A number of lectures, paper presentations, and AI creative competitions were scheduled throughout the day, with the four keynote lectures including: “AI Sustainable City”, “AI and Gender Equality”, “Generating Music with Suno AI”, and “Generative AI and Literature”. The seminar saw enthusiastic participation with 196 submissions coming in from the university group and 33 submissions from the high school group, making for 229 contributions in total. After evaluation, 10 works from each group were selected for exhibition and on-site voting.

Commenting on the trends in AI and education, Vice President for Academic Affairs Shui-jen Chen said, “if general education wants to keep pace with the times, it must actively embrace AI technology and creatively work to incorporate generative tools in the humanities so that the next generation of students will not only be able to use technology, but also be able to think deeply about its meaning and impact.” Chairman Zuway-R Hong of the Taiwan Congress on College General Education also pointed out that “improving workplace competitiveness for college students is an important aim and undertaking for university teachers—so we must seize the opportunities of this new AI era”. For visitors to the NPUST campus, Director Tin-Yu Wu of the Department of Information Management was also invited to introduce the AI-enabled Smart Computing Classroom which was newly established on campus to help NPUST apply AI to its “Intelligence Agriculture” (IA) development goal.

The seminar focused on the cross-domain integration of general education in the AI ​​era. Through the four main sessions participants deeply explored the applications and challenges of AI technology when it comes to sustainable development, arts and cultural creation, general education, and cultural classics. Topics covered AI-led sustainable urban transformation, gender equality and legal observation, the use of AI-generated music in teaching, and the ways in which AI can assist with the innovative interpretation of classical literature, making it clear that AI is not only a tool for technological innovation, but also an important opportunity to stimulate reflection in education and the humanities. Through the quality lectures, the participants were able to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between technology and human values, and the diversified development paths that are unfolding for general education in the future. This seminar also demonstrated the forward-looking vision and practical capabilities of NPUST when it comes to the integration of AI and the humanities, and it was an opportunity to promote cross-domain dialogue and set an innovative example for the development of higher education in southern Taiwan.

Starting the afternoon session with a cordial “Bonjour”, Ambassador Lu shared a variety of experiences from his time working in France. Throughout his talk, the fluent French speaker accented his presentation with French expressions here and there, making it more vivid and exciting for the audience. The students in attendance, mainly from the Department of Management Information Systems and the International Bachelors Program on Finance, found the lecture to be informative and rewarding.

For the main event, which was scheduled for 6 PM at the Shuyun Hall, Ambassador Lu spoke on “Diversified Globalization, New Changes, Geopolitics, Changing Generations—My Future Is Not A Dream: Happy Learning, Challenges and Opportunities”. The diverse subject matter touched on the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, 42 years of practical experience in the professional diplomatic marketing of Taiwan, new interpretations of modern “diplomacy” and much more. Ambassador Lu encouraged the students by telling them: “Know yourself and your enemy, and be strength-oriented. Taiwan will be better! Be rational and wise, and look at the world with a grateful heart, handle cross-strait relations wisely, increase competitiveness, and convey the message to everyone: ‘you are the most important and noble person’. If you work hard, you will definitely have a chance!”.

At the end of the lecture, Director Herlin Chien of the Center for General Education presented Ambassador Lu with a plaque to thank him for sharing his wonderful international diplomatic insights and life experiences. She also expressed her expectations that the talks would help enhance students’ view of general education and strengthen their holistic knowledge and development.

This semester’s lecture series was organized to start with a look into current global affairs, and then focus on the school’s core development strategies, which are oriented towards “life, production, ecology and health”. With speakers invited from both inside and outside the school, a total of eight lectures are planned out to inspire cross-field discussion and encourage students to adopt interdisciplinary thinking and cultivate cross-domain capabilities.