Strengths

● Diverse academic programs meeting the needs of learners at all educational stages.

● Leading number of skills certification facilities among universities, effectively enhancing students’ practical skills.

● Faculty with strong professional and industry backgrounds; outstanding performance in industry outreach and income generation among private universities of technology.

● Campus counseling services recognized with multiple national awards in the higher education sector.

● Prime location with excellent surrounding facilities and abundant shared and collaborative resources.

● Strong educational performance, sound finances, and top results in Ministry of Education evaluations and inspections.

● Hosts internationally recognized centers, including the Environmental Toxins and Emerging Pollutants Research Center, the Cultural Heritage Restoration Center, and the Industry Elite Training Demonstration Base, fostering global engagement and cultivating advanced industry talent.

 Weaknesses

● Declining average student entry qualifications with weaker fundamental academic skills.

● “Low-motivation” generation lacking learning drive and self-exploration of interests.

● Part-time employment among students affecting the quality of learning in core professional courses.

● Need for improvement in students’ foreign language proficiency and global perspective.

● Higher proportion of senior faculty, leading to an unbalanced overall age structure.

 Opportunities

● In the AI era and rapidly evolving industries, demand is rising for interdisciplinary professionals with strong core expertise.

● Global net-zero carbon goals are driving corporate demand for green energy and low-carbon talent.

● Government actively promotes digital innovation, lifelong care, livable communities, the New Southbound Policy, and key industry initiatives, including expanding enrollment of overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and international students.

● Kaohsiung is developing the Asia New Bay Area into a major economic and trade hub in southern Taiwan, attracting leading technology companies and increasing local talent demand, prompting enterprises to enhance talent retention and recruitment.

● The planned MRT Yellow Line station near the university will improve transportation convenience.

 Threats

● Declining birth rates sharply reduce the school-age population, making student recruitment more challenging.

● High density of universities and diverse options, coupled with a social preference for national universities, hinder recruitment of top students.

● Limited pool of high school and vocational graduates in southern Taiwan, with low willingness to study outside their home region.

● Insufficient international image of Taiwan’s technical and vocational education, making global exchanges and recruitment of top talent difficult.

SO– Leveraging Strengths to Seize Opportunities

• Integrate diverse academic programs with skills certification to create cross-disciplinary practical training environments in digital innovation, AI, IoT, and green energy, cultivating multi-skilled talent aligned with industry needs.

• Align with global trends by providing teaching support to enhance faculty capabilities in AI applications, EMI instruction, and innovation & entrepreneurship, thereby improving teaching effectiveness.

• Leverage institutional strengths to expand international recruitment, offering special programs to attract overseas Chinese and international students in line with the New Southbound Policy and hands-on talent demand.

• Combine international research resources with geographical advantages to build a globalized campus and promote cross-border learning opportunities for students.

• Strengthen alumni networks by inviting industry professionals among alumni to share experiences, fostering closer alignment between curriculum and industry practice.

 

ST– Leveraging Strengths to Mitigate Threats

• In response to declining birth rates, integrate counseling networks, campus activities, scholarships, and government subsidies to reduce student burdens, enhance enrollment appeal, and stabilize student intake.

• Build on the international collaboration foundations of the Environmental Toxins Research Center and the Cultural Heritage Restoration Center to foster cross-disciplinary teams and strengthen the global image of technical and vocational education.

 

WO– Seizing Opportunities to Overcome Weaknesses

• Organize corporate visits and internships alongside liberal arts and sustainability courses, offering free language resources to boost learning motivation and global perspective.

• In response to reshoring Taiwanese businesses and industry demands, collaborate with leading companies to launch specialized programs, promoting industry–academia co-education to increase learning incentives and reduce financial burdens.

• Develop digital learning environments and a smart library to provide diverse self-learning resources, enhancing student engagement and flexible learning opportunities.

 

WT– Reducing Weaknesses and Mitigating Threats

• Strengthen general education foundations (Chinese, Physics, English, Computational Thinking) through a tutor system and learning communities to guide self-directed learning, increasing motivation and sense of achievement.

• Establish faculty overseas training mechanisms to promote international academic collaboration, introduce innovative teaching methods, enhance the university’s global reputation, and attract outstanding students.

• Advance smart campus initiatives and green campus development to create a friendly, modern learning environment, improving institutional image and enrollment competitiveness.