SOC

Origin

Due to Deep Neural Network (DNN) 's extraordinary performance, such as video recognition and natural language processing, AlphaGo defeated the world champion at the board game Go. Artificial intelligence (AI) has again attracted worldwide attention as people deeply understand AI's influence on future technology and society. Various data and market information also clearly reveal that due to Big Data and computing capabilities' continued improvements, AI has become an inevitable technology development trend. Many domestic resources are also devoted, hoped to integrate with this new wave and international developments quickly. In just a few years, the term AI has become a buzzword known to most people. It is believed that driven by rapidly evolving technology and various demands, and there will be fascinating new applications that will soon be launched.

Regardless of the operation model of AI in the market, the key to success is the implementation of interdisciplinary integration, deepening critical basic technologies, and the cultivation of fundamental theories such as computing, statistics, and numerical analysis. If you thoroughly analyze AI development elements, you can fully understand the importance of cultivating talents. Looking back, the reason why Taiwan can stand out of the semiconductor industry and play a decisive role is the comprehensive semiconductor industry chain supported by government policies. What is more important is the technique talent cultivation system, which continually supports the research and development workforce and attracted international enterprises to set up branches in Taiwan if we explore Taiwan's semiconductor industry, from early OEM to the success pattern following specifications and efficiency.

We can tell that AI talents who can be innovative and interdisciplinary should have different talent cultivation thinking and operating mechanisms. Review the current AI promoting strategies. The current strategies and guidelines in Taiwan include innovative applications, interdisciplinary promotion, and talent cultivation. Most of them focus on solving the unilateral needs, and resources were either overlapped or dispersed with the limitation and dilemmas that cannot be broken in the existing framework. Taiwan has missed out on the best opportunities, and we should take steps that are more efficient and proactive in the face of the rapidly developing AI field.

In August 2019, Miin- Wu, Chairman of MACRONIX, announced the decision to donate NT $ 420 million to National Cheng Kung University for the establishment of the Cheng Kung Innovation Center - MACRONIX Hall. As mentioned by the Principal of NCKU, Jenny Su, at the launching ceremony." To achieve an incredible event depends on great timing. Facing the challenges of oncoming AI technology and innovative applications, NCKU will adopt the development strategies of MIT Schwarzman College of Computing (An interdisciplinary talent training program mainly sponsored by Stephen A. Schwarzman) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Considering the current educational environment in Taiwan and the advantages of NCKU's existing nine colleges' diverse discipline, we try to propose a fundamental solution, create a new era of inter-discipline and AI talent cultivation, which will set a paradigm for Taiwan education. Thanks to the support of this donation and the testimony of nine colleges' representatives, the preparation for Miin Wu School of Computing has officially launched. This declaration's significance was that NCKU is ready to take up the challenges of interdisciplinary and innovative applications.

Furthermore, we want to actively break through the existing education framework and flip the higher education model to cultivate innovative technical talents. Our students will be qualified with substantial influence and outstanding competitiveness in the AI ​​generation. We knew that this was not an easy task, but we decided to do it because we deemed it a necessary and unavoidable responsibility for a top-tier university.
 

Vision

As an institution of higher education, NCKU has always been dedicated to cultivating domestic elite talent and spares no effort in coordinating resources and talents in industry, government, academia, and the research area. Whether it is the response to social crisis, promotion of industrial innovation, the ranking among international universities, or the high regard by the domestic industry, the remarkable outcomes we have shown are evident to all. In the face of ever-changing international trends, we must remain flexible, always be conscious, reflect on our shortcomings, and dare to make reforms.

Therefore, confronting the AI computing trend, NCKU hopes that we will become the benchmark for promoting the various computing capabilities and implementation of interdisciplinary applications through the soft school mechanisms and the innovative talent cultivation program in Taiwan. Try to integrate existing resources and planning related development, including basic theory and mathematics, statistics core skills to enhance various applications' competitiveness and uniqueness. Further, cultivate elites with "demand analysis" and "specification" capabilities, which are good at interdisciplinary system integration and implementation to solve practical problems and promote social well-being.

With this school and affiliated research centers, we will promote the digital transformation of traditional industries and the technology industry's innovation. We will also rely on ILP and transnational cooperation to establish strong international industry chains. Provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary environment, and cultivate innovative talents with dual expertise (specific discipline and computing). Related concepts are under the support and commitment of President Jenny Su and the planning of Vice President Cheng-Wen Wu. Relevant concepts have been recognized and encouraged by essential industry leaders such as MACRONIX Chairman, Miin Wu, Delta Electronics Honorary Chairman, Bruce C.H. Cheng, Compal Vice Chairman, Jui-Tsung Chen, Qisda Chairman, Peter Chen, Google Taiwan General Manager, Lee-Feng Chien, and Institute of Information and Communication Technology of ITRIs Superintendent, Tzi-Cker Chiueh the and other essential industry leaders' recognition and encouragement. Miin Wu School of Computing will continue to integrate the private sector's strengths to support the preparatory process and the school's future management.
 

Goals

Miin Wu School of Computing will implement AI computing technology after the model of top-tier universities, such as MIT and CMU. Adopt their best practices to establish an innovative concept distinct from the current education system and provide comprehensive "interdisciplinary integration" education and research environment. In addition to responding to various AI applications, it also emphasizes providing competitive talent training programs from primary science education, technology research, and social needs. We aim to realize the school's vision: "Use advanced computing technology to solve practical problems and build a better society with cultivating interdisciplinary talents who have specialization and computing expertise.

The school has the following goals:
  • Bilingual: Cultivate innovative talents with dual expertise in various disciplines and computing and conduct demand analysis and system design in specific application areas.
  • Interdisciplinary: Based on NCKU's nine colleges' existing advantages, links external resources of industry, academia, and research, and provides a comprehensive and application-oriented environment.
  • System Integration: Encourage students to participate in and reflect on social issues and develop capabilities of interdisciplinary communication, demand analysis, and system specification. By implementing specific topics to acquire the best solutions for system integration, which can positively impact society and the world.
  • Industrial / International-Liaison: With the pragmatic and active elite computing school, strengthen industrial links to link with the world. Focus on education as well as R&D of computing science, technique, and applications that meet social demand.
 

Features

Seeing the trend that numerous disciplines will depend on computing, the teaching philosophy is bound to integrate multiple disciplines' applied courses and related professional training. Unlike the existing computing department (deepened and specialized in developing its technology), our school has a degree program with a perfect matching mechanism and operating model to reach the interdisciplinary goals. Relevant curriculum planning is based on application-oriented computing skills. The educational and research tasks of the faculty and the students are also conducted with the same focus. As the first domestic newly-created school of computing, we have summarized our features as follows:
  •  Application-oriented research and interdisciplinary programs
  •  Balanced operating model between self-funding and government resources
  •  Membership-based Industrial Liaison Program (ILP)
  •  Interdisciplinary Research Centers
  •  Highly flexible degree programs
  •  Innovative international and industrial connection