Soochow University

Soochow University Web Site

Soochow University was founded in Soochow (Suchou), Mainland China, in 1900 and was reactivated in Taipei in 1951. It is the oldest private university in Taiwan. The university provides high quality education that prepares students to make significant contributions to the nation. There are now 5 schools and 23 departments. The enrollment is about 14,000. The Schools of Arts and Social Sciences, Science and Foreign Languages and Cultures are located near the National Palace Museum at scenic Waishuanghsi. The Schools of Law and Business and the Extension School are located at the downtown campus in the Chung Cheng District, the political and commercial center of Taipei, where professionals of business and law are easily accessible. Soochow University may be small, yet as a full-fledged university, it is distinguished in content and quality.

Soochow University, with a view to meeting the coming challenges of the new century, will continue its endeavor to enhance the academic exchange and cooperative programs with the top-notch universities in the world, including those in Mainland China. As of June 2001, the University has contracted 22 intercampus agreements and executed them successfully with world-known education institutes in the United States, Sweden, Germany, France, Holland, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and Mainland China. More international exchange programs and cooperative projects are expected the near future.

Facts and Figures

University Motto:
English Motto: Unto A Full-grown Man
Chinese motto (as translated):
Nourish the Spirit of Universal Truth, Emulate the Perfect Men of the Ages.

University Colors: Red and Black
Red symbolizes Sincerity and Enthusiasm.
Black symbolizes Perseverance and Liberality.

Faculty:
Full-time: 420
Part-time: 673

Enrollment:
Undergraduates: 13,375
Daytime Sessions: 11,535
Evening Sessions: 1,795

Graduates:
Masters programs: 1,344
Doctoral programs: 77

Library:
Books: 615,000
Periodicals and Journals: 2,915
Non-printed material items: 28,000
Seat capacity: 2,100

Schools and Departments

School of Arts and Social Sciences:
Chinese Literature
History
Philosophy
Political Science
Sociology
Music
Education

School of Foreign Languages and Cultures:
English Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
German Language and Literature

School of Science:
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Microbiology
Psychology

School of Law:
Law

School of Business:
Economics
Accounting
Business Administration
International Business
Business Mathematics
Computer and Information Science

Soochow University International Curriculum

Beginning Chinese: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course is designed to introduce spoken and written Mandarin Chinese, emphasize intensive drills in sounds and tones, sentence structure and characters/vocabulary.

The Beauty of Chinese Art: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course is designed to help students structure the wealth of names, period and styles of Chinese art. The most basic objectives of this course are to enable students to appreciate the artistic values of ambitious works in Chinese history, to familiarize them with the story of Chinese art, and to equip them for consultation of more specialized books. Primarily, this class attempts to show students the lay of the land without confusing details. It will focus on major works that represent the highest standards of perfection and the most vitality in Chinese Art. This is a lecture course with occasional in-class discussions. Tours to local museums are to be expected if time permits. There are specific prerequisites, but a sincere desire to learn is necessary. The final grade will be based on a mid-term report and a final examination. Active participation in class is important and will be added to the final grade.

Contemporary Chinese History: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course describes the history of China from 1911 to the present with special emphasis on Chinas imperial system, the experiment with republic government, warlordism, the Northern Expedition, the Nanking government, the Sino-Japanese war, China under Communist rule and socio-economic as well as political development of Taiwan.

Voting Behavior: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course examines various aspects of voting behavior, including public opinion, voting models, election forecasting, and campaigning. This class wants to focus on answering the question Who votes and for whom by analyzing social, economic and political factors affecting attitudes and election choices. The major countries under examination will be the United States and Taiwan. Students are required to do the readings beforehand, and will be asked to lead discussions or make presentations regularly. Also the class reading will be designed according to the enrolled students proficiency in reading Chinese literature. There will be a midterm and a final exam.

International Financing Law: (2 credits, available for graduate students majoring in Law).

This course will explore the different financing tools that used in international financing transactions. It includes 1) Introduction: a) Domestic Financing v. International Financing, and b) Debt Financing v. Equity Financing; 2) International Syndicated Loan: a) Why Syndicated Loan, b) Syndicated Loan v. Project Financing, c) Structure of Syndicated Loan, d) Review and Analysis of Legal Documentation: Mandate, Loan Agreement, Securities Agreement (guarantee, mortgage, pledge), Legal Opinion; 3) International Capital Market Financing: a) Why International Capital Market Financing, b) Debt Financing (straight bond, convertible bond, exchangeable bond), c) Equity Financing (global depositary receipt), d) Structure of Capital Market Financing, e) Review and Analysis of Legal Documentation: Mandate, Offering Circular, Underwriting Agreement, Trust Deed/Deposit Agreement and Legal Opinion; and 4) Workshop.

Law on International Organization: (2 credits, available for graduate students majoring in Law).

This course will deal with the following topics in international organizations: 1) Introduction, 2) Categories of International Organizations, 3) Legal Status, 4) Participants, 5) Institutional Structure and Functions, 6) Procedural Rules of International Organizations, 7) Expenditures and Budget. In addition, students selecting this course will be requested to do further research on the following issues: 1) The United Nations System, 2) Republic of China and the UN, 3) The world Trade Organization, 4) Full Members and Observer Status, 5) Resolutions of International Organizations, 6) Treaty Making Powers of International Organizations, 7) Responsibilities of International Organizations, 8) Settlements of Disputes within International Organizations.

Seminar on Public International Law: (2 credits, available for graduate students majoring in Law).

Seminar discussions will focus on the following topics: 1) Democracy and International Law, 2) Soft Law and other Sources of International Law, 3) Toward Relative Normativity in International Law, 4) The Case concerning East Timor, 5) The Bosnia Genocide Case, 6) International Law and Municipal Law, 7) Reservation and Human Rights Treaty, 8) Double Nationality, 9) International Environmental Law, 10) Self-determination and Secession, 11) International Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law.

Seminar on Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management: (3 credits, available for senior undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Business Administration).

This course will systematically introduce the logistics and supply chain management issues facing global enterprises. Students will be able to understand the methods and skills utilized by enterprises in building and managing their global supply chain.

Political Development and Democratic Transition in Taiwan: (2 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course builds a comprehensive, theoretical, and analytical framework for the political development and democratic transition in Taiwan by reviewing the existing literature and discussing relevant concepts and theories. The unifying theme is that political development, economic development and social change are closely related. Both the factors for the dynamic process of the transition, and the problems affecting the consolidation of democracy must be examined and analyzed carefully.

Chinese Negotiation Skills: An Application of Sun Tzus The art of War: (2 credits, available for undergraduate students).

Sun Tzu is the most influential and important strategist in Chinese history. Although his book The Art of War was written 2000 years ago, its influence can still be felt in the 21st century. Not only do Chinese still apply Sun Tzus teaching to modern business management, politicians and generals all over the world also regard Sun Tzus works as a must in their readings. This course will introduce Sun Tzus The art of War, allowing students to become familiar with Sun Tzus teaching. Its application to the negotiating table will be introduced and discussed. We will not only describe how the Chinese negotiate, both in Taiwan and in Mainland China, but also prescribe the best strategies for people who want to do business in the Chinese community. The course requirement will be a term paper due at the end of the semester.

Business Communication for Accountants: (3 credits, available for senior undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Accounting).

This course includes theory, practices, and techniques essential to communication by accounting professionals in the areas of interpersonal communication, written and oral presentations, communication technologies and development of communication strategies for varied audiences.

Chinese Culture and Civilization in Action: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This is a survey course designed to introduce students to the humanistic traditions of China. It is a course on Chinese humanities in action, so our major concern will be with the basic question of what it meant (and still means) to be a human in the Chinese world. The focus of the course will be on thought, Confucian ethics, and Buddhist and Taoist religion and literature, since these are ways that a person creatively manipulates the world as well as ritualizes his or her relationships with other people, nature and the universe. The class lectures and reading assignments will embody core values of traditional Chinese society in terms of world view), ancestor worship, arranged marriage, romantic love, moral retribution, social justice and protest. The course will also cover various aspects of contemporary Chinese daily life in action as well as the mystique behind them, such as festivals, fung-shui (geomancy) folk customs, kung-fu (martial arts), chops, fortune calendars, palm reading, acupuncture, etc. Furthermore, class lectures are supplemented with pertinent field trips and parties, if time permits, including a visit to the National Palace Museum, touring Buddhist and Taoist temples and watching parades. The course is especially geared for students who have no prior or limited knowledge of Chinese history or culture.

History of Taiwan, 1945 to the Present: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

The course gives in in-depth historical review of Taiwans modernizing strategy and process in the second half of the twentieth century, stressing the economic, social and political changes in Taiwan over the recent decades. It also focuses on how an agrarian Taiwanese society is being transformed into a modern and industrialized one. Within the conceptual framework of development change, transformation and modernization, major topics will include, but not be limited to land reform, rural construction, local self-government, official economic development plans, the era of white terror and martial law, opposition movements, democracy--Taiwanese style, identity crisis, as well as Taiwan independence vs. reunification with China. The course is intended for students who have no prior knowledge of Taiwanese history.

International Protection of Human Rights/East Asia: (3 credits, available for undergraduate students).

This course is specifically designed for students with some background in international relations and Asian affairs. It is primarily concerned with an in-depth investigation and analysis of an international standard of human rights and its impact on Asia. Some of the issues and problems that will be taken up in the semester include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the two international conventions as well as the debate on Asian values. The implementation of the international standard of human rights in Asia, especially in China and Taiwan will be thoroughly examined. The current efforts in Taiwan to promote the protection of human rights, including the creation of a National Human Rights Commission and the teaching of the basic ideas of human rights in primary school, secondary school, colleges and university, will be part of the study.