National Chung Cheng University began the preparatory work for the Institute in 2000. In the 90th academic year, the 2nd college affairs meeting of the College of Humanities approved the proposal for the Institute’s establishment; in the 91st academic year, a research group was set up by the University Affairs Development Committee for a thorough evaluation of the plan. In the 92nd academic year, at the 52nd university affairs meeting, the school’s application to the Ministry of Education for the establishment of the Institute was approved
To meet the society and school’s expectations of quality liberal arts education, the Institute began admitting students in the 93rd academic year, enrolling 10 students in its first year paving the way for its educational mission in Taiwan. The Institute aims to cultivate young talents in the fields of Taiwanese art, society, and culture.
In 2005, the Ministry of Education approved the Institute’s proposal of “Taiwanese Culture Teacher Education On-the-Job Program” which began accepting students in 2006. In 2007, the program was renamed “Taiwanese Culture On-the-Job MA Program.” To meet the needs of the program, since the 98th academic year the Institute has hired many assistant professors.
At present, the Institute’s faculty includes 7 full-time professors, 1 joint appointment professor, 4 adjunct professors, and 1 administrative assistant. To increase social needs ,bridge the gap between academic training and practice, uphold the Institute’s founding mission, and to change in according to admission strategy, after years of discussion, the name of the Institute was changed from “Graduate Institute of Taiwan Literature” to “Graduate Institute of Taiwan Literature and Innovation” on August 1, 2015.
To cultivate young talents in the aspects of humanism quality, academic skill and cultural and creative practice, the Institute has three main educational objectives: 1) to cultivate cross-disciplinary talents with a global perspective and local concern; 2) to help students accumulate professional knowledge and develop linguistic, literary, and cultural creative abilities; 3) to improve student’s competence in terms of critical thinking, communication, cooperation, application and innovation.
The courses engage students in the preservation and promotion of local culture by means of literary and visual documentations. Field practice at cultural sites helps students develop aesthetic, visual, cultural creative and execution abilities which will improve their competitiveness in the job market. The Institute offers elementary courses in English, Japanese, Taiwanese (Taiwanese Hokkien), and professional word processing. In addition, students are provided with many industry-academia cooperation opportunities and a variety of scholarships.
1. Artistic life and life artist: The building of a Taiwanese cultural community with the help of contemporary literature, architecture, history, folk culture and religion.
2. The promotion and teaching of local culture.
3. Cultural research-derived language and history teaching practice.
4. "Field research" and the accumulation of cultural heritage.
5. The cultivation of student’s capability in the fields of cultural theory and creative practice.