The College of Life Sciences, National Chiayi University, was established on February 1, 2000 targeting the theme of “Health” for education. Under the theme, “Healthy Life”, “Healthy Body” and “Healthy Environment” were pursued to explore the state-of-the-art of life sciences and to engage in cutting-edge research orientation based on innovative applied biotechnology and modernized educational concepts. Through education of life sciences, a harmony between scientific advancement and diversified biological development will be reached with understanding. As a realistic goal, the college will develop multi-disciplinary education, collaborative researches, and promotional services emphasizing biological diversity and resources, biochemistry, molecular biology, food science, aquatic biosciences, biomedical sciences, bio-pharmaceutics, microbiology and immunology.

1. Multiple disciplinary educational programs

• 2000 of academic year: Undergraduate programs including Department of Food Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Department of Biological Resources and Department of Aquatic Biosciences were offered. Graduate Programs for Master degree including Graduate Institute of Biotechnology and Graduate Institute of Food Science were offered.

• 2001 academic year: Establishment of Department of Applied Microbiology for an undergraduate program and Master programs with Graduate Institute of Biological Resources and Graduate Institute of Aquatic Biosciences.

• 2002 academic year: The first year to offer Master program with Graduate Institute of Biopharmaceutics. .

• 2006 academic year: Submission of a planning document for establishment of a Ph. D. program with Graduate Institute of Life Sciences. Apply for the establishment of a Graduate School of Applied Molecular Biology (MA program).

• The first year to offer Master program with Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Immunology. Department of Applied Microbiology has been renamed as Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

2. Extensive and Intensive Cooperative Programs

• 2001 academic year: Establishment of cooperative research relations with hospitals and create a center for food processing promotion services.

• 2002 academic year: Establishment of joint programs and practical cooperative relations with biotechnology companies located in Hsinchu and Tainan science-based industrial parks and other industrial parks in Taiwan, and establishment of a center for facilitating joint research by the private and academic sectors.

• 2005 academic year: Strong involvement to cooperate a program with Government of Chiayi County to construct a Spice and Herbal Medecinal Biotechnology Park located at Da-Pu-Mei policy supported by Council of Agriculture, Executive Yen, ROC.

3. Significant progress in facility improvement for teaching and research

• 2000 academic year: The college drafted plans to establish a central instrument room, Chinese herbal medicine research center, biological cell culture lab, tumor research lab, natural medicine activity lab, and animal breeding center. It also constructed specimen collection and display rooms at the departments of Biological Resources and Aquatic Biosciences.

• 2001 academic year: Establishment of a facility for instruction in baked foods (Dept. of Food Science); enhancement of animal and plant quarantine and diagnosis facilities (Dept. of Biological Resources); establishment of chemosynthesis and drug chemical modification labs (Graduate Institute of Biotechnology), cellular biology lab, biochemistry lab, molecular biology lab (Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry), gene and protein information lab, and basic gene learning lab (Graduate Institute of Biotechnology).

• 2002 academic year: Improvement of facilities applied for inspecting aquatic environments (Dept. of Aquatic Biosciences) and researching biological pesticides (Dept. of Biological Resources); and establishment of functional food labs (Dept. of Food Science) and Microbiology & Immunology labs (Depts. of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and Applied Microbiology).

• 2004 academic year: Construction of a seven-story multi-functional class building. The five, six and seven floors are constructed and classified for use by College of Life Sciences.

4. Scientific circulation and extension

• 2000 academic year: Lectures on life sciences and seed seminars special topics were arranged in the first and second term, respectively.

• 2001 academic year: Commencement of a seminar on R&D technology for Chinese herbal medicine (Graduate Institute of Biotechnology) and an international functional food seminar.

• 2002 academic year: Arrangement of seminars on aquatic biosciences and the utilization of biological resources.

• 2004 academic year: Commencement of the first National Samonella Symposium.

5. Space improvement and facility enhancement

In the 2005 academic year, a conceptual plan and application for funding support to build a life sciences building. The building comprises an animal center, incubation-pilot plant for scale-up fermentation and purification and product development of bio-active products, and a molecular biology facility focusing on micro-array analysis, proteomics, nutrigenomics, metabolomics and molecular diagnosis.