History &Misson
The university was founded in 1962 by Dr. Chang Chi-Yun and the Chinese Culture and Education Foundation. Initially, the proposed name for the university was "Far East University." However, late President Chiang Kai-shek wrote to suggest the name "Chinese Culture College" due to its profound meaning and alignment with the university's development direction and educational philosophy. Dr. Chang and the Chinese Culture and Education Foundation gladly adopted his suggestion. Chinese Culture College was approved by the Ministry of Education in 1963 and started to accept undergraduate students to study in 15 departments. Later the college was reorganized and renamed Chinese Culture University in 1980.
The university aims to promote Chinese culture and academic excellence. The essence of traditional Chinese culture lies in literature, history, and philosophy, while the strengths of modern Western civilization are in science and democracy. To revitalize Chinese culture, the University has responsibilities to pass on the insights from the teachings, philosophies, and practices of historical figures and civilizations in the east and the west. It also aims to instruct students to apply and develop modern science and technology. With the goal, Chinese Culture University has developed into a comprehensive university over the years.
The founder of CCU, Prof. Dr. Chang Chi-Yun, laid out the founding ideals of CCU: “to seek true knowledge incessantly and always to endeavor to do better” and “to inherit the best that the East and the West has to offer; to absorb the essence of Chinese and Foreign Cultures”. The school’s motto: “temperament, simplicity, strength and tenacity” reflects the University’s emphasis on its continuous pursuit of better education and its termination to fulfill its social responsibility.
Former President Dr. Chang Jen-Hu was a distinguished scholar. He had a Bachelor of Arts from Zhejiang University and a Ph.D. in Geography from Clark University in the United States. He had worked as a researcher at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, a climatologist at the University of Wisconsin, a professor at the University of Hawaii, a special lecturer at the University of Victoria in Canada, an external examiner at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Nanyang University in Singapore, an organizer of the UNESCO Tropical Hydrology and Climate Meeting, an advisor at the Institute of Tropical Agricultural Climate in Brazil, a committee member of Tropical Climate unit of the International Geographical Union, an editor for the GSA Journal, a special lecturer for Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council, and a visiting professor at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University.
Dr. Zhang, the son to the founder, took over as President of the Board in 1985. He upheld the founder's educational philosophy and set up new systems, improved financial health, enhanced the infrastructure, and expanded international academic exchanges. He was referred as the "Lee Iacocca in Taiwan’s Academia." Dr. Zhang was awarded honorary doctorates from St. Petersburg University in Russia, Kyung Hee University in South Korea, and Soka University in Japan. In 1999, he was elected as a member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, becoming the first scholar from Taiwan to receive this honor.
Campus Environment
Chinese Culture University has five campuses, covering a total area of 115 hectares. The main campus is located at Hwa Kang on Yangmingshan, adjacent to a national park. It boasts beautiful scenery, fresh air, a free academic atmosphere, and convenient transportation, making it an ideal environment for students to study, broaden their horizons, and cultivate their character. The campus buildings are designed in traditional Chinese style with elegant and magnificent look. The classrooms are bright and modern, equipped with the state-of-art digital classroom lectern, providing a high-quality teaching and learning environment.
The university provides students and teachers with great learning resources, including high speed internet service and campus facilities. These include the Hwa Kang Museum, the Hwa-Lin Ecological Park, Bo-Ying Concert Hall, the Digital Learning Center, the Ou Ho-Nien Art Gallery, the Hwa-Kang Radio Station, the Hwa Kang Experimental Farm, and the Hwa Kang Arts Performance Group.
CCU Today
With the effort of the founder, successive chairpersons, and successive presidents, and the dedication of all members of the Hwa Kang family over decades, CCU has grown into a well-developed institution. The university currently has 11 colleges, including the College of Liberal Arts, the College of International Studies and Foreign Languages, the College of Natural Science and Engineering, the College of Law, the College of Social Sciences, the College of Environmental Planning and Bioresources, the College of Business, the College of Journalism and Communications, the College of Arts, the College of Education, and the College of Kinesiology and Health. CCU offers 60 undergraduate programs, 40 master's programs, and 10 doctoral programs, making it a comprehensive university with diverse academic fields. CCU allows students to specialize in their fields of interest and at the same time provides interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students with broad interests. Additionally, the university has established continuing-education schools in the metropolitan areas in northern, central, and southern Taiwan, offering lifelong learning opportunities to the public.