With the economy and technologies running on the forefront today, the humanities and arts are often neglected. But in actual fact, social advancement and national development require nourishment from the humanities as well as the drive from the arts! National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) comprises nine colleges, the majority of which are technical and science disciplines such as the sciences, engineering, and biomedical engineering. In comparison, there are fewer departments in the fields of humanities and arts, but each of NCKU's disciplines hold their own importance and significance. The progress and accomplishments from science, engineering and biomedical engineering form the framework of growth and contentment in a nation's social environment. But the humanities, history, and the arts are the soul and driving force for deeper advancement. Accordingly, NCKU established the "Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences" in 2008 and the "Min-Nan Culture Studies Center" in 2012, to place a greater emphasis on cultural and social changes, and to pioneer greater discussions on the unique issues of Taiwanese culture and society. At the same time, the topic "global perspectives" will drive greater dialogue on a global level. Among these ventures, the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences undertook the "Collation and Study of the Research Literature of Min-Nan Culture" project. An inter-college, inter-institutional, and international research team comprehensively searched and organized local and overseas literature on Min-Nan culture with research value, and gradually compiled and published the content. In particular, among the music from the song compendia provided by the French National Centre for Scientific Research, many volumes were the sole remaining copies in the world. The Min-Nan Culture Studies Center is focused on historical sites, historical records, poetry collections, geographical information and other related material, and aims to compile and establish a database of spoken language and sound culture. Furthermore, the "Demoduling and Encoding Heritage Navigation Service Platform" (DEH) developed through inter-university and cross-disciplinary collaboration compiled artistic contents through digital programs into formats suitable for archive storage. Historical records, historical sites, and stories are developed through information network technology to be applied in-depth to Taiwan's tourism industry. Currently, over six thousand sites in northern, central, and southern Taiwan as well as the offshore regions have already been established. These include thematic material such as photographs and stories from Yilan, the central region, Tainan the Old Capital, Lugang Town, Fengtian Village of Hualien, and Guanshan of Taitung.

 

　　Institutional-level cultural heritage collection projects have been developed for the collection of artifacts. These include the project for the preservation, storage and restoration of artifacts; the project for university cultural resources and the establishment of an open database; and the project for the establishment of a digital archive for collections and university records. Apart from the organization and restoration of Professor Su Xuelin's artifacts and collections, the collection and compilation of her academic papers, and the organization of seminars and publishing of Su Xuelin's works, a joint exhibition has also been co-organized with a museum and a digital archive has been established. At the same time, a digital database of campus artwork has also been established. Already completed are the website navigation system "Artworks.Netwalk@NCKU", the 3D scanning and modeling of works of art, and the augmented reality navigation app for campus artworks, "Artworks.Netwalk@NCKU".

 

　　Moreover, due to the current trend of cross-disciplinary research, the NCKU "Mind Research and Imaging Center" is a research unit that encompasses the disciplines of medicine, engineering and the social sciences. It uses fMRI to assist the research of brain activities and to unveil the mysteries of brainwave activities. The Mind Research and Imaging Center opened officially in August 2013, and provides for the MRI usage needs of universities' research departments in central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. It enhances the research standards of nerve and cognitive science and increases the opportunities for inter-institutional and international exchanges and collaboration. In the future, its usage will be expanded further to the studies on public policies and behavioral sciences, and will lead the study on the science of the mind into a new chapter.