The Straits Institute of Minjiang University (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) was established in July 2009 to undertake the tasks of Fujian and Taiwan Universities Joint Talent Training Program (Fujian-Taiwan Program) and China-US International General Education Curriculum Program (China-US Program). In April 2009, Minjiang University joined hands with Chinese Culture University and Shih Chien University in Taiwan in launching a joint undergraduate training program in accordance with the “3 + 1” mode, thus becoming the first university to carry out the “segmental docking” Fujian-Taiwan Program in Fujian Province (a “4 + 0” cooperative training model was added in 2016). A total of 3,982 students have studied in partner institutions in Taiwan under the program. In March 2011, under the approval of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the Ministry of Education and the Education Department of Fujian Province, Minjiang University became the first university in China to implement the China-US Program, introducing high-quality educational resources of American universities (e.g. Temple University) and adopting the “2+2” and “4+0” segmented innovative modes. The program has attracted 259 students to continue their undergraduate or postgraduate studies in famous universities such as Temple University and Portland State University. On the Fujian-Taiwan Program platform, teachers from cooperative universities in Taiwan have come to teach for 611 person-times, and our teachers have gone to Taiwan universities for teaching, study visits and academic exchanges for 143 person-times. Besides, the Institute has conducted exchanges with more than 30 foreign universities including Temple University and San Francisco State University in succession.
The Institute consists of the Department of Finance, Department of Business Management, Department of Cultural Creativity and Art Design, Research Institute for Higher Education Cooperation and Exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, and English Teaching and Research Office. The Fujian-Taiwan Program includes undergraduate programs in finance, insurance, international economics and trade, business management, accounting, financial management, e-commerce, environmental design, fashion and apparel design, and advertising. The Fujian-Taiwan Program includes undergraduate programs in finance, accounting, and financial management. The Institute owns a provincial experimental teaching demonstration center - International Education Business and Cultural and Creative Experimental Teaching Center. With two disciplinary groups in business and cultural and creative design, the Institute is a joint construction unit of business administration discipline, the university’s peak discipline (provincial first-class discipline).
Based on the needs of cooperative education, the Institute has formed a diverse faculty team consisting of full-time teachers, teachers from Taiwan cooperative universities, and foreign teachers. Most of the teachers have the experience of studying abroad. There are 18 doctors, 4 professors, and 21 associate professors. 4 teachers have been selected as Mindu Scholars, and 1 into the Fujian Provincial Hundred Talents Program for Introducing High-level Talents from Taiwan.
Besides, the Institute has undertaken more than 80 scientific research projects such as the “National Social Science Fund”, co-authored and published multiple textbooks with cooperative universities in Taiwan, successively held academic seminars such as Synergistic Development of Fujian-Taiwan Higher Education, and cooperated with Chinese Culture University to co-sponsor several sessions of International Conference on Knowledge, actively promoting the application of scientific research results in the society.
The Institute has set up a cooperative school-running party building system with fostering integrity and promoting rounded development of people as the center, coupled with leading party building work, outstanding teaching and scientific research, and remarkable achievements in entrepreneurship and innovation. The party committee and staff party branch of the Institute have been appraised as one of the First Party Building Benchmarking Schools and Departments in Fujian Province, and Model Unit of Branch Cultivation and Creation.
The Fujian-Taiwan Program of the Institute strengthens the discipline foundation to build functional curriculum, industry docking, and cross-field integration modules. According to the teaching plan, the professional courses taught by teachers from Taiwanese universities for each program exceed one-third of the total professional courses. The China-US Program has introduced the century-old concept of general education in the United States, and provided more than 20 general courses in four major categories. Besides, premium undergraduate course resources from American universities have been introduced into the professional curriculum to promote the integration of general education and professional education.
The Institute is responsible for organizing the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Elite Class (EETC), a reform pilot program on innovation and entrepreneurship education between Minjiang University and Chinese Culture University. Up to now, the students have received 109 provincial or above awards for innovation and entrepreneurship, including 1 national silver prize respectively in the 4th and 5th “Internet+” Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition. The students have also won 1,936 awards in various sports and professional competitions, including 173 national awards and 324 provincial awards.
Upholding the schooling philosophy and purpose of the university, the Institute will continue to unswervingly implement the strategy of developing higher education in the new era, and further enhance cooperation with distinctive characteristics.
