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NCYU student Chien-Yu Liu (second from left) won the outstanding experience award for MOE’s overseas internship programs.
Sep. 27

NCYU Department of Wood Based Materials and Design Student Chien-Yu Liu Wins MOE’s Overseas Internship Outstanding Experience Award and Invited to Share Her Experience of Interning Abroad

Chien-Yu Liu, a student from the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, National Chiayi University, had been awarded the scholarship for studying or interning abroad by the Ministry of Education. From June to September of 2022, she interned at Diing Jyuo Industrial Co., Ltd., located in Thu Dau Mot City and Hoi Phu, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. After returning to Taiwan, she shared her personal insights and experience of interning abroad. Her outstanding achievement stood out from other students from universities and colleges across Taiwan who had also earned the MOE's scholarships for studying or interning abroad. Chien-Yu Liu, whose report was evaluated as excellent by the MOE, received the award on Sep. 8th from Dr. Nicole Yen-Yi Lee, Director-General of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education, MOE. During the ceremony, she shared her observations and experience from her internship abroad after the easing of pandemic restrictions. Through sharing her personal experience, she hoped to encourage more university students to participate in overseas study and internship programs, which also helps lay the foundation for their future studies and careers. Chien-Yu Liu, a student from the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, said that the application for the Overseas Study Dream Program of the New Southbound Policy was one filled with uncertainties due to the pandemic, with the date constantly postponed. Guided by her advisor, Prof. Wen-Ching Su from the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, she did not give up and continued to prepare the application materials including a resume, and waited for the outcome. During her studies at NCYU, Chien-Yu Liu took courses in furniture drafting, ergonomics, wood gluing, woodworking machinery processing, basic Vietnamese, etc. These courses helped enhance her professional knowledge, wood processing skills, and language proficiency. Transitioning from school to the workplace comes with numerous challenges. Enhancing production efficiency and reducing production costs, for example, is an integral principle for factory management. This caused significant time pressure on the production line. They needed to respond quickly to solve problems when unexpected situations arose, such as errors in the manufacturing process, packaging issues, and customer feedback. While testing one’s coping skills, it served as a valuable practical experience. Prof. Wen-Ching Su from the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design stated that Chien-Yu Liu has learned skills related to the operation of manufacturing production systems at the factory, production line management, problem-solving, and quality control during her internship in Vietnam. She has gained practical insights into the processes from development and design, sampling, trial production, formal production, packaging to shipment in the furniture industry. This experience will help her adapt more easily to a company’s processes when engaged in production or management at Taiwanese or Vietnamese factories in the future. According to NCYU President Han Chien Lin, the MOE’s scholarships for studying or interning abroad aim to encourage young students to participate in international academic communities. To acquaint both faculty and students with the MOE's scholarships for studying or interning abroad, the International Student Affairs organizes ten briefing sessions annually as part of the Higher Education SPROUT Project. These are expected to encourage students to apply, and make sure that all the steps for going abroad are successfully completed. In recent years, financed by the International Exchange Funds, for instance, NCYU has sent over 400 students abroad to take credit courses or intern at the workplace in countries including the United States, Japan, Spain, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, and Thailand. In this era of globalization, they hoped to provide students with the opportunity to step out of Taiwan and explore the world, thus broadening their horizons.

Sep. 27

Representatives from Setsunan University, a Sister School from Japan, Visit NCYU to Discuss about Sending Students to Study Chinese in Taiwan

Language is a vessel carrying diverse cultures, and Taiwan becomes the first choice for international students looking to learn Chinese. In 2021, National Chiayi University signed an MOU with Setsunan University, Japan. On Aug. 31st, Masaki Nakanishi, Director of International Education at Setsunan University, paid a visit to NCYU. Accompanied by Prof. Ya-Chin Tsai, Director of the Language Center, Associate Prof. Yao-Jen Chang, Head of the Division of Chinese as a Second Language, and Assistant Prof. Yan-Jin Pan, among others, Prof. Masaki Nakanishi met with President Han Chien Lin to discuss opportunities for sending their students to take Chinese-related courses at NCYU in the future.  President Lin mentioned that NCYU boasts an advantageous location in central and southern Taiwan with excellent geographical environment and transportation networks. To provide students with a better learning environment, the university has recently built and renovated student dormitories on each campus, remodeled the student cafeteria on the Lantan campus, and established digital, interactive classrooms. The Apple Campus Experience Center has also been introduced to provide students with a wealth of digital learning resources. International students are warmly welcomed to study Chinese and earn degrees at NCYU. To familiarize Prof. Masaki Nakanishi with the campus of NCYU, Prof. Ya-Chin Tsai, Director of the Language Center, Associate Prof. Yao-Jen Chang, Head of the Division of Chinese as a Second Language, Assistant Prof. Yan-Jin Pan and other members accompanied him on the tour. They visited the KANO baseball exhibition, Jinde Dormitory for international students, and the soon-to-be-completed new dormitories on the Sinmin campus. The visit concluded with a briefing on Chinese teaching at the Language Center on the Sinmin campus. Prof. Masaki Nakanishi said that the purpose of the trip was to arrange for Setsunan University’s students to study Chinese abroad. He looked forward to partnering with high-quality Chinese-teaching institutions. The comprehensive presentations, event videos, and guided tours shed light on NCYU’s Chinese programs. He looked forward to future collaboration with NCYU.

Sep. 06

NCYU Faculty and Students Successfully Develop Sulfur Dioxide Concentration Electronic Detector to Ensure Food Safety

  As modern concerns about health have been increasing by the day, ensuring food safety not only safeguards our health but urges the upgrading of the food industry. Some bright-looking vegetables on the market may have chemicals added to them, which can unknowingly places a burden on the body if consumed in excess. To enhance the efficiency of food safety testing in Taiwan, NCYU Department of Electrical Engineering Prof. Cheng-Ta Chiang and Department of Food Science Assistant Prof. Jyh-Cheng Chen jointly supervised Shu-Huan Yang and Yi-Cheng Wu, both undergraduate students of the Department of Electrical Engineering, to conduct studies. They developed a groundbreaking “Detector for Measuring Sulfur Dioxide Concentration in Daylilies,” which can be used to measure the concentration of sulfur dioxide in daylilies via a titration method. The complete research design and results were published in the internationally renowned IEEE Sensors Journal.    Prof. Cheng-Ta Chiang from the Department of Electrical Engineering, NCYU, said that this research was mainly motivated by his love for the daylily pork rib soup. This inspired him to discuss food safety issues related to “daylilies” with Assistant Prof. Jyh-Cheng Chen from the Department of Food Science. After in-depth studies, they discovered that sulfites have been excessively used by unscrupulous sellers as a bleaching agent for daylilies, which may be converted to sulfur dioxide during storage. Therefore, they began creating a detector by designing a conversion circuit to measure sulfur dioxide concentration in daylilies. According to the experimental results from research and development, this device can quickly determine the concentration of sulfur dioxide in daylilies. This is a much more time-efficient way for testing personnel to measure sulfur dioxide levels in the daylilies.    Shu-Huan Yang and Yi-Cheng Wu, both students from NCYU's Department of Electrical Engineering, mentioned that there are a wide spectrum of methods to measure sulfur dioxide in food, such as voltammetry, colorimetry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and fluorescence. To determine the sulfur dioxide concentration in daylilies in a time-saving and convenient way, they opted for the "titration method," which is characterized by a shorter reaction time and lower requirements for equipment, and is more straightforward to operate. With the sulfur dioxide concentration detector, the solution obtained after soaking the daylilies is connected to the conversion chip, which creates resistance changes due to conductivity. The detector can be applied under various concentrations and used to determine the sulfur dioxide concentration in daylilies through the periodic output of the chip. The sulfur dioxide concentration detector distinguishes itself from the counterparts in that it is relatively cost- and time-effective.   Assistant Prof. Jyh-Cheng Chen from the Department of Food Science indicated that, according to the "Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives," sulfites are legal food additives for sterilization, color restoration and bleaching, oxidation inhibition, and prevention of enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning reactions. The sulfites in the food, however, may be converted back to sulfur dioxide under certain storage conditions. The residual sulfur dioxide can trigger respiratory allergies in some individuals. Thus it is prerequisite to develop a simple and fast method to detect sulfur dioxide. In this collaboration with faculty and students from the Department of Electrical Engineering, they successfully developed the sulfur dioxide detection device by integrating the electrode system and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). In the future, the device can be more easily applied to the detection of additives in daylilies and other processed foods. 

Jul. 31

NCYU Ranks among Top Ten Public Universities in Taiwan in terms of NSTC's Grants for College Student Research Projects

   In 2023, National Chiayi University has won a total of 54 grants from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) for college student research projects. This ranks NCYU as the 10th among all public universities nationwide, second only to National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, National Chiao Tung University, and National Tsing Hua University. Over the years, NCYU students have been receiving the College Student Research Creativity Awards, a recognition of their outstanding efforts. The students who receive grants for their research projects can continue their academic studies by pursuing a master's degree. They may embark on a research journey or demonstrate their research and development expertise at domestic companies of diverse industries.    NCYU encourages students to explore their studies, incorporate recent issues, and put forward innovative research ideas. Before developing their research proposals, the students are required to engage in discussions with their supervisors on the research topics. NCYU's professors encourage the students to align their research questions with the curriculum; teachers in relevant fields from various departments are invited to guide the students in developing research projects. From formulation of research proposals to submission of research reports, this approach helps enhance the students' experimental and practical abilities, analytical, critical-thinking and integrative skills, as well as problem-solving capabilities, thus facilitating effective theoretical learning.   President Han Chien Lin said that NCYU is well-equipped with experimental facilities and scientific instruments, and the teachers guide students to collaborate on research projects in their spare time. This mentorship approach is designed to take students all the way from from their college student research projects to their master's study, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience for the students. To support students' engagement in NSTC's research projects, NCYU offers additional scholarships from NT$3,000 to NT$6,000 for each student. With combined funding support from NSTC and NCYU, the students can develop advanced cognitive abilities and build a solid foundation in their specialized academic pursuit over the course of their research projects.

Jun. 27

NCYU Successfully Trains the First Batch of 16 Talents at Forest Carbon Sequestration Project Training Workshop to Achieve “2050 Net-Zero Emissions”

  National Chiayi University collaborated with ALI REVITAL COMPANY LIMITED to hold the “Forest Carbon Sequestration Project Training Workshop” starting from March. They recruited 22 trainees who underwent 88 hours of intensive training and on-site practice, and their achievements have been presented at the Sinmin campus of NCYU on June 3rd. A total of 16 trainees received certificates of completion with a pass rate of 72.7%. They are qualified to write project proposals to be verified by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard (GS) and other carbon reduction verification organizations, making them valuable contributors to the forest carbon sequestration in Taiwan.   Since the government has proposed methodologies for forest carbon sequestration, it is necessary to quantify the actual carbon reduction achieved through related projects and turn them into carbon credits to be offset or traded. There is a need for officially recognized methods for forest carbon sequestration and reduction, as well as professionals who can implement these methods in the forests. However, there is a shortage of professionals with the necessary expertise in generating quantitative data and executing projects. Therefore, no project has been approved in Taiwan since the official announcement of the afforestation and forest carbon sequestration project in 2019. To address this issue, the Department of Technology Management, College of Management, NCYU and ALI REVITAL COMPANY LIMITED have been collaborating in recruiting and training trainees. They invited Jiunn-Cheng Lin, Chief Secretary of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan and his research team to compile teaching materials and deliver lectures. The workshop covered basic concepts of forest carbon sequestration, on-site investigations and data analysis, and writing proposals for forest carbon sequestration offset projects. Through step-by-step detailed instructions, it provides trainees with a solid understanding of forest carbon sequestration projects. The trainees will be able to contribute their efforts to achieving net-zero goals in the future.   Prof. Jun-Yen Lee, principal investigator from the NCYU Department of Technology Management, said that the collaboration among industry, academia, and government provides an initiative for these trainees to take actions to promote forest carbon sequestration. He expressed gratitude to Chang Tai, Director of the Chiayi Forest District Office, Forestry Bureau, which provides a domestic forest land for the trainees to conduct on-site practices, making it the first site of domestic forest land in Taiwan with standardized forest carbon credit estimation. According to the results of on-site measurements presented by the trainees, the 5-year-old afforested land for demonstration of the Forestry Bureau’s Chiayi Forest District Office in Jhong Pu Township, which covers about 2.5 hectares, may sequester 633 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next three decades. After registration and approval through offset projects, they can become carbon credits to be offset or traded.   Chen Wei-Lin, Chairman of ALI REVITAL COMPANY LIMITED, attended the ceremony and received a letter of appreciation from President Lin. Chairman Chen expressed that it is very meaningful to co-initiate the first talent training workshop for the carbon sequestration project. He encouraged the trainees to learn from the program and looked forward to working together for the future of Taiwan. The Agriculture Department, Chiayi County Government, also sent staff to participate in the Forest Carbon Sequestration Project Training Workshop. Hsu Chang-Min, Director of the Agriculture Department, said that the county government is currently planning reforestation of the detention ponds in the area. The objective is create benefits such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity, thus making Chiayi the first local government in Taiwan to voluntarily propose a carbon reduction collaboration project.   NCYU President Han Chien Lin, who attended the graduation ceremony, indicated that, in accordance with Taiwan’s national greenhouse gas reduction target, the forest carbon sequestration is expected to reach 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. As the vast forests in Taiwan have infinite functions and values, he hoped the forest carbon sequestration professionals nurtured by NCYU to apply their knowledge to contribute to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.