Embracing the AI Wave! The 115th Academic Year School Administration Strategy Seminar Concludes Successfully
It has been nearly a year since our school was upgraded to a university. To better navigate changes in the higher education landscape and implement the President’s vision for school governance, the Secretariat held the "115th Academic Year School Administration Strategy Seminar" on Wednesday, August 12, at the International Conference Hall of the Second Research and Education Building. Centered on the theme "Be Strong and Courageous, Moving Forward—Challenges and Responses in the Age of AI," the seminar brought together faculty and staff to map out the mid-term blueprint for the university's development.
The seminar opened with a heartwarming worship song and a prayer led by Pastor Zhang Yi-lun, followed by an encouraging address from Chairman Chou Ke-hsiu. Subsequently, President Yeh Hung-yi delivered a report titled "The Vision and Strategies for School Administration in the AI Era." He proposed two core pillars for the university's administration: first, to inspire faculty to lead students in looking toward the world, pursuing excellence, and promoting the Mackay spirit; and second, to optimize support systems. He also outlined three foundations and visions: implementing the Mackay Medical University development goals and mid-term administrative plans; providing equal educational opportunities to practice the spirit of public higher education; and concretely integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to fulfill social responsibilities and respond to stakeholders' expectations. The President urged colleagues to proactively adapt to the impacts of the AI wave, highlighting seven key strategies, including: strengthening recruitment, localizing AI, refining research and development, fostering industry-academia collaboration, creating a foundation of humanities, improving international rankings, and implementing the "Grand Mackay Project." Following this, the heads of the six major departments—Dean of Academic Affairs Huang Li-ching, Dean of Student Affairs Wu Tzu-wei, Dean of General Affairs Li An-sheng, Dean of Research and Development Chung Ching-hu, Dean of Library and Information Affairs Lin Cheng-yung, and Dean of International Affairs Hsiung Yi-fang—reported on the focus and strategies for the new academic year.
In the morning’s general discussion, Secretary-General Shen Yung-shun provided an introduction titled "Five Strategic Pillars for Navigating the Deep Waters of Higher Education." During the session, Associate Professor Tsai Pi-hua of the Center for Holistic Education suggested that external funding could be appropriately allocated to build resources in the humanities. In response, President Yeh noted that with an annual budget of approximately NT$700 million and a modest surplus, the university will work toward greater transparency in fund allocation and the utilization of external resources through data integration in school governance. Furthermore, the university will move to optimize systems for faculty promotion and flexible salary schemes, while promoting incentive mechanisms and professional training for staff, encouraging everyone to "go the extra mile." In his concluding remarks, the President emphasized that as a small, specialized university, we possess the unique advantage of close faculty-student relationships. He expressed his hope that everyone will work together to carry forward the Mackay spirit, keep pace with the times by bringing AI skills into the campus, and guide students to use AI correctly as we grow together.
The afternoon session featured dedicated workshops on "The Practice of Introducing AI to Campus." Through benchmarking and brainstorming, the sessions aimed to inject momentum into the campus digital transformation. For the faculty session, Professor Li Tsung-han, Dean of the College of Engineering, Dean of the AI Innovation College, and Dean of the College of Precision Health at Tamkang University, spoke on "The Practice of Introducing AI into the Teaching Field," sharing practical experience and teaching entry points. The staff session featured Professor Shih Kuei-ping, Chief Information Officer and Professor of Computer Science and Information Engineering at Tamkang University, who focused on the smart innovation of administrative processes and the exchange of practical application experience. During the group discussions, Secretary-General Shen took advantage of the break in the speakers' schedules to host Secretary-General Ma Yu-pei of Tamkang University and the two guest speakers for a campus tour, including a visit to the Gross Anatomy Laboratory on the 6th floor, fostering interaction between the two institutions as we move forward together in the field of higher education.
The workshop concluded with group discussions among all faculty and staff, followed by presentations and a final plenary session. The consensus reached includes: first, conducting a comprehensive inventory of the current AI utilization among faculty and staff; second, in terms of administrative direction, focusing on phased training and budget allocation based on the practical experiences of benchmark universities and the specific needs of teaching and administration; and third, actively evaluating the feasibility of establishing an AI administrative support system. Furthermore, based on an understanding of the advantages and limitations of AI, the university will establish a sound governance and ethical framework for AI on campus. The university will also form a university-level AI Promotion Committee to oversee the overall progress of teaching, research, administration, and governance.
The seminar concluded successfully with the enthusiastic participation of all faculty and staff. We move toward the next stage of our development vision, advancing steadily through the AI wave to create a new chapter of excellence for the university!
