4.3.1 Public resources (lifelong learning)
Free Courses
The NTNU Open Course Ware (OCW) follows the principle of open learning, providing free access to courses for the University faculty, staff, students, the general public, and users from other countries and regions. As of 2024, 714 courses and lectures have been made available online. In 2024, the platform recorded 787,381 viewers, with cumulative views exceeding 14,330,000 since its inception. Additionally, NTNU has established a YouTube channel for Open Course Ware, where general education lecture videos are made available to the public, making it easier for people to access and learn a variety of knowledge.
NTNUOpenCourseWare offers open course videos covering diverse topics such as academic lectures, cultural discussions, and film director talks, enabling the public to engage in continuous learning through online platforms.
Free Access to Campus Facilities
NTNU library allows the public to access its extensive collection of resources, following the “Guidelines for External Users Accessing the Library.” In 2024, the library had a total of 1,469,284 books, with 790,919 visits from on-campus visitors and 146,304 visits from external users.
Free Online Learning Resources
NTNU offers a variety of free educational resources for English and Chinese language learning. The Center for Academic Literacy (CAL) has developed self-produced English academic writing handouts and instructional videos to enhance learners’ academic English proficiency. For Chinese language learners, resources include the TOCFL Chinese Vocabulary Tool, Chinese Character Learning Book, Comprehensive Chinese Character Retrieval System, and the Contemporary Chinese Course textbooks. Additionally, the platforms “Cool English” and “COOL Chinese” effectively enhance listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
The Center for Academic Literacy (CAL) has developed self-produced English academic writing handouts and instructional videos, which are available for free download online.
Cool English, an online English learning platform established in 2015, offers free courses in listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, games, learning support, and exam preparation. It has been widely recognized by students, parents, teachers, and schools across Taiwan.
COOL Chinese, a comprehensive online platform for Chinese language learning, integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing exercises to effectively enhance users’ Chinese proficiency.
4.3.2 Public events (lifelong learning)
In 2024, NTNU held hundreds of public events on campus, open to students and faculty from other universities as well as local community residents. The events included public lectures, community education activities, and more. Event information could be found on the Office of the Secretariat’s Public Affairs Center website and Facebook page, or at the NTNU campus event plaza.
To promote healthy aging and lifelong learning, the university hosted the “Elderly Dream Market”, attracting over 1,300 senior community members, relevant industry participants, partner schools, and faculty and students. During the event, community elders were guided to do health exercises, and nearly 100 booths were set up to convey the concept of holistic health for seniors. Among these, a program designed by a 10-year-old child called “World Travel Intergenerational Learning” symbolized the concept of cross-generational co-learning and inclusion, receiving high praise from the elderly participants.
NTNU hosted Senior Dream Fair public events, attracted over 1,300 participants, including local senior citizens, community organizations, related industries, and partner schools.
Other free public events held on campus included:
“French Culture, Heritage, and Tourism Lecture Series
The Eiffel Tower” by the Graduate Institute of European Cultures and Tourism, where a French professor introduced French culture, heritage, and tourism, open to everyone for free.
Public lecture “Gravitational Waves
Exploring the Universe through Space-Time Vibrations” by the Center of Astronomy and Gravitation, introducing the principles of gravitational waves, detection methods, data analysis, and future prospects in gravitational wave astronomy.
“Emerging Light of Learning – Campus Democratization History Exhibition”
Organized by the library, showcasing archives, historical documents, and artifacts related to the April 6th Incident of 1949, open for free public viewing, aiming to ensure that the spirit of democracy and freedom continues to be passed on.
4.3.3 Vocational training events (lifelong learning)
NTNU Extension, School of Continuing Education and NTNU Online both provide short-term and vocational training courses for the public. NTNU Extension, School of Continuing Education focuses on offering various continuing education courses and project execution, providing diverse and high-quality services. NTNU Online primarily provides online programs, for remote learning options from home and abroad, including digital master’s programs for professionals seeking degrees and the Taiwan Online Campus (TOC) courses for those looking to explore interests or take preparatory courses. It integrates Chinese and English digital courses offered by various universities. In 2024, 52 digital courses were offered, with 21 partner schools.
The NTNU Extension, School of Continuing Education and the NTNU Online offer vocational training events to the general public.
The Taiwan Online Campus (TOC) is a worldwide distance learning platform featuring digital courses in Chinese and English offered by various universities and colleges. Those who successfully complete a course may obtain a certification from the university offering the course.
NTNU offers the following online programs: Online Continuing Education Master’s Program of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, Online Continuing Education Master’s Program of Library and Information Studies and Online Continuing Education Master’s Program of Technical and Vocational Education. Allow students to learn and improve their skills with great flexibility, while earning the same academic certificates as those studying on campus.
4.3.4 Education outreach activities beyond campus
To address the shortage of educational resources and high teacher turnover in remote and disadvantaged areas,NTNU PASSION Teaching Team undertakes extensive educational outreach activities beyond campus. The team developed the “PASSION Innovative Teaching Module,” focusing on diagnostic assessment, adaptive instruction, and comprehensive teacher training to support students in underserved local and international communities. Over the past eight years, the team has organized nearly 300 capacity-building workshops and conducted over 800 on-site classroom observations across Taiwan’s rural regions, benefiting more than 4,100 teachers and 12,500 students. In collaboration with the Poh-Yo Foundation, the team also provides teacher training workshops, offering over six courses totaling 146 instructional hours and empowering 883 seed teachers to enhance local teaching quality.
The Boyou Foundation’s seed teachers conduct in-person classes, and NTNU observes and provides feedback.
International Teaching Volunteers and Chinese Language Volunteer Teacher Training Course Completed.
4.3.5 Lifelong learning access policy
To promote the concept of gender equality, strengthen education on gender equality, promote substantive equality of gender status, and protect the rights and interests of faculty, staff, and students from sex discrimination, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or sexual bullying, NTNU formulated the “Regulations Governing Prevention and Handling of Gender-Related Incidents on Campuses,” which has been revised several times and was recently amended to the year 2024, with the following article: “Respect the gender characteristics and sexual orientation of the faculty and staff. Article 4: Respect the gender characteristics and sexual orientation of staff and students, do not treat them unreasonably based on gender or sexual orientation, and actively assist disadvantaged students based on their gender or sexual orientation to promote substantive equality of gender status and eliminate gender discrimination.