# National Central University

National Central University (Chinese: 國立中央大學; pinyin: Guólì Zhōngyāng Dàxué; abbreviated NCU; 中大; Zhōngdà) is a public research university based in Taiwan. It was founded in 1902 in Nanjing; initially located in Miaoli after moving to Taiwan, it relocated to Zhongli in 1962 and developed into a comprehensive university. NCU is the first university in Taiwan to research industrial economics and economic development (Taiwan's Consumer Confidence Index is released monthly by NCU). NCU is a member of AACSB. NCU is one of the six national universities in research selected by the Ministry of Education, organized into eight colleges.

## History

Established in 1902 as Sanjiang Normal School, National Central University underwent a number of name changes, such as Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeastern University and currently, National Central University. It was based in Nanking, but after the Chinese Communist Party took control of the mainland in 1949, the National Central University was re-established in Taiwan in 1962 as the National Central University Graduate Institute of Geophysics in Miaoli County. The university's original site on mainland China has since became part of the campus of Nanjing University. In 1968, NCU moved to its current location in the Shuanglianpo (雙連坡) district of Zhongli, Taoyuan County (now Zhongli District, Taoyuan City) and was renamed the National Central University College of Science. In 1979, it was officially reestablished under the name National Central University. In 2003, NCU and three other national universities established the University System of Taiwan cooperative partnership. NCU is now a research-oriented national comprehensive university.

## Location

The university's Taoyuan City campus is situated in the northern part of the island, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) away from the capital Taipei and 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from Zhongli railway station. NCU campus is 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) away from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
NCU Lulin Observatory is located near Yushan National Park, in the southern part of Taiwan.

## Academics

NCU consists of eight colleges:
* College of Earth Science
* College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
* College of Engineering
* College of Hakka Studies
* College of Health Science and Technology
* College of Liberal Arts
* College of Science
* College of Management
Each college houses numerous research centers, such as the Center for Space & Remote Sensing Research, Hazard Mitigation & Prevention, Taiwan Economic Development, Biotechnology & Biomedical Engineering, and several boutique-style humanities centers. In total, the eight colleges contain 19 undergraduate departments, 48 graduate institutes, and 38 research centers.
The undergraduate population is represented by the Associated Students of National Central University (Chinese: 國立中央大學學生會; pinyin: Guólì Zhōngyāng Dàxué Xuéshēnghuì), founded in 1991.
* College of Hakka Studies
* College of Science
* College of Earth Science

## International programs

NCU participates in the Taiwan International Graduate Program in Earth System Science of Academia Sinica, Taiwan's most preeminent academic research institution.

## Notable alumni and faculty

* Chien-Shiung Wu, a famous particle and experimental physicist
* Hwawei Ko, pedagogue and professor
* Hu Shih, professor, political theorist, and diplomat in the Republic of China
* Zhu Zhixian (朱智贤), child psychologist and professor