Purpose of the Lectures
In response to globalization and the violent impact of internationalization as well as fierce competition from the world's leading universities, the four schools in UST have integrated the use of their resources as part of the forward-looking thinking and practices of the system. The common goal of the four universities is to enhance the quality of education and support the pursuit of academic excellence. National Chiaotung University and National Tsinghua University are the most respected schools in the nation in research of physics and engineering; National Central University leads the way in astronomy, atmospheric and environmental science and sustainable development; National Yangming University is the leader in genetic research and brain science. Besides their own special areas of expertise, each school also has a small but exceptional number of academics who have an excellent reputation in other areas. performance, When the four schools cooperate, the overall energy in the various disciplines at each campus becomes even more prominent, and the goal of establishing the university system is to use this cooperation mechanism to integrate the resources of the entire organization to bring cooperative synergies into play. While a single school acting alone may have a difficult time achieving the innovation and excellence in a broad range of disciplines, building on the system platform will result in a higher vision for the development of higher education in Taiwan, fostering talents for the coming ages.
Ovid Tzeng, Chairman of UST, points out that Taiwan has actively pursued excellence in education in recent decades and there have been many breakthroughs in scientific research, but now the most important issue is to pursue a higher vision, surpassing other countries and engaging in healthy competition with the rest of the world in every academic area. For higher education in Taiwan, especially in research universities, this means that while emphasizing research excellence we must also remember the true nature of a university education, the education of each university student. Model learning is an integral part of the process of nurturing a human being, and a university education is an important stage in shaping a well-rounded individual. The four schools of UST must educate students in the ethics of science and technology as well as in the mechanics of science and engineering expertise, and in medical ethics as well as in the intricacies of a medical education. Intellectuals must always be able to reflect on and constantly nurture a sense of compassion and the humanities to develop a sense of moral autonomy. UST is leading the way in promoting interaction between schools and fields of study, and in this spirit we have cooperated with the Sayling Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation to establish the Sayling Wen Academic Lecture Series.
As UST Chairman Ovid Tzeng notes, Sayling Wen was a successful entrepreneur in Taiwan who left his mark throughout the world, especially in backward remote areas, with his and active and creative personality, his love of knowledge and care for the human race. He is indeed a model for students to emulate. The chairman and CEO of the Sayling Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation also recognizes the concept of higher education espoused by UST and is very supportive of its president that “we cannot afford to lose our hunger for excellence”. The UST philosophy calls for integration of the system, and the promotion of cross-school lectures is another part of the drive to inspire and shape extraordinary talents to excel in every area, leading the way to the next stage in higher education.
Sayling Wen Academic Lectures Statement of Principles