WU, Yea-Jiun & CHANG, Chin-Chen
5, Chung-Shang S. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C., Science & Technology Advisory office, Ministry of Education, jennie@mail.moe.gov.tw, ccc@cs.ccu.edu.tw
Abstract: The goal of this paper is to introduce the approaches for fostering talent engineers by Science & Technology Advisory Office the Office, Ministry of Education, Taiwan. In the past decades, the Office has launched a variety of human resources training programs in coordination with mid- and long-term Science and Technology Development Plan, Economic Development Plan and National Industry Strategic Plan promoted by various ministries. Through the goal-oriented approaches, the human resources cultivation projects on core industries is well planned and executed. Respective universities or colleges proposed specific Science & Technology education improvement projects based on the objectives set by the Office’s. The supplemented fund is usually laid on the improvement of the educational instrument used in core courses. Usually, the first concern is given to the proposal emphasizes on interdisciplinary integration. The courses and principles on funding projects are indicated.
In order to outspread the outcome from the funding of specific education improvement projects, the complement measures, like specific programs or curriculum planning, development of multimedia teaching material, industry-university cooperation promoting programs, are commissioned to carry out around the country. To date, a plenty of special theme teaching laboratories and specific teaching resources centers are set up in universities and colleges. The achievements from the projects have been well disseminated.
Quality manpower is paramount to national development and maintenance of sustainable competitive edge. Thus the planning and funding of S&T educational budget must be efficiently updated in its motion to the step of national S&T development in order to attain the ultimate goal of industrial enhancement
Keywords: mission, technology, planning, government, Taiwan
Economic development provides the lifeline for the survival of a nation and contributes the infrastructure development. In Taiwan’s ”Cross-Century National Development Plan” and ”Science & Technology White Paper”, the Executive Yuan outlines the national development goals and core industries in the next decade. In the emerging high-tech industries, such as semiconductor industry and other sectors like consumer electronics, multimedia, precision machinery and automation, aerospace, pollution control, biotechnology, health care, special chemicals, advanced materials and related new products, are all identified for further improvement. The Ministry of Education (MOE) carries the mission of fostering competent human resources across the country. In the state-of-art of higher education, respective colleges and universities set their own focuses and directions of development. However, there should be an established national planning and programs directed at the cultivation of human resources based on the need of the growth of country’s core industries. One of the principal missions of Science & Technology Advisory Office, MOE (the Office) at the time of its inception was to promote the ”Science and Technology Development Plan” announced by the Executive Yuan. In the past two decades, the Office has launched a variety of human resources training programs in coordination with the mid- and long-term Science and Technology Development Plan, Economic Development Plan and National Industry Strategic Plan promoted by various ministries (e.g. national telecommunications plan and national disaster mitigation plan). Projects under promotion in the present stage are: automation, materials, chemical engineering, disaster mitigation in relation to civil constructions, VLSI and system design, communications, precision machinery, aerospace, biotechnology, and medical engineering. Advisors to the Office with respect to the aforesaid special project initiatives are teamed up from the industry, government, academia and research institutions. Those include members from the National Science Council (NSC), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Council of Labor Affairs, Council of Agriculture, Industrial Technology and Research Institute (ITRI), Metal Industry Development Center (MIDC), Biotechnology Development Center, various universities, and private sectors. In undertaking its assignment of fostering human resources for the mid- and long-term development of various key industries, the Office put emphasis on the cultivation of quality people through interdisciplinary curricula. In the long run, the network of talent engineers incubation and professional training is being constructed, which is the hallmark of upgrading the industrial technology of the country.
In reference to the resolutions obtained in the National Science Meeting, the S&T White Paper of National Science Council (NSC), the Industrial Technology White Paper of MOEA and the resolutions in the National Industry Strategic Planning Meetings, the Office will commission scholars and experts to form various task forces to undertake the initial planning for the cultivation of human resources in various disciplines. The task force members first implement an overall survey of the development trend of respective field and the state-of-art of higher education curricula across the country, then propose substantial guidance in terms of key disciplines planning and courses' outlines, teaching improvement programs, and performance evaluation. The Office then discusses and proposes the mid-term education improvement scheme and budget requirement according to the results of the initial planning. After the proposed scheme is approved by the S&T Budget Review Committee of NSC, the Office will announce its goal to all colleges and universities and invite applications with respect to specific discipline. For each discipline, the Office will set up an advisory committee to select potential proposals and determine the funding budget in accordance with the required experiment instrument applied for and fees for the writing-up the lecturing materials of core courses. During the project period, the advisory committee takes the responsibility to check the progress, provide guidance and performance evaluation on behalf of the Office.
The Office adopts a goal-oriented approach to promote human resources cultivation projects on core industries. Its funding to special discipline S&T education improvement projects proposed by colleges and universities is mainly to stress on the improvement of the teaching software and hardware of important courses. The criteria of project review are based on whether the planning directions are in line with the objectives set by the Office, the appropriate measures and supportable manpower. The applied project should be mainly representative of an individual college or university, and first concern will be given to education improvement projects that emphasize on interdisciplinary integration.
2.3 Complement Measures for Science and Technology Education Improvement Projects and Their Contents
For the sake of bringing about maximum effect to the funding of the education improvement projects and optimizing their marginal effect, the advisory committee of the Office will confer regularly or whenever needed to lay out supporting measures that will help enhance the effect of the improvement projects and select outside parties to carry out these measures (e.g. colleges, universities and academic institutions). These complement measures include: programs and curriculum planning, lecturing materials, development of multimedia teaching materials, contests of manufacture on a specific theme, teaching experience exchanging seminar or workshop, industry-university cooperation promotion, web site setup of S&T teaching resources, summer internship plans, and overall planning and execution on the S&T education projects in respect to their application, review and performance evaluation.
Special theme Teaching Laboratory: Organization under the commission of the Office will hold inter-campus seminars to exchange information on resources integration and utilization with regard to their specific theme teaching laboratory set up under the respective S&T education projects, and supplemented lab courses.
Specific Teaching Resources Center: The Office has encouraged colleges and universities to set up ”industry-university cooperation teaching center in manufacturing technology”, and open up their specific theme teaching laboratory resources to the neighboring colleges, high schools and elementary schools. They are also encouraged to work together with industry specialists to hold practical courses or offer seminars on practical case study for faculties as well as industrial engineers.
Dissemination of project achievements: For all the outcomes of discipline and core course planning and edited lecturing materials the Office will distribute these to libraries of all institutions. Those resources are summarized in electronic files and shared to the country through the Internet.
Quality manpower is paramount to national development and maintenance of sustainable competitive edge. Thus the planning and funding of S&T educational budget must be efficiently updated in its motion to the step of national S&T development in order to attain the ultimate goal of industrial enhancement. National development and manpower cultivation must complement each other to create a win-win situation for both the country and individuals. Under the influence of the long-standing entrance examination system, our students are subjected to cramming method of education. The educational system as a whole over-stresses the impartation of knowledge, while ignores the instillation of virtues, athletics, group interaction and arts, as well as fostering of creativity. The keys to the successful industrial and technology development are building a well-planned inductive research environment and judicious allocation of funds. Equally important are the cultivation of technical manpower of all levels, professional ethics, communication and coordination skills, management capability, creative design potentials and humanistic concerns and quality. These are the pressing topics in up-to-date engineering education around the world.
In its funding of college's S&T educational budget, the Office wishes to bring about the effects of seed funds to strengthen the integration of S&T as well as humanity learning; meanwhile, to elevate the professionalism and quality of technical manpower. By integrating the R&D resources from the industry and other government-supported institutions into the education improvement programs, the Office plans to provide a good lifetime learning environment and achieve the vision of fostering superior science and technology human resources for the country.
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