National Taiwan Normal University


National Taiwan Normal University is a national public research university with its main campus in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1922 during Japanese rule as the Taihoku Higher School, it was the first teachers' college in Taiwan.
The university has three campuses across Taipei and New Taipei City. It consists of ten academic colleges, 13 research centers, and 67 academic departments, and operates an affiliated senior high school., it has a total of more than 8,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. Over 1,600 students at NTNU are international and over 1,000 students are overseas Chinese in preparatory programs. The university hosts the Mandarin Training Center, the oldest and largest Chinese-language teaching institution in the country, and administers the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language, the country's primary Chinese-language examination for non-native speakers.
NTNU is affiliated with National Taiwan University and the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology as part of the National Taiwan University System, formed in 2015. The Research Center for Psychological and Educational Testing at NTNU is responsible for organizing Taiwan's annual Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students. NTNU is also the convening institution for the Committee of College Admission Practical Examination, which is responsible for conducting practical examinations in the fields of fine arts, music, and physical education for use in university admissions across Taiwan.

History

National Taiwan Normal University opened its doors in the early 20th century during Japanese rule in Taiwan. Taiwan's Japanese governors established the school as Taiwan Provincial College. Soon after they gave it the name Taihoku College. The school's purpose was to nurture a native educated class qualified to assist the government in matters of administration. Many buildings on the university's main campus date from the Japanese colonial period, including the Administration Building, the Lecture Hall, Wenhui Hall and Puzi Hall. Japanese architects incorporated features of the Neo-Classical, Gothic and Gothic Revival styles often encountered on European university campuses. A room in the Lecture Hall housed the traditional Japanese document that authorizes and formalizes campus construction.
In the 1940s, the university, along with National Taiwan University, Taiwan Provincial College of Agriculture, and Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering, were the only four higher education institutions in Taiwan.
Some school publications still display 1946 as the institution's founding date in reference to this regime change. A number of Taiwan's leading authors, poets, artists, educators, painters, musicians, linguists, sinologists, philologists, philosophers, and researchers have passed through the university's doors as students and faculty. In 1956 the Mandarin Training Center opened its doors as an extension of the college. The school acquired its present name, National Taiwan Normal University, in 1967. By now the school had established itself as a recognized center of learning in arts, literature and the humanities; its fundamental mission, though, remained the preparation of teachers.
As Taiwanese society made its shift from authoritarian rule to democracy in the 1990s, the university saw its role transformed by passage of the 1994 Teacher Preparation Law. The law gave more schools responsibility for teacher training and set NTNU on its present course as a truly comprehensive university. New departments were created, course offerings and majors were expanded, and new faculty were hired. the merger of NTNU with the University Preparatory School for Overseas Chinese Students in 2006. NTNU is the university in Taiwan with the largest number of foreign students. The university became a hub of international activity, enabling Taiwanese students to travel abroad, attracting international students to Taipei, and building exchange programs with hundreds of sister institutions around the world.

Campus

NTNU's main campus is located in the heart of Taipei, adjacent to the culturally rich and artistic atmosphere of the Yongkang Street Area, and within walking distance are famous attractions such as Daan Forest Park, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei Grand Mosque, Mongolian & Tibetan Cultural Center, etc. Universities affiliated with the NTU System, such as National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, are also nearby. The university also has campuses in the Wenshan District of Taipei and in the Linkou District of New Taipei, as well as standalone buildings scattered off-campus. Examples include the Yunhe Teaching Building, Qingtian Teaching Building, and the School of Teacher Education Building.
Due to the merger with the National University of Preparatory School for Overseas Chinese Students, NTNU also inherited some land from the original Luzhou Campus in New Taipei City. It is adjacent to the National Open University.The campus is also home to several special sculpture installations, including the "Liberty Bell," which was the spiritual symbol of the Taihoku College, and a Tai Chi statue presented by Peking University in honor of NTNU's promotion of Tai Chi. NTNU obtained the sole license from the Louvre Museum in 1987 and purchased a batch of officially copyrighted original plaster replica statues.
NTNU possesses several Taipei City-designated historic sites, including the Original Buildings of Taihoku High School, the residence of Liu Chen, the residence of Liang Shih-chiu, and more.
NTNU Library has branches on all three campuses. The main library has established the Gao Xingjian Center.

Culture

The NTNU emblem consists of a circle formed by six wooden bells, symbolizing collective progress and collaborative efforts to achieve "perfection" in education. The colors represent the blue sky and daylight, signifying the fairness and straightforwardness of the educators.
The official school tree of NTNU is the Cassia fistula, chosen because its appearance resembles the traditional teaching whip from ancient times.
Due to the similar pronunciation between the Chinese character "師" in the school's name and "獅", the mascot of the school is also a lion named "Da Shi Xiong". In addition to numerous lion-themed memorabilia, the campus features several lion-related sculptures.

University structure

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Academic programs at NTNU are administered by 10 colleges: arts, education, international studies & social sciences, liberal arts, management, musicology, science, sports & recreation, technology & engineering and interdisciplinary industry academia innovation.
As of November 2022 the school published the following figures for students enrolled and employees retained.
  • Students enrolled: 15,112
  • Undergraduate students: 8,394
  • Graduate students: 5,686
  • Overseas Chinese Students in Preparatory Programs: 1,032
  • Faculty: 1,541

    College of Education

NTNU's College of Education is the oldest and largest education college in Taiwan. The college collaborates with Tohoku University, Korea University, National Chengchi University, and Nanjing Normal University to offer the Asian Educational Leadership Program. This course is to nurture internationally minded educational professionals.
NTNU's College of Arts is the most ancient higher education institution for fine arts in Taiwan, and the birthplace of artistic development in Taiwan.
  • Department of Design
  • Department of Fine Arts
  • Graduate Institute of Art History

    College of Technology and Engineering

  • Department of Electrical Engineering
  • Department of Graphic Arts and Communications
  • Department of Industrial Education
  • Department of Mechatronic Engineering
  • Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development
  • Graduate Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering
  • International Doctoral Program in Integrative STEM Education
  • Undergraduate Program of Electro-Optical Engineering
  • Undergraduate Program of Vehicle and Energy Engineering
TSMC partners with NTNU to launch semiconductor training program