News

2007.1120

"My Views on the Future Develpoment of Taiwan" by President Gou

※ National Taiwan Normal University(NTNU)'s President Gou Yih-Shun(郭義雄) was invited to give a speech on "Higher Education Management Leadership Forum 2007" (Nov.9-10) in the Hongkong Polytechnic University. My Views on the Future Development of Taiwan’s Higher Education--Creating a great place to work and to innovate Higher education institutes are where knowledge is created and passed on, improving the quality of life in a particular place by educating and training talents in different fields. The quality of higher education therefore determines the quality of life both at a spiritual level as well as a material one. It also holds the key to creating a harmonious and prosperous society. So how exactly through higher education can we create a great place to work and to innovate? I believe we must first define “a great place.” With a precise definition, we can then devise ideal measures and policies. Therefore I would like to share with you my humble opinion by citing from Confucius’ Ideal Commonwealth State, “Adults are employed, children are raised while the lonely ones are looked after” as my footnote and the ultimate goal we must pursue: that is every person has a suitable job and takes care of one another with love and care in an ideal place where people do not have to worry about thieves or burglars with their doors open at night. I am an applied physicist. In the mid-20th Century, before the Second World War, outstanding talents in science and the humanities swarmed into the United States. Due to the war, international talents and American elites could cooperate. Through corporate planning and management along with brainstorming, they were able to innovate endlessly. Inventions like atomic bombs and microwave network monitoring system led the United States to victory in the war. MIT London’s lab、Las Almos Lab、Chicago’s Fermi lab、Bell Lab、Berkeley Laurence lab were established during that period of time. These elites worked in such an excellent environment and prestigious universities brought breakthroughs and laid foundation stones for this century’s technologies. For example, laser technology and nuclear division made renewable energy possible; the creation of calculators brought about an information revolution; the discovery of DNA fostered the development of life science today, while semiconductors transformed the world of electronics and led to the discovery of superconductors and magnetic materials, etc. All of the above, coupled with the newly defined “statistical mechanics in physics”, brought about new corporate management knowledge. All these were made possible because of the collaboration between elites from different fields and the brainstorming which created great ideas. Achievements accomplished then are still developing even today. Therefore, after the mid-20th Century, the United States has been actively reforming its higher education so schools can provide trainings for elites with diverse courses. Teachers and students could now learn and interact with a broader vision. Science Parks were also established near universities so the elites, with effective business management, could better innovate and create economic miracles. Silicon Valley is one example. As Taiwan embraced the application of semiconductors in the 1950s, three institutes in Hsinchu Area were established—The Graduate Institute of Electronics in National Chiao Tung University, The Graduate Institute of Nuclear Science in Tsing Hua University, and Industrial Technology Research Institute, complementing one another, nurturing numerous elites in semiconductor electronics and materials science, and laying the foundation for Hsinchu Science Park. The good tax system also attracted international talents and especially overseas Taiwanese students to come back to Taiwan to make their share of contribution. With all the sparks created by these forces, Taiwan saw stellar economic growth which is still rising and has made Taiwan a prosperous and stable place.  I also believe the nurturing of talents was a result of the successful normal education in Taiwan, especially government-funded nurturing teachers’ program. Since Taiwan was an impoverished place in the mid-20th Century, children suffering destitution could have an opportunity to receive normal education funded by the government to become good teachers who then educated hard-working talents and elites from all classes.  To sum up, government-funded and outstanding postgraduate normal education in Taiwan should be provided to grade 1 ~ grade 9 teachers who work hard and share the spirit of Albert Schweitzer. The training of elites in all industries and sectors should also start as early as grade 1 ~ grade 9 education so that morality, language proficiency, the ability to communicate, basic mathematics and knowledge of management, appreciation of literature and art, good health as well as a global perspective can be cultivated at a young age. As they grow up and enter universities, the abilities above are reinforced. Furthered by professional training and a sense of recognizing our precious earth they become the elites who work and collaborate with purpose and direction. Note that recruiting exceptional human resources from abroad is also the hope. Finally, with effective and internationalized business management and collaboration, the goals of bringing up professionals with a sense of classical elegance and modern vision and creating a great place to work and to innovate can be achieved. <a href="http://pr.ntnu.edu.tw/news2.php?no=1206"><Chinese Version></a>