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Reforming Architectural Engineering Education in Taiwan: Contexts, Opportunities, and Concerns

Tsung-Juang Wang

Department of Architecture National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan

Introduction Architectural education has traditionally included interdisciplinary courses to encourage students to improve their competency in fields related to the discipline areas (Erman et al., 2004:51, 52; Bronet & Schumacher, 1999:97, 100) and provide the basis for a wider vision of the field and its role in society. Architectural education has always struggled to fit the preparation for practice demanded by professional institutions with the principles of liberal education and a wider scope of scholarship for university students. The aim of architectural education is to help them develop in-depth knowledge of theory and practice in the discipline as well as the breadth of knowledge provided by liberal studies (Anthony, 2002:258; Glasser, 2000:251; Back & Sanders, 1998:139). Meanwhile, educators and professionals attempt to fuse theory and practice (Kaufman et al., 2000; Finn, 2002:88, 89) in the expectation that students will apply in their practices what they have learned about the larger demands of society. Higher education in Taiwan is now at a critical juncture because of increased global competition and the prospect of external confrontation. The nation’s competitive strength is its assurance that it will be able to meet these challenges, but it cannot stand still. Without continuing progress, the nation will suffer setbacks that might have been avoided had more professionals possessed the requisite knowledge to understand larger issues and contexts. The Ministry of Education (MOE) of Taiwan, in response to the challenges of the new century, has proposed new directions for the development of higher education to serve as the basis for the administration of higher education. Among these initiatives, the arts and the humanities have been re-emphasized in universities’ planning and development processes (MOE, 1998). Because Taiwan faces unprecedented challenges of economic and social transition and a clear need to transform the system of architectural education, we must adopt new modes of thinking and managing resources (NSC, 2003). To arrive at a new era in architectural education, we need to establish cultural values and incorporate them in university curricula. The need for reform is not limited to architecture. Reform in other disciplines is important to architecture because architectural projects do not take place in a vacuum. Students majoring in other disciplines such as management, the natural sciences, and engineering should also develop artistic and humanistic qualities to complement their technological competencies. Major projects almost always require the combined efforts of business managers, scientists, and engineers for their successful completion. Reform of all disciplines at the university level should aim to provide balanced and diversified learning experiences, as well as help students learn ways to contribute to the betterment of society. Adapting the content of curricula to the current needs of society has always been crucial to modernizing and democratizing educational systems (Bransford, 1999:114; Gettinger, 2003:300; Cowan et al., 2004:445). The task becomes more difficult as the pace of changes taking place in global economic systems quickens. An effective response will require that educators develop both the ability and the inclination to adapt quickly. “Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 200, American Society for Engineering Education"

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Wang, J. (2005, June), Reform Of Architectural Engineering Education In Taiwan: Contexts, Opportunities, And Concerns Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14600