department of Applied English). Taking marine elements as an example, it is really necessary start promoting an effective integration between the Departments, and program planning of cross departments of even cross colleges.

(2) Encouraging field internship abroad: At present, most of the academic exchanges or internships are from local public departments or private enterprises. It is relatively rare going to intern in Mainland China or abroad. If the budget is adequate, it is advised to increase the opportunities. It does not only broaden the knowledge of the teachers and students, but also reflects the challenges we are facing in Taiwan.

 (3) Improving the teacher lineup: In addition to the teachers of each department, it is possible to expand the comprehensive effect of humanities and arts, and social science by linking up the teachers in different fields through inter-departments, inter-colleges and even inter-universities. Besides, the excellent project teachers and adjunct teachers would be in order to extend the teacher lineup and maintain the flexibility of human resources.

2. About research and development

(1) Improving the researches and national projects related to local characteristic topics: It would be focused on researches of culture, architecture, landscape, marine conservation, border control, and cross-strait governance, especially with the elements of marine and island. On the basis of topics mentioned above, the development of national projects and digital collection projects could increase the participation of the teachers of our University on issues including land, towns, architecture, ocean, literature, and cross-regional (national) governance.

(2) Strengthening the highlights of research: Departments could apply the elements of marine and island to the enhancement of the local characteristics of the College, especially in Minnan architecture and culture, protection of marine environment, island cities, low-carbon healthy life planning, and conservation of historic monuments, in order to form the highlights of the College.

3. About the human resources

 (1) Displaying the talents, flexibility and diversity: The teachers are encouraged to play different roles according to their individual professions. They could have their own emphasis on teaching and researches. The renewal of contracts and promotion could be studied and formulated according to multiple evaluation criteria with flexible and diverse approaches to meet the professional needs of teachers in various departments. The communication and explanation in advance are expected in order to minimize complaints afterwards.

 (2) Diversification of representative works for teacher promotion: In addition to publishing the papers to traditional journals, and the creative works submitting for approval that are gradually familiar to teachers in the Departments of Architecture, and Urban Planning and Landscape, they are also encouraged to write monographs (not textbooks) following the system of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Through the strict external review process, it ensures the quality of works as the basis of promotion.

 (3) Assisting new teachers: In addition to providing necessary support of software and hardware equipment, the senior professors who are willing to serve as instructors, are encouraged to impart teaching and research experience, and providing individual assistance to the new teachers in order to research jointly and form teaching research team.

4. About internationalization

(1) Reinforcing the network between Mainland China and global schools: In addition to continuously enhancing the changes with the alliance schools in Mainland China, the College should further reinforce the exchanges with schools in Southeast Asia in order to coordinate with the New Southbound Policy of the government. In addition to enhancing the Southeast Asian students to exchange or study in various departments of the College, the native students should be encouraged to intern, academic exchange and study in different Asian countries, especially the famous universities in Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. They should then further be encouraged to other countries, such as Europe, America and Australia. Besides enhancing the English ability, the language skills of Southeast Asian languages, such as Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Burmese and other languages should also be promoted.

 (2) Participating in the international academic community network actively: The famous foreign professors would be invited to give lectures in Taiwan. We strive to host international academic seminars, and strengthen remote collaborative design exhibitions and teaching and academic exchanges and cooperation of topics such as digital collections, architecture, literature, application of geographic information of ocean and island.

 (3) Improving the language ability: Promote and encourage the students to take English and other foreign language skill tests, and encourage teachers to deliver courses in English.

The approaches mentioned above for teaching, research, promotion, human resources, and internationalization, could establish the characteristics of the College and achieve our development goals, which include research on cross-strait and international affairs, unique research on ocean and border governance, teaching and research centered on architectural design, teaching and research of local and global urban planning and landscape, foreign and Chinese language teaching in global perspective, as well as teaching, research, and conservation on Minnan culture and its assets.