About Us
About Us
The Department of Oceanography at National Sun Yat-sen University is one of the most important institutions that concentrate on ocean science research and education in Asia. Research areas of the 20 full-time faculty members encompass biology, chemistry, geology and physics of marine systems. We work to understand the inter-connectivities of the oceans, the atmosphere and the Earth, and find the solutions to the challenges of our planet. The foci of study in this Department include impacts of climate change, marine biodiversity and conservation, resilience to hazards, ocean and human well-being, innovative technology and national security. The Department manages the Dongsha Atoll Research Station (https://dongsha-mr.nsysu.edu.tw/) and the research vessel New Ocean Research 3 (https://or3.nsysu.edu.tw/).
Department history
The Department was established by integrating the Institute of Marine Biology, the Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry, and part of the faculty of the Institute of Undersea Technology in 2013. The Institute of Marine Biology was a graduate school that offered master’s and PhD degrees. The master’s program was established in 1981. It was the first research institute that focused on teaching and research of marine biology in Taiwan. The first director was Professor Kun-hsiung Chang, who was on secondment from the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica. Its PhD program was established in 1995.
In April 1985, Professor Chen-Tung Arthur Chen established the preparatory office for the Institute of Marine Geology. On August 1 1985, the master’s program of this institute was officially established to recruite students. In 1990, the PhD program was established to extend its advanced research. Subsequently, in 1996, the name of this institute was changed to the Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry to better describe its scientific activities.
Educational goals
The design of the curriculum and extra-curriculum activities in the Department and the University as a whole is to bring up students to attain the following capacities.
1. Respect life and the environments.
2. Have the knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and Earth science.
3. Have the knowledge of oceanography.
4. Have the ability of scientific observation, experimental design and data analysis.
5. Have the knowledge and ability for ocean and ecosystems protection.
6. Build proactive attitude, critical thinking and skills of presentation and communication.
7. Develop global vision in international affairs.
Developmental prospect
The Department hopes that our graduates will become leading forces in the maritime areas, such as scientific research, education, government administration, biological conservation, fisheries, marine pollution monitoring, energy, national security and international affairs in Asia and beyond.
