The opening ceremony and orientation for new undergraduate and graduate students for the 2024 academic year were held on September 5th and 6th on the 7th floor of the Shao-Mo Memorial Gymnasium. Following tradition, President Huan-Chao Keh, 3 vice presidents, and supervisors of relevant academic and administrative units led the new students up the 132 steps of the Slope of Overcoming Difficulty. This climb symbolized the collective effort of teachers and students to "overcome difficulties and strive for excellence," embodying the school’s motto of simplicity and perseverance.

The ceremony began with the choir teaching the school anthem, followed by promotional videos and performances by various clubs. Exciting performances by the competitive cheerleading team, the Diabolo performance club, and the dance club successfully energized the crowd.

President Keh welcomed the new students to the Tamkang family and introduced the school’s achievements and operations. He emphasized the school's long-standing commitment to the "Triple Objectives of Globalization, Information-oriented Education, and Future-Oriented Education.” The school integrates Eight Essential Qualities into learning activities, offers a Three Circles Curricula, and deepens the Five Disciplines of Education, aiming to cultivate talents with exceptional knowledge and skills. Tamkang University is the first "All Cloud-Based Smart Campus" in Taiwan and has won multiple corporate environmental protection awards, providing students with a safe, convenient, and sustainable low-carbon learning environment. He encouraged the new students to continue improving themselves, excel in their studies, and, in the wave of AI, enhance their problem-solving abilities through interdisciplinary learning to seamlessly transition into the workforce and create a brilliant future for themselves.

The orientation was led by the Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Tzong-Ru Tsai, the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Shih-Jung Wu, and the Dean of General Affairs, Dr. Ruey-Shiang Shaw. They introduced the course structures, campus life guidelines, and campus facilities. Dr. Tsai explained the curriculum framework, course selection rules, core competencies, minor and double major registration, and various program-related regulations, encouraging students to apply. Dr. Wu used a quiz with prizes to help new students understand important aspects of campus life and encouraged them to develop "learning stability," "environmental adaptability," and "life resilience" as soft skills to achieve holistic empowerment and adult competencies.

Dr. Shaw reminded students to download the "Tamkang i-Life" app. In case of emergencies on campus, students can use the "emergency button" to contact the security center. He also encouraged students to adopt sustainable habits that align with the SDGs, such as "drinking water, not sugary drinks," "using low-carbon lunch boxes," and "turning off lights and fans when not in use." Finally, he promoted a smoke-free campus, discouraged feeding stray cats and dogs, and suggested students take the bus to school, which is environmentally friendly and allows participation in a prize draw.

In the afternoon, departmental orientations were conducted, where each department introduced its programs, student associations gave reports, and relevant rules were explained. The Health and Wellness Division held health checkups for new students at the Student Activity Center to ensure their well-being. From September 5th to 6th and from September 9th to 12th, the Extracurricular Activities Division organized a club fair on Poster Street and surrounding areas. Each club showcased a variety of activities to attract new students. Additionally, on the evening of September 9th, a "Club Night" was held at the Student Activity Center, featuring performances from 18 clubs, and all were welcome to participate.

The president of the Diabolo performance club, Chen-Shuo Chen, a junior in the Japanese Department who once won the four-diabolo technical competition at the Asian Classic Championship, expressed his joy in performing again on the same stage where he participated in a national competition during the junior high school. He felt even more nervous performing in front of so many freshmen than when competing but was glad the performance went smoothly. Yu-Hung Chien, a Computer Science and Information Engineering freshman, shared that the club performances were exciting, and despite a few minor mistakes, the performers handled the situation with great composure, which was admirable. "I am grateful for the thoughtful reminders from the deans, and I will use all the resources available to adapt to campus life. I hope to take more interdisciplinary courses and become a well-rounded individual.”

SDGs #SDG03 Good Health and Well-Being #SDG04 Quality Education #SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals

---