Located in Chiayi, Taiwan, Nanhua University was founded in 1996 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Through the support of millions of Fo Guang Shan worshippers, the first comprehensive university of Fo Guang Shan was funded. The school is also a member of “Fo Guang Shan’s Associated Universities,” the country’s first cross-nation university system. Currently, the school has about 5,200 students and a strong faculty of 220 full-time teachers. The proportion of assistant professors to full-time teachers above is more than 96%, and the proportion of doctorates among them is 91%, which means the school ranks among the top private universities.
The school is built on a mountain slope and set in a quaint garden. The school area is about 63 hectares, with vast grasslands and towering trees. The unique natural environment of the elegant and quiet campus has earned the school the name “Forest University.” The rare and protected species and the natural and cultural ecology make the school the perfect model for promoting green campuses and environmental education.
The school primarily focuses on general education and the humanistic spirit. It is an important institution in the southern region for national general education, and the school currently has a General Education Center and Five Colleges: Management, Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts, and Science & Technology. There are 21 undergraduate departments, 24 master’s programs, and a doctoral program. The Department of Life-and-Death Studies is renowned nationwide. Other well-known departments include the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Tourism Management, the Department of Architecture and Landscape Design, the Department of Ethnomusicology, the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies, the Graduate Institute of Nonprofit Management, and the Graduate Institute of Natural Healing Sciences. Moreover, general education with award-winning performance year after year has further increased the school’s positive reputation.
At the same time, transnational learning programs, including international student exchanges, overseas study, and e-learning platform (wireless internet / digital media / language learning), strongly promote the unique features and competitiveness of the school.
