FEATURES

Education through Sports: A Must and a Plus

Many college freshmen might wonder why they are required to take Physical Fitness classes. Surely, when they think of other physical education classes, such as baseball or volleyball, which are packed with excitement, passion, and drama, or sports-fencing and martial arts, basic physical fitness training pales in comparison. However, Professor Yu-Hui Lien, the Director of the Department of Athletics, sees things differently. He offers that the Physical Fitness course requirement in fact creates a collective experience for students. “This is the best way for students to find a common topic to share with each other.”

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HONOR

Distinguished Professor Chung-Wen Lan Wins PVSEC Award

At the 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-8) and The International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference (PVSEC-32) in Milan, Italy, it was announced that Dr. Chung-Wen Lan, Distinguished Professor of NTU’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and Prof. Armin Aberle, CEO of the Solar Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) jointly won the PVSEC Award in recognition of their long-term efforts and contributions in the field of photovoltaics.

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GLOBAL OUTLOOK

Strengthening Ties with Academic and Industry Partners in Israel

NTU President Chung-Ming Kuan led a delegation of senior administrative heads, including Executive Vice President Chiapei Chou, Vice President for International Affairs Hsiao-Wei Yuan, Vice President for Academic Affairs Shih-Torng Ding, Vice President for Research and Development Pai-Chi Li and the Deans and faculty members of the fourteen NTU Colleges on a visit to Israel. Accompanied by Ya-Ping Lee, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv, and Jeffrey D. Schwartz, Founder of Jeffrey D. Schwartz and NaTang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association, the NTU delegation visited Israel’s major academic and industry institutions, strengthening bilateral collaborations and exchanges.

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Becoming Partners with University of St Andrews

Prof. Chiapei Chou, Executive Vice President of NTU, led a delegation to the UK to work out an academic exchange agreement in early October. The trip bore fruit, resulting in a partnership agreement with the University of St Andrews.

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Further Collaboration Opportunities Consolidated during CNRS Visit

Accompanied by the members from Bureau Français de Taipei (BFT), Prof. Antoine Petit and Mr. Edouard Besserve, Deputy Director for Asia, Oceania, Eastern Europe and Russia, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), met with representatives from NTU in October to discuss and boost further bilateral international collaborations between CNRS and NTU.

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ACHIEVEMENTS

A Riemannian Geometry Theory of Nonlinear Optical Properties of Materials

Bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) is a second-order nonlinear optical effect that generates dc photocurrents in a noncentrosymmetric solid under light irradiation. Topological semimetals emerge as efficient infrared and terahertz photodetectors due to this promising mechanism. Recently, Professor Guo of NTU’s Department of Physics, together with researchers from RIKEN and the University of Tokyo, Japan as well as Harvard University, USA, investigated the second-order optical conductivity in topological semimetals

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Mining Big Data to Reveal the Transcriptional Landscape of Bacteria in Cancer

In the past, internal organs other than the human gut were thought to be sterile. In particular, bacteria detected in tumor tissue were often considered contaminants introduced during sampling. Recently, however, increasing evidence has shown that various microorganisms are present in cancer tissues. Based on the concept of “making the best use of everything,” this study carried out big data analysis of human cancer microRNA sequence data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). By reusing the sequences that should

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Novel Pathogenic Mechanisms of Epilepsy Revealed

Epilepsy is a common brain disorder. However, its pathogenic mechanisms have been a mystery. Mutations and deletions of RBFOX3 were noted in persons with epilepsy but the mechanism of seizure mediation by RBFOX3 remained unknown. Now, in a recent article, Dr. Hsien-Sung Huang and his team at the Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences have revealed important clues for understanding the pathogenesis of RBFOX3-linked epilepsy (PNAS, August 11, 2022).

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TEACHING & LEARNING

Innovation in Education: Charting Your Academic Journey

The mission of the NTU Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) is to lead innovative pedagogy and equip students with the knowledge and skills they will need to solve the world’s most pressing and complex needs. To fulfill this mission, OAA has developed an innovative learning system, providing a diversity of learning options: the Specialization Programs, the University-Level Individually Designed Bachelor’s Degree, and the Undergraduate Honors Programs.

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Global Health Program Welcomes Incoming Students

This year marks the fourth year of the Global Health Program (GHP) offered by the College of Public Health. A welcome party was held on October 13, 2022 for its ten new master students. Program faculty, students, and alumni, also attended, providing the new students with an occasion to get acquainted with them.

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Efforts to Solve Unmet Medical Needs

The development of new medical devices is an integral part of medical care, yet biomedicine companies often face difficulty finding the appropriate healthcare experts or institutions with whom to collaborate. To facilitate the innovation of new medical devices and build clinical research momentum in Taiwan, NTU has established the Research and Development Center for Medical Devices to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

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PEOPLE

Anniversary Celebration—Pioneering the Future

NTU celebrated its 94th anniversary on November 15 with a grand ceremony presided over by President Chung-Ming Kuan. On this special occasion, Mr. Chun-Ming Huang and Mr. Jonney Shih were awarded honorary doctorates in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions. In his opening remarks, President Kuan asserted that for over nine decades NTU had been successfully cultivating many exceptional students who have gone on to foster progress in economy, society, and scientific research, making great contributions to both the University and Taiwan. Now, NTU is faced with keen competition in higher education across Asia as well as rapid social changes. In an effort to tackle these challenges, NTU has designed and implemented innovative learning programs to attract and retain talents, connect with the wider world, as well as stir discussions on Future University. President Kuan encouraged NTU students to “pioneer the future,” expecting more of them to break through current limitations, innovate, and face setbacks and failures without fear.

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Successful Fundraising to Prepare for NTU Centennial

As part of NTU’s Centennial Celebration and an effort to strengthen ties among alumni, enhance solidarity, and replenish the endowment fund, the Office of Financial Affairs launched the “Centennial Celebration Sorghum Liquor Fundraising Project” in April. The funds raised were earmarked to help secure production of the centennial celebration liquor. Thanks to the promotion efforts of President Chung-Ming Kuan, Executive Vice President Chiapei Chou, the leaders of the administrative team, and the deans of every college, TWD 19.71 million was raised, surpassing the target.

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Petit Theatre: We are not Teachers but Explorers

Fully immersed in her performance, Jasmine sits upright, her legs crossed, and calmly gives orders, perfectly capturing the essence of her character. “You were portraying everything so well that you became the character! It was as if you have been a CEO before!” After Jasmine finished her performance, she was showered with praises and compliments by her instructors Hsi-Han Chen, Tzu-Yao Lin, and Chia-Ling Chien. Chen, Lin, and Chien are three of the five founding members of Petit Theatre, a theatre workshop that hosts creative drama courses at NTU.

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