Master Program in Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Applications (AIIA)

The “110-112 Key Industry Talent Supply and Demand Survey and Estimation Report” released by the National Development Council of the Executive Yuan in May 2021 pointed out that the top three industries with the most urgent demand for new talent are “Artificial Intelligence Application Services,” “Offshore Wind Power,” and “IC Design.” The “2021 Artificial Intelligence Technology Maturity Curve” released by the global information technology research company Gartner in September 2021 indicates that over half of the technologies will become mainstream within two to five years, revolutionizing the market significantly. Analyses both domestically and internationally suggest that artificial intelligence technology will completely change human life, work, and learning patterns, and expand the imagination and innovative applications for the future world. However, cultivating artificial intelligence talent takes time, and failure to invest timely will severely impact future development and competitiveness.

Constructing smart, eco-friendly, healthy, and sustainable urban and rural areas is also a significant goal of development policies worldwide, closely related to the application of artificial intelligence technology. The Hualien-Taitung region boasts a unique geographical environment, making it suitable for utilizing artificial intelligence across various industries to promote regional development, including tourism, agriculture, industry, traditional sectors, and sustainable energy. The region possesses abundant natural resources such as wind and solar energy. Through the application of artificial intelligence technology, these energy resources can be managed and utilized more effectively, driving the development of the clean energy industry and achieving sustainable energy utilization and environmental protection. With the support of artificial intelligence technology, industries can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, innovate service models, and stimulate overall economic development.

• To enhance the cultivation of talents in smart technology and promote the application of smart technology, National Dong Hwa University, as the largest and most comprehensive national university in the Hualien-Taitung region, is committed to the responsibility of nurturing talents in response to smart technology and innovative applications. The goals of our master’s program are as follows:Leading the Smart Technology Trend, Pioneering Innovative Applications —
  Leveraging our strong existing research and development talent in smart technology, we integrate these talents to showcase advantages domestically and internationally. Our aim is to promote innovative applications, cultivate distinctive smart industries, nurture new forces for Taiwan’s smart technology development, and continuously enhance our international competitiveness.

• Nurturing Smart Talent, Encouraging Innovative Research and Development —
  Actively cultivating smart talent with a focus on innovative research and development. Our curriculum covers various aspects such as smart theory, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc., and requires students to demonstrate innovative capabilities in practical applications, applying AI technology widely across industries.

• Strengthening the Smart Industry, Developing Innovative Services —
  Driving the smart industry forward by developing innovative services to enhance industry competitiveness and service quality. We leverage the distinctive advantages of various applied field departments, including smart manufacturing, smart information services, and smart environmental protection. Through innovative works by students and teams, we further promote innovation and entrepreneurship, bringing multiplied benefits to industry development.

• Harnessing International Advantages, Promoting Global Mobility —
  Despite geographical constraints in Hualien, our Computer Science Department at National Dong Hwa University remains one of Taiwan’s most successful in internationalization, with a foreign student ratio of up to 24%. With the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, we emphasize even more on international talent development, integrating cross-cultural elements into our curriculum to enhance students’ international competitiveness. As artificial intelligence is a global trend, talent cultivation should align internationally. Our interdisciplinary smart technology courses integrate not only technological elements but also cross-cultural factors, fostering full interaction between local and foreign students to enhance international mobility, thus enabling more innovative global applications.

• Enriching Smart Education, Igniting Community Awareness —
  National universities possess abundant professional manpower and equipment resources, and should shoulder the responsibility of community education. After establishing the master’s program by pooling relevant manpower, equipment, and resources, in addition to the aforementioned goals, we will organize various community lectures, experiential workshops, and training courses. This will significantly enhance public awareness of information technology and smart applications, triggering service demand and driving the development of innovative application industries.

• Rooting in the Local Community, Enlightening Smart Living —
  Artificial intelligence will bring revolutionary changes to human society, with significant differences in labor demand and work patterns compared to the past. Repetitive and predictable reactive tasks will be replaced by artificial intelligence, requiring young people to learn new skills. We will collaborate with local schools to offer smart technology courses and camps, inspiring the younger generation’s interest in smart applications, nurturing their smart concepts to meet future challenges.

• Environmental Sustainability, Leveraging Local Characteristics —
  Based on environmental sustainability considerations, Eastern Taiwan should promote digital transformation based on local environmental and industrial characteristics. With 26 years of local operation experience, our university deeply understands regional characteristics. We have established multiple teaching and research units covering various fields such as science, humanities, arts, environment, indigenous peoples, oceans, business management, and education. Artificial intelligence technology can be integrated with these areas, and through the teaching and research foundation of our department and collaboration with various units on campus, it helps promote the development of local characteristics, achieving the goal of mutual prosperity and progress with the region.

• Overcoming Obstacles, Developing a Smart Economy —
  Eastern Taiwan’s geographical layout is narrow and long, with extremely uneven population distribution, leading to relatively high costs for industrial transformation and upgrading. Artificial intelligence technology emphasizes system intelligence and automation, effectively reducing manpower, resources, and time costs. It plays a crucial role in overcoming bottlenecks in industrial development and promoting the development of a smart economy. However, due to the high level of artificial intelligence technology, there may be difficulties in technology adoption. Therefore, cultivating high-quality artificial intelligence talents from outstanding local universities will be a key solution to these challenges.