The Centre of General Education (CGE)  has crafted a comprehensive educational concept that not only defines its role within the university but extends its impact beyond campus borders. Named the "South Side College" after Taiwan Tech's Southern location in Taipei, this distinctive educational model aligns with the UN Sustainable Develiopment Goals and firmly embeds them in a local context. 
 

Background

In recent years, there has been a global shift towards emphasizing University Social Responsibility (USR) in higher education. Taiwan Tech's Center of General Education promotes an educational concept that actively engages both faculty and students with the local community. Through our courses, we are committed to provide students with a concept of liberal arts education that combines humanistic values and practical social engagement.This commitment has led to the establishment of "South Side College," named after the Southern area and community surrounding the Taiwan Tech campus (also called the Gongguan area).
 

The educational blueprint of South Side College revolves around the concepts of "local revitalization" and "active learning" with a primary focus on nurturing "π-shaped individuals" as outlined in the educational vision of Taiwan Tech's 2030 development plan. Taiwan Tech aims to train technologically skilled individuals (the left leg of "π”), but also nurture Liberal Arts (the right leg of "π”) and develop transnational communication skills (the horizontal bar of "π”).
The mission of South Side College is to nurture the right pillar and the horizontal bar of of the "π" symbol. Through our educational programs, our technology-oriented students will be empowered to actively engage with society, fostering a profound sense of connection and responsibility to the local community. Additionally, they will enrich their lives by developing the ability to appreciate diverse cultures and embrace a wide range of values.

The South Side College: Our Educational Concept

Taiwan Tech belongs to Taiwan's technological and vocational education system (TVE). We recognize the pivotal role that comprehensive vocational and technical education plays in advancing Taiwan's industries. Rigorous professional training, represented by the left pillar of the "π" symbol, is deemed indispensable for the success of TVE.
In today's Taiwanese society, which values democracy and diverse perspectives, technology professionals should also wholeheartedly embrace social innovation. The South Side College aspires to nurture technologically skilled individuals who excel in both "action" and "communication." Our graduates should be able to engage in discourse from a humanistic standpoint and actively participate in social practices that envision social innovation. Equipped with these skills, they may contribute to the progress of the Taiwanese society or any other society they may belong to in the future. 

Cultural Diversity and Social innovation

As a co-learning hub for "diverse technological talent," the South Side College envisions the right leg of the π- symbol to serve as a pillar of cultural diversity. This should manifest at both the individual level, including recognition of gender diversity, and at the group level, encompassing ethnic diversity. We aspire for our graduates to possess awareness of cultural diversity, collaborate with peers of various genders or ethnic backgrounds, and remain open to leadership from individuals of different cultural backgrounds. We believe that this kind of awareness is fundamental to creating a fulfilling workplace.
In addition to nurturing awareness of cultural diversity, technology professionals should embrace the values of social innovation. We understand the concept of social innovation as the process of adopting the UN Sustainable Development Goals  and putting them in a local context. A perspective of world citizenship is the fundamental premise for driving social innovation practices. Thus, the design and planning of our courses will be approached from the perspectives of "international localization", i.e. integrating our international students into the local Taiwanese society, and "local internationalization”, also known as Internationalization at Home (IaH).

Internationalization and Localization

Taiwan Tech hosts around 1500  international students. To help them integrate into Taiwanese society and contribute their expertise, we design courses that will enable them to experience local developments and enrich the Taiwanese society through participation and social innovation ("international localization").  
If it comes to Internationalization at Home, the saying "the more local, the more global" implies that local involvement results in greater societal impact. The current composition of Taiwanese society includes five major ethnic groups. i.e.Indigenous People, Hokkien Hakka, New Immigrants from neighboring [South] East Asian countries, and Mainlanders who came to Taiwan after 1947. All these ethnic groups living in this land are important cultural assets of Taiwan. We design our courses to guide students in exploring how the notion of global citizenship will influence their own identities in the process of social innovation.

Through this educational approach, we believe our students will discover career paths that resonate with their interests, develop a strong commitment to society, and make a positive impact in the lives of people in Taiwan and beyond!