Our department was previously called the "Department of Social Studies Education." Founded in 1987, it was the first department of its kind to be approved and established in Taiwan at that time. Starting from the 2002 academic year, our Graduate Institute began recruiting students. In the 2006 academic year, we established the In-service Master's Program, which has played a crucial role in cultivating excellent elementary school teachers. In recent years, we have undergone transformation in response to the teacher education policy proposed by the Ministry of Education. This transformation aims to expand our research directions, revise our focal points, and meet the evolving needs of our development. In the 2010 academic year, we formally changed our name to the "Department of Regional and Social Development," becoming a new department that emphasizes both education and professional capabilities.
The objective of our department is to cultivate students’ knowledges and basic research capabilities in regional and social development, a sense of social responsibility, and the ability to engage in community activities. Additionally, the department seeks to instill in students a broad perspective and open-mindedness towards local, regional, and global issues.
In accordance with the core principle, our department has established four educational objectives:
A. The acquisition of specialized knowledge and practical skills in the fields of regional and social sciences.
B. The ability to collect, analyze, and interpret regional culture and social phenomena.
C. The ability to address temporal and spatial issues, as well as individual and societal problems.
D. The competence to plan and facilitate the regional and social development.
