TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In the meet and greet before the start of the 2022 school year, professors at the latest interdisciplinary program, "D-School" at the National Taiwan University, asked the recruits what they imagined "creativity" was.
With the first batch of students joining this program, NTU holds high hopes for them. In their vision for a futuristic school, NTU created the "Trans-disciplinary bachelor's degree program.”
As it's still relatively new, no freshmen are allowed at the moment, and double majors or transfer students from other departments have received the priority. The program can also accommodate a maximum of 30 students, and they can choose whichever courses they like in the school.
Whatever projects they have in mind, students have to design their courses to complete them. The program aims to attract those who have a clear idea of what they want to do in the future and know the diverse knowledge and skills needed to become a valuable asset in future work fields.
Chu Shi-wei, a professor at the National Taiwan University's D-School explained, "When they can design their own learning process, they will learn to be responsible for themselves."
"It's the need for someone to be willing to bravely challenge the existing limits, or the framework of the existing system, and then go from there to produce some new ideas, new ways to make the ideas reality."
Various universities in Taiwan also recognize the importance of these skills, and schools, including National Cheng Kung University, National Sun Yat-sen University, and National Taitung University, have all rolled out similar interdisciplinary programs.
The low birth rate in Taiwan sees fewer graduates every year, but the need for labor and talents in the work field is ever increasing. With these new types of programs, universities can better prepare students to handle and undertake more diverse problems and jobs in the future.