The University had its English school motto first, and then the Chinese analog of it. The English motto "Unto a Full-Grown Man" was taken from Verse 13, Chapter 4, of the Ephesians, in the New Testament of the Bible. The words mean that the school aims to educate the students until they become fully grown-up men and women. In 1929, the University's Administrative Council passed the proposal by the then President Yang Yung-chin that the Chinese version of the school motto should be the couplet 養天地正氣，法古今完人, which in English means "To nourish the spirit of universal truth, and to emulate the perfect man of the ages."
Soochow University, founded in 1900 in Suzhou, was the first western-style University in China. After the Republic of China's government moved to Taiwan, some of its former alumni exerted tireless efforts to reestablish their alma mater in Taipei. In 1951, a board of directors was created, and premises were rented on Hankou Street in downtown Taipei to set up the so-called Soochow Preparatory School. After the Ministry of Education approved the reestablishment plan at the end of 1954, the School of Law was the first to be established, including the Departments of Law, Political Science, Economics, and Accounting, along with an attached Foreign Languages and Literature Department. The school became the first private University in Taiwan.
After 60 years of hard work in Taiwan, the University has grown and become fully accredited, turning into one of the most prestigious private universities on the island, complete with six colleges (School of Big Data Management began enrolling students in 2015), 23 departments, 22 Masteral programs, and 6 Doctoral Programs. The student population has also exceeded 15,000.
We adhere to the best of the school's traditions while sticking to the motto "Unto a Full Grown Man" in carrying out our education programs steadfastly. Due to unbending board principles, efficient school operations, and comprehensive foundation programs, the school has received the Ministry of Education's "Teaching Excellence Program" award for eleven consecutive years since 2005.
Our educational development programs are based on pursuing the highest "teaching" quality and "learning" excellence for the students. Building on almost a century of academic excellence and fully understanding our intrinsic values, practical integration of resources, and a focus on strengthening character development, we hope to create a new era for Soochow University.
Soochow University is on the cultural axis of Taipei City. Near the National Palace Museum, among lush green hills and a clear stream flowing by, the Waishuanghsi Campus presents a spectacular view and offers the students an ideal study environment. On this campus are the School of Arts & Social Sciences, the School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, and the School of Science.
The School of Law, the School of Business, and the Extension School are on the Downtown Campus in Taipei's administrative and commercial center. Transportation between the two campuses is convenient. Both campuses have their own unique cultural and academic resources and distinctive environments.
With excellence in teaching as the foundation, in concert with specialized academic research, deep-rooted moral education, active international exchanges, strengthened career counseling, an innovative School of Big Data Management, and armed with Confucian values and a strong program for training Chinese language professionals, we will continue to produce dedicated and persevering "Soochowians" who, while standing tall in Taiwan, possess a grand vision of the world.
By upholding the five-way-of-life in pursuing its holistic education philosophy and encouraging teachers and students to practice life-long learning, the University not only topped the College and University Recycling Competition sponsored by the City of Taipei for the School Year 2014 but was also selected by the Ministry of Education as one of the schools with an outstanding moral education program, bringing about impressive achievements.
At the 2014 Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart, Soochow University won one silver and two bronze medals for its outstanding achievements resulting from the integration of knowledge and application and industry and academics. In the School Years of 2013 and 2014, faculty members won the Department of Science and Technology's highest Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, which further demonstrates the vigor and vitality displayed in many young professors' research activities at the University. The Analysis Report on academic performance of Elsevier Research Intelligence shows that the field-weighted citation impact of the publications of faculty members from Soochow University for 2009-2013 was 1.16, which was higher than the world average of 1.0. Papers published by this University are of the highest quality and are most competitive in terms of "productivity and efficiency," with an annual growth rate ranked third globally.
