Implementation and Achievements of NYCU's BEST Program (AY 2024–2025)

Introduction

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) is committed to becoming a world-class international university under its long-term vision, One Tree, Hundreds of Fruits. Through the Office of Bilingual Education (OBE), the University coordinates resources across academic and administrative units to implement its bilingual education initiatives in alignment with Taiwan's BEST Program.

In the 2024–2025 academic year, the Program covered six colleges in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences and Engineering and Applied Sciences domains, while also supporting participation from colleges outside the designated domains. Building on NYCU's strengths in medicine, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and other key disciplines, the University continues to expand bilingual education, enhance students' global competence, and strengthen international engagement.

1. University-wide collaboration and resource integration

The Office of Bilingual Education (OBE) coordinates university-wide resources to support curriculum development, faculty development, student learning, teaching collaboration, and the bilingual campus environment, establishing a comprehensive support system for bilingual education.

In addition to the six key colleges in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences and Engineering and Applied Sciences domains, OBE invited colleges outside the designated domains to participate through three rounds of funding. As a result, 14 colleges (including the key ones) engaged in bilingual education initiatives during the 2024–2025 academic year.

Collectively, these colleges offered 886 EMI courses, including 521 courses from the six key colleges and 365 from the remaining eight colleges, expanding students' opportunities to study disciplinary knowledge in English.

To strengthen international collaboration, NYCU organized EMI expert lectures, distinguished alumni career talks, and international scholar exchanges. The University also developed online EMI courses to promote resource sharing and collaboration across colleges, universities, and international partners.

2. Student Learning Support

NYCU provides a comprehensive English curriculum spanning English for General Purposes (EGP), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) to strengthen students' English communication and discipline-specific academic skills.

To complement the curriculum, the University offers a wide range of learning support initiatives, including micro-credit courses, EMI Plus lectures, EMI Ready workshops, EMI presentation competitions, and academic writing consultations. During the 2024–2025 academic year, these programs served more than 3,000 participants.

NYCU also promotes autonomous learning through digital resources, including an English-language campus podcast, online EMI courses, and an EMI Learning Handbook, creating a flexible learning environment that supports students' academic and professional English development.

3. Faculty Development

NYCU continues to strengthen its EMI faculty support system through the collaborative efforts of the Center for Teaching and Learning Development, the Center for Higher Education Accreditation for Teaching, and the EMI Teaching and Learning Center. Together, these units provide professional development programs, workshops, seminars, and international certification resources to enhance faculty members' EMI teaching competence and instructional quality.

During the 2024–2025 academic year, NYCU organized 10 EMI faculty sharing sessions, bringing together faculty from engineering, management, information technology, biomedical engineering, medicine, and the humanities and social sciences to exchange innovative teaching practices and instructional experiences.

4. EMI Teaching Assistant Development

NYCU provides professional development workshops for EMI Teaching Assistants (TAs) to strengthen their skills in classroom communication, student learning support, and instructional collaboration. Trained TAs also provide after-class academic assistance to students in EMI courses, enabling faculty members to focus on teaching while offering timely support to students who need additional help.

5. Strengthening the Bilingual Campus Environment

NYCU continues to foster a bilingual campus through bilingual administrative services, international cultural exchange activities, Faculty Lounge networking events, and English professional development programs for administrative staff. These initiatives encourage the use of English in everyday campus life and promote an inclusive, internationally oriented learning environment.

6. EMI Course Development

The Biological and Agricultural Sciences and Engineering and Applied Sciences domains remain the core focus of NYCU's bilingual education initiative. During the 2024–2025 academic year, the six participating colleges offered 485 EMI courses, accounting for 23.9% of their total course offerings. In addition to strengthening existing EMI courses, NYCU continues to support the development of new EMI courses, expanding bilingual learning opportunities for students.

7. Highlights by Academic Domain

Engineering and Applied Sciences

The Engineering and Applied Sciences domain comprises the College of Computer Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Together, these colleges offered 382 EMI courses during the 2024–2025 academic year across information technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, engineering, and the fundamental sciences.

The four colleges continued to expand international partnerships, overseas exchange opportunities, English-medium summer programs, and discipline-based EMI courses. Building on their respective strengths, they further enhanced students' international outlook, research capability, and industry engagement.