Background

     Taiwan is a country of multiple ethnicities. Promoting a harmonious coexistence among different ethnic groups and the development of diverse ethnic cultures is one of the top priorities of the country today. This serves as a key indicator for how democratic and open a society is. In advanced countries around the world, multiculturalism is a frequently discussed topic and also an ideal route to progress.  In other words, the promotion and understanding of multiculturalism not only fosters interactions but also promotes mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among different ethnic groups. Education and research in ethnic studies can build the necessary foundation that promotes multiculturalism. They can also serve as a source of inspiration that supports the transmission and preservation of a diverse cultural heritage. Therefore, proponents of Hakka culture preservation and development have long been advocating the establishment of a College of Hakka Studies in order to integrate research and education of the Hakka language and culture, as well as to establish the presence of the Hakka ethnic group.
      National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) is located at the heart of the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli region, with a high concentration of Taiwan’s Hakka population. Since the re-establishment of NCTU in Hsinchu in 1958, the University has maintained close links with the Hakka community in the region. In view of the common goal of Taiwan’s Central Government and  the government of Hsin Chu County (with the highest Hakka population density in Taiwan) to establish a College of Hakka Studies, a proposal entitled “The College of Hakka Studies, National Chiao Tung University” was submitted in 2002 to the Ministry of Education with the vision of transforming NCTU’s College of Hakka Studies into a world-class center for Hakka studies and policy research.

Characteristics

        Upon approval by the Ministry of Education, the College of Hakka Studies, National Chiao Tung University was established on March 5, 2004. The College is comprised of several departments: the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, the Department of Communication and Technology, the Graduate Program of Ethnicity and Culture, the Degree Program of Hakka Society and Culture, the International Center for Hakka Studies, and the Center for Science, Technology, and Society (STS). NCTU’s College of Hakka Studies fully leverages Hsinchu’s rich Hakka social and cultural heritage and concentrated population by integrating research and community aspects. It has also been proactively launching various cross-disciplinary academic research projects in the hope of turning the college into a world-class center for Hakka Studies.

   The design of our undergraduate curriculum combines both specialized courses on Hakka Studies and general courses on Humanities and Social Sciences. The inter-disciplinary curriculum seeks to equip students with a solid theoretical foundation and hands-on abilities.

        Our graduate programs include degree programs on Hakka Society and Culture and the study of Ethnicity and Culture (student admission, began in 2008). Both programs seek to cultivate talents specializing in Hakka Social and Cultural Studies. The courses offered by the two programs are highly popular among students from the other colleges in National Chiao Tung University. Many have even decided to have a double major or minor. In view of the achievements of the program, the University is highly supportive of the couege of Hakka Studies. 

       Our freshman and sophomore students are required to take a broad spectrum of general courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences. In addition to required courses on Hakka culture and society, junior and senior students can then go on to select another program in which to major or minor, depending on their interests and career aspirations. Our curriculum design incorporates theory and practice in humanities and technology, with an emphasis on cross-disciplinary studies and theoretical background.  We also provide students with hands-on culture-related practicum opportunities to prepare them for the knowledge economy.
　

Campus Layout

       December 23, 2009, marks the opening of the Zhubei campus of the NCTU College of Hakka Studies. The Liujia campus was originally a traditional Hakka village. Today, the site is home to the College of Hakka Studies and traditional Hakka architecture such as the Ancestral Shrine of the Lin Family and a third-grade historical site, Wunlitang.  Surrounding the Liujia campus are newly developed apartment buildings. When it comes to teaching, research, and promoting the College of Hakka Studies, reaching out to the community will always be the foremost principle upon which we base our efforts.