Creative Industries Design at National Cheng Kung University

Program Introduction

This award is available to pursue a full-time master’s degree programs in Creative Industries Design at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The program is taught in English.

The Creative Industries (CI) are rooted in the creativity, skills, and talents of people. The scope of creative industries includes visual arts, music and performing arts, cultural production development, arts and crafts, film, television and broadcasting, publishing, advertising, design, digital entertainment, fashion, branding, creative lifestyles, architecture, etc. Taiwanese government also identify the cultural and creative industries that use the local Chinese culture as an origin in creativity, individual skills and talent to create wealth and employment through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. It is an opportunity to get involved with the local culture and regional content through the learning journey in this program.

Under the College of Planning and Design at National Cheng Kung University, the Institute of Creative Industries Design (ICID) has evolved into a combination of industrial planning and enterprise innovations, with a focus on design applications and strategy management. In order to develop creative industries and cultivate research talents, ICID recruits students and faculty from various backgrounds and multiple specializations of study. ICID offers cross-disciplinary courses for creative industries talents through three academic groups: (A) Brand & Marketing Planning, (B) Media & Interaction Design, and (C) Industry & Service Innovation. In the regular curriculum, international academic activities are highlighted, such as exchange-student programs, international workshops and conferences. ICID promotes multiple, localized and international research, with the aim to cultivate talent from a wide range of abilities and to unite the power of industry, government, academia, research organizations, and the community in order to make Creative Industry sustainable in the global era. The MA research journey here will also guide you develop the local connection with the creative industries site, events, festival, and field study during the design project internship and thesis research process.

The award is co-sponsored by the National Cheng Kung University. The program will take 2 years to earn a master’s degree, and NCKU offers full tuition waivers and student dormitory as long as the candidate maintains satisfactory academic standards.

School Introduction

NCKU, founded in 1931, located in Taiwan’s most ancient and cultural capital – Tainan City, is one of Taiwan’s top research intensive universities and a leader in promoting industry academia cooperation. NCKU shows good ranking performances, eg.2021 The World University Impact Rankings, NCKU is ranked 1st in Taiwan, and 2nd in Asia. Moreover, NCKU graduates have long been recognized as the enterprise’s favorite college graduates in Taiwan. With more than 4,100 faculty and staffs, 21,700 students and 200,000 alumni worldwide, NCKU is best known for the comprehensiveness of the fields of study, which includes liberal arts, social science, science, engineering, medicine, management, planning & design, semiconductor, etc.

City Overview

Location

Tainan is situated on the southwestern coastal plains of the island. It has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, with the Dutch port at An-ping in 1624. It is also one of Taiwan’s cultural capitals, as it built the First Confucian School/Temple on the island. As Taiwan’s oldest urban area with a 400-year history, Tainan was originally established by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a ruling and trading base during Dutch colonial rule. Moreover, Tainan is home to many famous historic sites and has a lot of stunning natural landscapes.

Population

1.86 million (2024)

Weather

Tainan has a sub-tropical monsoon climate. It has a small amount of rainfall throughout the year. Tainan enjoys more hours of sunshine per day than other places in Taiwan and has an average temperature of 24.1 ˚C (75.38°F).

Critical Language Enhancement Award

The Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA) provides an opportunity for Fulbright U.S. Student Program grantees to receive intensive language study in addition to their research/study grants. The award provides tuition reimbursement for grantees to pursue language training in the host countries.

Application for CLEA is made in conjunction with the Fulbright U.S. Student application. However, being awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student grant does not guarantee receipt of CLEA since review of each award is conducted separately and is contingent upon several factors. In Taiwan, only degree-seeking students pursuing Master’s studies will be eligible for CLEA. For additional information and requirements on the award, please see Critical Language Enhancement Award details.

Acceptable Languages

Mandarin

Prior Language Study

Prior language study is not required.

Dates and Timing

16 weeks, concurrent with academic studies during the first semester. CLEA recipients will be expected to arrive by the end of August to begin intensive language studies with one-on-one teaching arranged by the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan). CLEA language classes will take place through an exclusive, close partnership with FSE-approved Mandarin educators. All instructors are well-trained in TCSL pedagogy, and they offer all levels of language instruction from beginner to advance.

Note: Please find Fulbright grant benefits at Fulbright Taiwan, and submit the Fulbright application via IIE system by October 8, 2024.

Apply

Mid-January, 2025 - March, 2025