SDG 16.2.6 Academic freedom policy

According to Article 11 of The Constitution of The Republic of China, the people still have the freedom of speech, lectures, writings, and publications. Article 1 of the University Act guarantees universities academic freedom and autonomy within legal limits. NCUE administers its affairs in accordance with the law. All faculty members are free to choose their research fields and publicly discuss and teach the knowledge in those fields. In addition to supporting academic freedom, the university encourages and rewards faculty members for publishing research results in various forms.

NCUE encourages all faculty members, including newly appointed and senior faculty members, to conduct research and publish the results in their areas of expertise or interest. NCUE faculty members published a total of 142 SCI- and SSCI-indexed papers in 2023, 159 in 2024 and 176 in 2025. Both newly appointed and senior faculty members are eligible for monetary rewards of varing amounts for publishing papers in domestic or international journals, obtaining patents for inventions, or publishing scholarly research books that have undergone review. NCUE also presents awards to faculty members with outstanding research results, including the Top Research Award, the Research Excellence Award, the Research Potential New Talent Award and the Exemplary New Researcher Award. The numbers of SCI- and SSCI-indexed papers published from 2023 to 2025 are shown in Figure 1.

(1) NCUE Regulations for Rewarding Faculty Research Achievements (Figure 2): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/707/121770170.pdf

Figure 2. National Changhua University of Education Regulations for Rewarding Faculty Research Achievements

(3) NCUE Faculty Listed in "World's Top 2% Scientists" in 2025:

Several NCUE professors are included in the World's Top 2% Scientists 2025 ranking. The list was compiled by Professor John P.A. Ioannidis' team at Stanford University from academic databases and published by Mendeley Data under Elsevier. The ranking comprises two lists: the Career-long Scientific Impact Ranking (1960-2025) and the Annual Scientific Impact Ranking. Multiple NCUE professors were included in these rankings, showcasing our faculty's long-term dedication and excellence across various research fields.

In 2024, 12 NCUE faculty members were listed in the "Career-long Scientific Impact Ranking," and 7 were included in the “Annual Scientific Impact Ranking,” demonstrating the results of our faculty's long-term commitment to academic research. Of these 15 faculty members, 7 were also listed in the "Annual Scientific Impact Ranking." These outstanding results highlights our faculty's exceptional academic impact in scientific research.

Campus news: https://www.ncue.edu.tw/p/406-1000-31626,r93.php?Lang=zh-tw

NCUE encourages all faculty members, including newly appointed and senior faculty members, to undertake research projects for the public and private sectors and industry-academia collaboration in their areas of expertise or interest. These projects help faculty members connect with industry and develop their teams for interdisciplinary cooperation. NCUE’s units and faculty members actively seek external projects funding. In 2024, funding for National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) projects, excluding industry-academia collaboration projects, totaled NT$145,769,277. Funding for NSTC industry-academia collaboration projects totaled NT$5,911060. Funding for non-NSTC projects totaled NT$437,504,874, and funding for non-NSTC industry-Academia collaboration projects totaled NT$63,898,403. In 2025, NCUE undertook 145 NSTC-funded projects, excluding industry-academia collaboration projects, with a total funding of NT$166,106,019, 9 NSTC industry-Academia collaboration projects with total funding of NT$9,264,920, 240 non-NSTC projects with total funding of 346,650,962, and 108 non-NSTC industry-Academia collaboration projects with total funding of NT$72,104,645. The funding amounts of projects in 2024 and 2025 are shown in Figure 3.

(1) For the results of NCUE’s 2025 projects, please refer to: https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/p/426-1005-23.php

(2) NCUE’s Regulations for the appointment of Distinguished Professors (revised in 2025) (Figure 4): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/707/744272101.pdf

(3) NCUE faculty members appointed as Distinguished Professors from 2010 to 2026 (Figure 5): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/890/485239287.pdf

Figure 4. National Changhua University of Education Regulations for the Appointment of Distinguished Professors

Figure 5. List of National Changhua University of Education Distinguished Professors, 2010-2026

(4) NCUE’s Regulations for Outstanding Faculty Members (revised in 2025) (Figure 6): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/297841990.pdf

(5) NCUE Outstanding Faculty Award recipients in 2025 (Figure 7): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/759811139.pdf

Figure 6. National Changhua University of Education Regulations for Outstanding Faculty Awards

Figure 7. List of National Changhua University of Education Outstanding Faculty Award recipients, 2025

(6) NCUE’s Regulations for Rewarding Special Outstanding Talents (revised in 2025) (Figure 8): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/683/891573628.pdf

(7) NCUE Special Outstanding Talent Award recipients in 2025 (Figure 9): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/890/301992250.pdf

Figure 8. National Changhua University of Education Regulations for Rewarding Specially Outstanding Talent

Figure 9. List of National Changhua University of Education Specially Outstanding Talent Award Recipients, 2025

(8) NCUE’s Guidelines for Industry–Academia Cooperation Merit Awards (revised in 2025) (Figure 10): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/707/380627133.pdf

(9) NCUE faculty members awarded the Industry–Academia Cooperation Merit Award in 2024 (Figure 11): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/890/729575942.pdf

Figure 10. National Changhua University of Education Guidelines for Industry-Academia Cooperation Merit Awards

Figure 11. List of National Changhua University of Education Industry-Academia Cooperation Merit Award Recipients, 2024

To support and encourage new faculty members in conducting research and in conducting research and securing National Science and Technology Council research projects, NCUE revised the National Changhua University of Education Guidelines for Rewarding New Faculty Members and Researchers Who Implement National Science and Technology Council Projects in 2026. NCUE also revised the National Changhua University of Education Regulations for Subsidizing Research Projects by New Faculty Members in 2025. In 2025, 19 new faculty members received rewarded for implementing 19 National Science and Technology Council projects, with rewards totaling NT$259,895. In 2025, two new faculty members received research project subsidies totaling NT$300,000.

To encourage faculty participation in National Science and Technology Council industry-academia collaboration projects and assist enterprises in preparing government subsidy or guidance project proposals, and thereby enhance NCUE's industry-academia research capacity and competitiveness, NCUE established new Industry-Academia Research Project Subsidy Guidelines on November 22, 2024, providing eligible faculty members with NT$20,000 for operational expenses and NT$10,000 in incentive awards for each project. NCUE has established the following related incentive measures:

(1) NCUE’s Guidelines for Rewarding New Faculty Members and Researchers Who Implement National Science and Technology Council Projects (revised in 2026) (Figure 12): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/784676377.pdf

(2) NCUE new Faculty members and researchers rewarded for implementing National Science and Technology Council projects in 2025 (Figure 13): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/890/723520228.pdf

Figure 12. National Changhua University of Education Guidelines for Rewarding New Faculty Members and Researchers Who Implement National Science and Technology Council Projects

Figure 13. List of National Changhua University of Education new faculty members and researchers rewarded for implementing National Science and Technology Council projects, 2025

(3) NCUE’s Regulations for Subsidizing Research Projects by New Faculty Members (revised in 2025) (Figure 14): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/883512768.pdf

Figure 14. National Changhua University of Education Regulations for Subsidizing Research Projects by New Faculty Members

(4) NCUE new faculty members who received research project subsidies in 2025: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Frndweb.ncue.edu.tw%2Fvar%2Ffile%2F5%2F1005%2Fimg%2F129970252.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

(5) NCUE Industry-Academia Research Project Subsidy Guidelines (revised in 2025) (Figure 15): https://rndweb.ncue.edu.tw/var/file/5/1005/img/184308716.pdf

Figure 15. National Changhua University of Education Guidelines for Subsidizing Industry-Academia Research Projects