National Taiwan University

In the past, teaching and learning after middle school was primarily focused on preparation for basic scholastic ability tests. After the 12-year state education promotion, this focus on examinations must be completely reformed, and teaching and learning must be greatly adjusted. School teaching should not only teach students to copy knowledge, but to teach them how to create knowledge and actively learn. This course focuses on teaching and learning and the possibilities under the 12-year state education.

This course examines the European-wide ferment in the arts of both the “Avant-Garde” and “High Modernism” in the first third of the twentieth century. Throughout the course, students read five novels and four plays in their entirety, plus selections from a number of other texts – primary and secondary – from the modernist period. Students are required to pursue an individual research project (for a semester-final paper) according to their own interests using primary or secondary material from the class or integrating outside Modernist material, and are especially encouraged to work in their chosen second foreign language (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) in addition to working in the collectivity of the seminar on the main material, in English or in English translation. 

This course examines various pollution problems, including the pollution sources, pollution identification, the dispersion, deposition, and their effects. The impacts on agriculture, forest, fishery, animal and human health are especially expressed with color pictures. The laws and regulatory methods in controlling the pollution are also discussed. Environmental consciousness in individual and the whole society is emphasized. Students are encouraged to do environmental protection through the homework that includes some personal practices and activities, to promote the environmental protection in the country. Text: E.J. Sun, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ITS ADVERSE AFFECTS. Assessment: midterm report (40%), final exam (50%), participation and attendance (10%).

The course focuses on Big Data Aggregation for Bitcoin transaction analytics, including: Confirmed transactions on Blockchain; confirmed and unconfirmed transactions and associated data not included in Blockchain; data from digital currency exchanges, wallets, payment processors and miners; user data (payments, demographics etc.); illegal activities and payments; transaction analytics. The section on comprehensive database for credit metrics and fraud detection covers machine learning analytics for real-time transaction tracking and credit scoring; early warning system against fraudulent activities and hacking; identity verification and classification of persons or companies involved in a transaction.

This laboratory course in general chemistry is taken in conjunction with the General Chemistry lecture course (CHEM 10). Students perform 16 laboratory experiments. Text: Experiments in General Chemistry. Published by NTU. Assessment: final exam.

The so-called period of “Enlightenment” in European history provided a wide range of debates that continues to provoke critical engagements in the following centuries. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most profound questions in Enlightenment debates, a question that is still seen by many as highly relevant to today's social and political theory, as well as moral and legal philosophy; that is, what constitutes a just society? The course covers texts constituting the “canon” in Enlightenment social and political thought, and will end with a brief reflection on how such debates might still preoccupy some of our own understandings of the nature of politics and sociability.

This course introduces industrial organization (IO), including the study of market structure, theory of the firm, and some other important topics in IO. The focus is on some basic theoretical models and related empirical studies. Topics include perfect competition, monopoly, pricing mechanisms. Texts: Dennis W. Carlton and Jeffrey M. Perloff, MODERN INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION; Jean Tirole, THE THEORY OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION. Assessment: term paper and presentation (30%), class participation (10%), in-class presentation (30%), summary report (30%).

Although Southeast Asia locates between two origins of ancient Asian culture, China and India, Indian-influenced culture had played a more important role in various phases than Chinese influenced culture. In this course, characteristics of such Indian influenced culture and arts are discussed, especially in focus material evidence, such as Buddhism towers (stupa), Hinduism architecture, sculptures, Islamic architecture, cloth culture and performing arts. Assessment: term paper.

The rapid decline of coral reefs around the world motivates research to better understand how this complex ecosystem will respond to future environmental changes. This course reviews current knowledge on reef organisms and coral reef ecosystems, and studies the factors responsible for reef degradation. The course also introduces basic elements to assess resilience of this ecosystem. Students are provided with an up-to-date understanding of the coral reef crisis and the immediate actions to take for the long-term conservation of these fragile ecosystems. Many examples are based on reefs in Taiwan, and speakers may be invited to illustrate specific topics.

The course introduces students to marketing concepts and strategies. Through the discussion of case studies, the course aims to sharpen critical analytical thinking skills and effective communication. The applications of game theory in marketing strategies might be freely introduced in the course.