¡@¡@The UST has been established to break through developmental and structural
impasse obstructing creative integration of research personnels and resources in higher
education in Taiwan. The UST aims to actively forge close communication and
cooperation among the four universities involved. A fundamental reconstruction of
undergraduate education will be introduced step by step. Best teachers from the four
campuses will be organized to offer a core curriculum for all undergraduate students
entering the four campuses of UST. These will include course for general education,
basic science courses and classics. This is possible only under UST because none of the
four campuses have the breadth and depth in their teaching staff to do it alone. Research
laboratories within UST will offer opportunities to upper class students to join them as
¡§student helper¡¨. We believe that early exposure to the state-of-the-art environment of
academic research can be inspiration to the young minds. To initiate this reconstruction,
we need first to integrate the educational resources on the four campuses. Units in
charge of the ¡§teaching affairs¡¨ of the four universities will be asked to work together
under the leadership of the UST Vice Chancellor of Academics to plan and coordinate
action plans leading to the implementation of the reconstruction. These will include both
hardware and software infrastructure building. Some of them have already begun.
 
   
 
 

(1) UST Digital Education Network
¡@¡@The UST plans to integrate and connect the four universities' teaching and research resources via the internet. The integration of such resources will render more costeffective and efficient intra- and inter-university bureaucracy as well as offer high quality internet access for faculty and students to conduct learning and research. Such a digital network will provide the basis for future collaborative pedagogical and exchange programs among the UST universities and between UST and other international universities. Students will be able take cross-campus and eventually international courses through internet.

¡@¡@Digital learning is an integral part of modern life and society. It breaks through the limitations of space and time in traditional modes of learning. Learning websites, virtual classrooms, digital libraries, online learning communities and other modes of digital pedagogy offer an autonomous learning environment. Recognizing this important trend, The National Science Council of Taiwan has authorized the Digital Learning National Science and Technology Program in 2002. The program office is located at NCU and UST will play a key role in this important national program. The first e-university of Taiwan is being planned under the leadership of UST.

(2) Compatible Computer Network Configuration for each UST campus
¡@¡@The four campuses will build compatible computing networks. This includes the following: (a) campus network backbone; (b) devices for synchronous long-distance teaching and videoconference; (c) network learning system; (d)administration computing.

(3) Distant learning and Video Conference
¡@¡@ UST Digital education network will facilitate and support long-distance and real-time teaching as well as inter-university asynchronous teaching and video conference . It will also enhance inter-university activities including learning and research collaborations. Digital libraries will achieve the pooling of library resources and offer personalized learning and research virtual environments.The network will play an important role in the implementation of the new UST undergraduate core curriculum.
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  (1) Interface Integration and Service Information System
¡@¡@The major goal is to promote the interface integration of library holding resources and services in the four libraries, and provide consistent and individualized service for the user.

(2) Unified Contents of Periodicals in the Four UST Universities
¡@¡@The main purpose is to make the periodicals purchased by the four universities be fully accessible by providing a database of its contents.
¡@¡@The library holdings of each library of the four UST universities respectively have their own strength in the fields of science, engineering, culture, management and medicine etc. These library holding specializations can be highlighted with digitalized
database for library holdings and a digital library system. Available resources will be maximized as well as made more efficiently accessible for learning and research use. Steps are taken to achieve this integration.
(3) UST Digital Libraries ¡@¡@
¡@¡@The main purpose is to promote the digitalization of library holdings in the four libraries, with the eventual goal of providing more innovative services more efficiently at lower costs through common servers.
     
   
  ¡@¡@In order to promote administrative contact among the four universities, academic inter-communication, as well as to further facilitate physical travel for collaborative learning and research work, a special shuttle service runs between the four UST universities.
     
   
 


 

(1) Integration and Development of Human Resources
¡@¡@In order for the UST to jointly employ full-time and part-time academic staff, rules
to establish¡§UST Chair Professorship ¡¨ and regulations for¡§Visiting Appointment¡¨ are
drafted. Administrative personnel at-work training and new teaching staff training
sessions will be implemented across the system.

(2) Integration of Academic Affairs
¡@¡@a. Establish mechanism for joint graduate student recruitment and admissions,
¡@¡@¡@as well as joint recruitment of transfer students.

¡@¡@ b. Develop Inter-University Graduate Programs and Course Modules
¡@¡@¡@(ii)) Inter-university Cultural Studies Course Module
¡@¡@¡@(ii)) Inter-University Nano Science & Technology Course Module
¡@¡@¡@(iii) Inter-University Bio-Information Course Module
¡@¡@¡@(vi) Inter-University Brain Science Course Module
¡@¡@¡@(v)) Inter-University International Management Course Module

¡@¡@c. Develop General Education Lecture Series and Core Curriculum

(3) Integration of Student Extracurriculum Activities
¡@¡@(a) Workshop for officers of student clubs
¡@¡@(b) Joint art exhibitions and concerts
¡@¡@(c) Joint athletics meetings
¡@¡@(d) Concert tours by joint student orchestra

(4) New unified Academic Calendar for UST
   
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