On October 15, 2022, Chung Yuan Christian University celebrated its 67th anniversary with a grand “Alumni Day” event, warmly welcoming alumni back to campus. In conjunction with the celebration, the university hosted the “Think Tank Week” lecture series. Amid rapidly evolving global economic dynamics and geopolitical challenges, these lectures aimed to deepen the understanding of political and economic developments among faculty, students, and alumni. The goal was to position CYCU as a key think tank driving national progress, rooted in Taiwan while looking to the world.
The first lecture on October 13 focused on “Economic Integration and Reorganization in the Indo-Pacific Under IPEF.” The keynote speaker was Zi-Ang Chen, Senior Industry Advisor and Director at the Institute for Information Industry’s MIC division. He engaged in a stimulating dialogue with Jan-Yan Lin, a professor from the Business Administration department and Director of the Center for Global Taiwanese Business Studies. The session was moderated by Cheng-Wen Lee, Dean of the College of Business.
Zi-Ang Chen highlighted the ongoing global supply chain reorganization, emphasizing the shift in ICT production and industry value chains. Once concentrated in “the world’s factory” (China), production has now transitioned to a “Made in Everywhere” model.
Chen further explained that geopolitical tensions and pandemic-driven disruptions have accelerated the resilience of regional semiconductor supply chains. Taiwan and the United States have forged complementary strengths in this domain. However, intensifying geopolitical risks and the U.S.-China tech war have divided the world into two major blocs, solidifying a “one world, two systems” structure. While cloud services remain dominated by the U.S. and China, the rise of the digital economy has fueled advancements in 5G, AIoT, and intelligent applications. Chen predicted that these innovations would drive new opportunities. For students concerned about future job prospects, he recommended focusing on AI and big data, emphasizing these fields’ significant competitive advantages.
The final lecture on October 14 featured Roy Chun Lee, Deputy Executive Director of the WTO and RTA Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research. His topic, “The Global Economic Landscape and Changes in a Semi-Globalized World,” was explored alongside panelist Fang Jun-Neng, President of the Chung Yuan Global Alumni Association and The Association Of Global Industry Academia Collaboration MAS. A distinguished alumnus of CYCU’s International Business department, Fang has successfully established his career abroad. The session was moderated by Business Administration professor Yuh-Yuan Guh.
Roy Chun Lee described “semi-globalization” as a shift from strategic cooperation to competition among major powers, and from comparative advantage to economic and trade complementarity. Despite the U.S.-China economic decoupling, their interdependence remains, reflecting a “world that is no longer flat.” Lee suggested that semi-globalization could lead to true globalization for Taiwan. The era of benefiting from all sides is ending, and Taiwan must prepare for genuine global integration. This includes government and corporate readiness in terms of talent, capital, legal frameworks, resources, and digital transformation.
He encouraged young people to adopt an open mindset and enhance their motivation, emphasizing the importance of foreign language proficiency and cross-disciplinary skills. Lee also highlighted the Indo-Pacific region as the next frontier for global development, urging young people to explore opportunities by “moving south.”
On October 15, CYCU President In-Ming Lee shared exciting news with alumni during the anniversary celebrations. CYCU achieved the highest enrollment rate among private comprehensive universities in Taiwan for the 2022 academic year, with a 100% registration rate for undergraduate freshmen for three consecutive years. This milestone reflects the collective efforts of faculty, students, and alumni.
Founded as an institution rooted in science and engineering, CYCU has grown into a comprehensive university with eight colleges: Science, Engineering, Business, Law, Design, Humanities and Education, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Intelligent Computing and Quantum Information. The university boasts over 140,000 alumni worldwide. Guided by its holistic education philosophy, CYCU emphasizes both disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary integration, equipping students with the soft and hard skills needed for contemporary life and the future.
The Think Tank Week lectures, a highlight of the 67th-anniversary celebrations, were meticulously planned to inspire faculty, students, and alumni. CYCU aims to empower its community to accumulate strength and align with the global trajectory of sustainable development, moving forward in step with the times.
