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Honour

National Quality Award

Award PictureTamkang University was the first university in Taiwan to employ the system of Total Quality Management (TQM), introduced into the University in 1992 by the founder, Dr. Clement C. P. Chang. This management model has increased the quality of teaching, research, and service. Tamkang’s history can be divided into four stages: the introduction period (1993 to 1995), groundwork period (1995 to 1998), development period (1998 to 2001), and advancement period (2001 to date). In 2006, TKU initiated the Tamkang Quality Award to recognize outstanding colleges and departments committed to TQM. In 2009, due to its continual efforts to evolve and improve, and its spirit of “Award Picturespursuing excellence”, Tamkang University was awarded the 19th National Quality Award. TKU will continue to create an innovative platform of knowledge management to ensure customer satisfaction, to set an example of TQM for higher education, to reshape the standards of TQM by implementing total and creative management, to satisfy students’ multi-faceted needs in learning through the design of diverse curricula, and to work with its alumni to generate substantive positive social change.

Enterprises’ Favorite Private University

cheer magazineTamkang University has been ranked first among all private universities in Taiwan for 15 consecutive years by the “Top 1,000 Enterprises’ Talent Strategies and Favorite College Graduates” survey, conducted by Cheers business magazine. As such, it stands out in today’s competitive job market. Despite an era of economic crisis, with unemployment reaching unprecedented levels, Tamkang has nonetheless been able to produce outstanding graduates thanks to its focus on useable talent. The key to its success lies in its “Three Circles and Five Disciplines of Education.” The “Three Circles” refer to the professional curriculum, which develops students’ professional knowledge and skills, the core curriculum, which cultivates students’ diverse and integrative abilities, and the extracurricular curriculum, which strengthens students’ capabilities in teamwork, consistency, and endurance. “Five Disciplines” refers to the educational goals of conduct, intelligence, physical education, teamwork, and beauty. Under the “Three Circles and Five Disciplines of Education”, Tamkang also emphasizes students’ communication and leadership skills. This is one aspect of how Tamkang University fulflls its social responsibilities.

International Safe School Designation

logo of safe universityTamkang University has been improving its status as a work-safe and campus-friendly environment. It conducted a thorough review of its performance based on the seven indicators listed in the Safe School Criteria. It also organized committees to address the various issues covered in the indicators, while working with local government and community organizations to obtain an unbiased assessment of its overall safety standards. The resulting recommendations were feasible and practical. A wide range of concerns were explored, including issues relating to gender and to the building of facilities suitable for people with special (physical and intellectual) needs. Concerns relating to people who would be at most risk of being hurt and issues relating to campus sites that need to be improved for safety were given top priority. The records and details (cause, frequency, location, etc.) of accidents and injuries were reviewed and updated.

In 2008, Tamkang University was named by WHO as an International Safe School. It is the firstuniversity in the world to be recognized as a safe school. Tamkang University will continue to ensure that its campus is a work-safe and campus-friendly environment.

 

Approval Ratings

  1. In its evaluation of medium-range academic development plans designed by comprehensive Taiwanese private universities, the Ministry of Education (MOE) rated Tamkang University as “excellent”. Tamkang ranked first in the 1998-1999 academic year evaluation; and subsequently, in the 1999-2000 academic year, the MOE rated Tamkang University as “excellent” in all six categories under review: planning and implementation, instruction and student counseling, research, promotion of education, administrative management, and accounting administration. In the 2000-2002 academic years, Tamkang again earned an “excellent” rating in five separate categories.
  2. In 2005, on behalf of the MOE, the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association conducted the first nationwide assessment of College Performance, in which Tamkang was ranked first for the academic year 2003-2004. Groups of subjects under review included humanities, arts and sports, social sciences (including educational studies), natural sciences, and engineering. The six criteria used for assessment at the institutional level were teaching resources, degree of internationalization or globalization, promotion of education, student guidance and services, liberal or general education, and administrative support. Among all 76 universities and colleges being evaluated, Tamkang was assessed as “better” in all areas. This is a distinction achieved by no other university in Taiwan.
  3. In Taiwan’s first English-Friendly Environment Evaluation in 2003, the Ministry of Education ranked Tamkang as the number one university in the country.
  4. In the “1,000 Enterprises’ Favorite College Graduates” survey, conducted by the well-known Common Wealth (Cheers) Magazine, Tamkang University placed first on the list of local private universities for fourteen consecutive years.
  5. The robot research team of Tamkang’s Electrical Engineering Department was crowned successive world champion in two separate categories of the FIRA robot soccer competition. The team took first place in the RoboSot League of the FIRA RoboWorld Cup in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011; and first place in the HuroCup of the FIRA RoboWorld Cup in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011.
  6. In the 2006 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Poster Contest, the poster designed by Tamkang’s Department of Information and Library Science won the Best Poster Award, making it the first academic department in Taiwan to win such an award.
  7. In 2001, “E-business Weekly” ranked Tamkang University number one in the “Digital Infrastructure Environment Evaluation of Taiwan’s Universities,” and called Tamkang a “Digital Heaven.”
  8. In the 1999 Evaluation of Institutions that Cultivate Teachers, Tamkang University’s Elementary Teacher Education Program won an “Outstanding” rating from the Ministry of Education. Earning almost full marks, TKU is the only institution to obtain such a distinction. In the 2005 Evaluation of Institutions that Cultivate Teachers, Tamkang University’s Elementary Teacher Education Program and Middle School Teacher Education Program both earned the highest rating given by the MOE. Again, Tamkang is the only institution to have received such a distinction.
  9. In 1999, the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) selected Tamkang University as one of just two universities in the world to receive a WFSF Award for Futures Institution in recognition of Tamkang University’s tireless efforts to promote Futures Studies in Taiwan over the past three decades.
  10. On October 5, 2007, the Lanyang Campus received a “Green Building” award from the Ministry of the Interior in recognition of the campus’ environmentally friendly design and construction. The campus was also awarded a “Green Building” prize by the Executive Yuan, which was presented to Tamkang University during a ceremony on December 22, 2007.
  11. Tamkang University was the first university in the world to be conferred International Safe School status by WHO on November 18, 2008.
  12. On January 6, 2009, Tamkang University was the first academic institution in the world to be certified as complying with the standards of the IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM-ISO/IEC 20000-1: 2005.
  13. Tamkang University won the 19th National Quality Award on May 5, 2009.
  14. In 2009, Tamkang University was awarded the School of Excellent Physical Education Award by the MOE. It is the only university in Taiwan to have received this prestigious award.
  15. Tamkang was ranked 272nd among universities worldwide, 33rd in Asia, 9th in Taiwan, and 1st among private universities in Taiwan by Webometrics, 2011.
  16. TKU provides assistance for students wishing to take part in the Worldwide Competition on Microsoft Office. As a result, TKU were crowned world champions in 2009 (Excel 2007), 2010 (Excel 2003, Word 2003), and 2011 (PowerPoint 2007).
  17. In September 2011, Tamkang University became the first university in Taiwan to receive the prestigious EPA Environmental Award.

  18. In the 2011 MOE Evaluation of Institutes of Higher Education in Taiwan, Tamkang University received the highest recognition of “satisfactory” in all categories reviewed. These categories include ‘university market placement’, ‘university governance and operation’, ‘teaching and learning resources’, ‘performance and social responsibility’, and ‘mechanisms for continued improvement and quality assurance’.

Leading Characteristics

  1. The finest private comprehensive university with the longest history and the fastest development in Taiwan.
  2. The first university in Taiwan to inaugurate a College of International Studies and Area Studies programs, including the Graduate Institutes of Southeast Asian Studies, Japanese Studies, American Studies, Latin American Studies, European Studies, Slavic Studies, and China Studies.
  3. The first Taiwanese university to appraise teacher performance through evaluation by students.
  4. Initiated the system of General Education and Core Curriculum in Taiwan.
  5. The first university in Taiwan to allow student registration and course selection via phone or Internet.
  6. Invented software and hardware for visually impaired students, enabling them to use the Internet, WWW, and other technologies.
  7. Initiated the Junior Year Abroad (JYA) program in Taiwan.
  8. Inaugurated Futures Studies as an academic course in Taiwan.
  9. The only private university in Taiwan to fully implement policies of globalization.
  10. The first university in Taiwan to adopt a “Digitalized Campus Teaching Support Platform” concept.
  11. The first university in Taiwan to implement prerequisite extracurricular courses.