Tamkang University: A Legacy of Innovation and Excellence
Founded in 1950 as the Tamkang Junior College of English by Mr. Ching-Sheng Chang and his son, Dr. Clement C. P. Chang, Tamkang University (TKU) is Taiwan’s first private college. It became the Tamkang College of Arts and Sciences in 1958 and was elevated to university status in 1980. Today, TKU comprises four campuses: Tamsui, Taipei, Lanyang, and the Cyber Campus, with nine colleges serving approximately 23,000 students, 2,000 faculty and staff members, and around 310,000 alumni.
TKU is committed to ideals, vision, and creativity, emphasizing excellence and innovation as core elements of its management philosophy. Over the past 70 years, TKU has focused on academic research, teaching, and learning services. It was the first university in Taiwan to adopt Total Quality Management (TQM) in 1992 and introduced the Tamkang Quality Award in 2006 to recognize departments committed to TQM. These efforts contributed to TKU winning the prestigious National Quality Award in 2009.
Since its establishment, TKU has had six scholar-educators as presidents, with the current president, Dr. Huan-Chao Keh, assuming office on August 1, 2018. Under President Keh's leadership, TKU aims to enhance its culture, refine its organization, secure resources from industry, government, and alumni, and collaborate with various governmental initiatives. The university’s new development initiative, the "Fifth Wave of Tamkang," focuses on local engagement, regional cooperation, and international collaboration.
TKU's educational framework encompasses three curricular circles—professional, general, and extracurricular—and emphasizes five educational disciplines: conduct, intelligence, physical education, teamwork, and beauty. The university is dedicated to globalization, information-oriented education, and future-oriented education as part of its "Triple Objectives of Education."
With the motto "Simplicity, Truthfulness, Firmness, and Perseverance," TKU strives to develop students' potential, helping them establish a strong foundation and aiming to become a world-renowned, top-quality comprehensive university by providing modern learning resources and training.