| About CISS

About CISS

On August 1st, 2014, the College of International Studies and Social Sciences were founded from a merger between the College of International Studies and Education for Overseas Chinese and the College of Social Sciences.

The newly established, interdisciplinary college consists of two departments (including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs), namely the Department of Chinese as a Second Language and the Department of East Asian Studies (including the Graduate Institute of Political Science), and four graduate institutes (including Master’s and MBA programs), namely the Graduate Institute of Mass Communication, the Graduate Institute of International Human Resource Development, the Graduate Institute of Social Work, and the Graduate Institute of European Cultures and Tourism.

The College of International Studies and Social Sciences are also home to three research centers, which are Global Hakka Cultural Research Center, Research Center for East Asian Cultures, and Sinology Center for Social Work and Family Studies.

Our Mission: Global Outlook and Local Practices

The tidal force of globalization has pushed Taiwan into a pivotal position among the East Asian region, which lies between Northeast and Southeast Asia and is an island vitalized by both tradition and innovation. Riding the tide of globalization, the College of International Studies and Social Sciences offers our students a global outlook and local practices.

Our Goal: To Develop the Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competences

The foreign students at the College form a quarter of the entire student body of the College, as well as half of all of the foreign students in the University. The College aims to provide students with a global outlook and local practices. Global/international outlook entails plurilingual and pluricultural competences, which can be defined by the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, as identified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which is also known as the 5Cs (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities).

Abundant Chinese language and cultural courses at all levels, combined with curriculum that pertains to political science, economics, global management and opportunities for social practice, are specially designed for the foreign students in the College. We appreciate their presence because they help to co-construct the global/international perspective that all of our students (foreign and native) need. Various foreign language courses are also available to our native students, including English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Russian. The College also offers students opportunities for various scholarships, exchange program, short-term studies, etc.

Through the courses characterized by a global outlook, our students can broaden their knowledge. Further, through the inspection and internship activities characterized by local practices, we strengthen the connection between Taiwan and the world in order to nurture our students to become international professionals who possess plurilingual and pluricultural competences.

Our Feature: Cross-cultural and Cross-disciplinary Learning

To ensure our students possess plurilingual and pluricultural competences, the College offers programs and courses in the areas of Chinese as a Second Language, East Asian Cultural and Political Economy Studies, European Culture and Tourism, Social Work, Mass Communication, and International Human Resource Development. These help our students understand the trends of cross-curricular, cross-language, and cross-cultural learning. The College provides cross-disciplinary learning with three aspects:

  •  Chinese Education
We nurture our students to become international Chinese professionals in various fields of expertise and help them become familiar with Chinese culture and society within the country and abroad. By doing so, we promote cultural exchange between regions and equip students with the soft power of a global Chinese culture.

  • Region Studies
We focus on Asian and European studies. Through the internship and visitor training programs in different industries, institutions, and cooperative schools in Europe, we foster our students to become cross-cultural teaching and research professionals in the fields of “Cultural Studies and Application” and “Political economy and Regional Development.”

  •  Social Sciences
The Graduate Institute of International Human Resource Development provides English-taught courses to help students gain global workplace literacy and human resources expertise. The Graduate Institute of Mass Communication equips students with updated communication technology and analysis and decision-making capabilities. The Graduate Institute of Social Work, which focuses on the family and social work, trains students to become professional social workers and helps them develop their local and global vision through multiple dialogues and learning.