WURI Global Innovation University Ranking Soars, National Chi Nan University's Innovative Educational Philosophy Gains International Recognition
The 2024 World University Ranking for Innovation (WURI) was officially announced last weekend at Franklin University in Lugano, Switzerland. This year saw explosive competition, with 2,880 innovative higher education cases submitted and 1,072 universities worldwide participating in the evaluation. National Chi Nan University ranked 44th globally in A1 "Student Support and Engagement," 40th in A4 "Entrepreneurship," and 12th in B4 "Symbolism and Promotion," improving its overall global ranking from 127th last year to 118th.
WURI's ranking system emphasizes real-world impact and evaluates universities based on innovation, practicality, and influence, expanding this year to include 13 diverse categories. The evaluation process, carried out by WURI’s assessment committee, university consortium representatives, and various media representatives, highlights innovation as the spirit of university evaluation. Despite being younger than other global rankings, such as QS or THE, WURI's evaluation body based in Switzerland has gained significant attention. Dong Sung Cho, Professor of Industrial Policy at Seoul University and founder of WURI, mentioned that this evaluation makes innovative universities visible and showcases the impact of higher education innovation on businesses and society. This year, global higher education innovation case submissions increased by 140% and participating schools by 153%, demonstrating WURI's growing influence.
In the "Student Support and Engagement" category, where it ranked 44th globally, NCNU's Office of Student Affairs implements the concept of "holistic education," focusing on developing each student into a "whole person" and emphasizing the comprehensive development of "people" through higher education. The comprehensive student counseling and support program embodies the core values of "Proactive and Self-initiation," "Interaction and Mutual Assistance," and "Inclusion and Common Good." To enhance student diversity and inclusion, NCNU, through its Vision Project, narrows the gap for disadvantaged students, fosters indigenous-friendly educational policies, and builds a friendly and equitable campus. It actively involves student representatives in important school-level meetings, emphasizing student rights and aligning with the president's student-centric governance philosophy.
In the "Entrepreneurship" category, which ranked 40th globally, NCNU’s Entrepreneurship Incubation Center catalyzes student entrepreneurship, inviting national award winners in innovation to mentor students. Since 2019, teams have annually succeeded in securing funding through the Ministry of Education's U-Start Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program and the U-Start Indigenous Youth Plan, allowing students to validate their ideas before entering the workforce. From 2020 to 2022, the center coached eight teams in starting businesses, assisting them in securing a total of NT$7.4 million in entrepreneurial funding. As of October 2023, five teams have successfully sold products or services, have physical or online storefronts, and continue to profit and experience the entrepreneurial journey.
In the "Symbolism and Promotion" category, ranked 12th globally, the chief planner and actual curator, CEO Kun-Tsan Lin of the NCNU Advisory Office, deserves special thanks. To enhance students' cultural literacy and promote aesthetic education, NCNU and 22 high schools across Taiwan jointly promoted the "Cultural Train: A Silent Humanities Literacy Lesson," featuring works by Longda Lin, San-Shian Wu, and Hua Chen in the project "Dialogues in the Painting." This initiative combines famous quotes with artistic expressions, serving as vital guidance for young people at crucial moments, leading them towards a more positive and meaningful path of happiness.
NCNU President Dong Sing Wuu stated that this was the second time NCNU attended the annual announcement of the WURI ranking established by the Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU). Each year, NCNU's ranking has improved. This year, NCNU was represented by Vice President Yung-Ping Tseng, who WURI Chairman Jin Suk Kim officially invited to be a keynote speaker at the first WURI Global Annual Meeting held in Seoul, South Korea, in September. This event will allow NCNU to share its innovative thoughts on higher education with more global partners.