南大報導

National University of Tainan (NUTN) is participating in the "New Dormitory Movement" promoted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), transforming student dormitories into vibrant learning environments beyond the classroom by focusing on students' daily needs. On November 11, NUTN showcased its dormitory renovation achievements at the New Dormitory Movement Exhibition, themed "With a Dormitory Like This, What Time Would You Go Home?", held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. NUTN President Hui-Ping Chen attended the opening ceremony and spoke at the summit forum, sharing the university's journey in securing resources and upgrading residential facilities.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Education Ying-Yao Cheng began by asking what kind of talent higher education aims to cultivate, suggesting that educators can start from physical spaces to fulfill educational goals. Echoing this vision, NUTN has extended learning into residential life. Students can study in dedicated reading rooms, hold discussions in social lounges, and cook together in shared kitchens—getting to know one another through everyday interactions, from dividing meal-prep tasks to sharing familiar flavors from home.

During the forum, President Chen illustrated NUTN’s renovation concept through four key spaces: "the living room, the study, the kitchen, and the courtyard." While studying, resting, and group discussions were once confined to cramped bedrooms, students can now choose spaces tailored to their specific needs. Starting with a comprehensive assessment of housing needs, NUTN actively secured MOE funding and worked closely with campus teams to integrate the renovations of Huai Yuan Hall and Jing Jing Hall with the reconstruction of Shu Shen Building. Connected by a central plaza and green belts, areas that were once mere passageways have been transformed into inviting spaces for students to linger and interact. Throughout the renovation process, the university also gathered student feedback on public space usage to guide both spatial planning and management.

NUTN views residential life as an integral part of university education. While upgrading living environments, the university places equal emphasis on how students learn and interact outside the classroom. Well-designed communal spaces empower students to organize their daily lives according to their needs, while living alongside peers from diverse backgrounds offers valuable opportunities to practice communication, collaboration, and mutual understanding. These everyday experiences embody the core educational values driving NUTN’s investment in dormitory transformation.