2025.04.24

 

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan, renowned for its cross-disciplinary and flexible learning, will launch the Self-Directed Exploratory Learning (SDEL) Program and establish Taiwan's first Center for Exploration and Life Transitions (ExALT) in August. Emphasizing “explore first, then learn,” ExALT guides students in crafting personalized learning pathways by integrating 40 departments and 38 interdisciplinary programs.

 

NTHU vice president for academic affairs Yung-Hsien Wu (巫勇賢) said that NTHU promotes cross-disciplinary learning, with over 70% of last year's graduates demonstrating cross-disciplinary expertise. The SDEL Program allows first-year students to apply for the Tsing Hua Interdisciplinary Program in their second semester, selecting an external department as their primary specialization, paired with a secondary specialization or interdisciplinary program. For instance, a Chemical Engineering student could pivot to an Economics specialization while pursuing an AI and Law credit program.

 

ExALT supports students in developing clear learning pathways through systematic exploration courses, academic advising, and resource matching. Its Explore Your Possibilities (EYP) course helps students identify their strengths and chart their future direction.

 

A hallmark of ExALT is its peer facilitation program. Shih-Lung Lo (羅仕龍), Director of the Tsing Hua Interdisciplinary Program, noted that peer facilitators, rigorously trained, connect more effectively with students due to shared perspectives.

 

Hsinyi Peng (彭心儀), Convener of ExALT, stated that approximately 50 peer facilitators have been trained. Their similar age enables them to relate to students' challenges and foster vibrant learning communities.

 

Peer facilitator Yen-Yu Guo (郭晏瑜), a graduate of NTHU's inaugural Experimental Education Program, took courses across six colleges, exemplifying the value of cross-disciplinary learning. “We don't direct students; instead, we use guiding questions and systems-thinking tools to help them uncover their potential and interests,” she said.

 

ExALT will collaborate with NTHU's colleges to develop an exploratory course for first-year students called “University 101.”

 

Chuan-Chin Chiao (焦傳金), Distinguished Professor of Life Sciences and also the Director of Ministry of Education's XPlorer Project, explained that tailored courses reflect each college's unique characteristics, helping students adapt to field-specific learning methods. For example, the exploratory course of the College of Life Science and Medicine emphasizes academic success, campus engagement, and personal growth.

 

Additionally, ExALT will partner with the Tsing Hua Residential College to offer a thematic exploratory course on artistic creation.

 

Peng noted that a survey of approximately 200 NTHU students revealed that 60% to 70% reported either a strong sense of purpose without a clear execution strategy or high motivation with unclear direction. The SDEL Program is designed to guide these students in a flexible environment.

 

For students seeking greater flexibility, NTHU's Experimental Education Program, launched in 2018, allows them to design unique curricula under expert mentors' guidance, including courses unavailable at NTHU or pursued overseas, with credits recognized for truly cross-disciplinary and global learning.

 

As Lo put it, “Education is about people, not standardized assembly lines.” While systematic curricula meet most students' needs, offering diverse pathways for non-traditional learners embodies NTHU's human-centered educational philosophy.