I. 1922 to 1945: Taihoku Higher School under the Taiwanese Governor-General

National Taiwan Normal University started out as Taihoku Higher School under the Taiwanese Governor-General (usually referred to simply as Taihoku Higher School). Established in 1922 during the Japanese colonial period, Taihoku Higher School offered a seven-year program that consisted of four years of general studies followed by three years of advanced studies. Prior to the start of World War II, Japan had 38 elite high schools that prepared students for admission to Japan’s Imperial University system, and Taihoku Higher School was the only such school in Taiwan. In principle, students who graduated from the school were offered admission to Taihoku Imperial University without the need for taking entrance exams. (Taihoku Imperial University was one of Japan’s nine Imperial Universities; it later became National Taiwan University). When Taihoku Higher School was first founded, it did not even have its own buildings, and had to borrow facilities from Taipei First High School. (Taipei First High School was still a junior high school at the time; it has since become Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School). In 1926, Taihoku Higher School moved to its present location in the Koteicho district in Taipei. At the end of the Second World War, the Republic of China took control of Taiwan and, in accordance with the new educational system established by the government, the name of the school was changed to Taiwan Provincial Taipei High School (Taipei High School).

II. 1946-1955: Taiwan Provincial Teachers College

During the years immediately following the war, Taiwan had an urgent need for qualified junior and senior high school teachers. Thus, on June 5, 1946, the Governing Council under the Province of Taiwan established Taiwan Provincial Teachers College, whose mission was to train secondary school teachers. When Taiwan Provincial Teachers College was just established, it shared its campus and facilities with Taipei High School. Even faculty and staff moved between the two schools. In 1949, an order was issued to Taipei High School that it stop accepting new students. The order also stipulated that Taiwan Provincial Teachers College would inherit the land, facilities, books, and buildings of Taipei High School. The buildings inherited include four structures that are now recognized as historic structures, namely, the Administration Building, the Pu-Zi Building, the Auditorium, and Wen-Huei Hall.

III. 1955 to 1967: Taiwan Provincial Normal University

The school entered yet a new phase in 1955, when its name was changed to Taiwan Provincial Normal University, which consisted of three colleges—the College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Science. Besides the training of future teachers, Taiwan Provincial Normal University was also committed to research and the exploration of new knowledge. More opportunities were also provided to faculty for professional development and further learning. As a result, the school was able not only to improve the quality of the nation’s secondary school teachers, but also to deepen its commitment to research and scholarship. In accordance with the changing needs of society, the school now had two responsibilities: training secondary school teachers, and providing a university education.

IV. 1967 to the present: National Taiwan Normal University

On July 1, 1967, the school received a further boost in its status when it was upgraded to become National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). It had four colleges—the College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science, and the College of Arts. Along with the change in status came an increase in funding, which enabled the school to improve its facilities and infrastructure. The school was able to provide a more diversified teaching and research environment. It was also able to provide better teaching, research, counseling and administrative support, among other things.

In 1994, with the implementation of the Teacher Education Act, Taiwan became more diversified when it came to the training of future teachers. To fit in with the times, NTNU also changed its course of development to became a more comprehensive university. In addition to its existing teacher training programs and departments, the school added new departments in accordance with the needs of society and to help the school take the lead in the development of higher education. Currently NTNU has a total of nine colleges, in education, liberal arts, science, art, sports and recreation, technology and engineering, international studies and social sciences, management, and music. We are a diversified comprehensive university with over 10,000 students, including undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.

In the future, NTNU will build on its strong foundation in the humanities, while also incorporating modern scientific knowledge. We will continue to improve on our strengths, while also making our school more international and global in outlook. We want our current students to become the leaders of tomorrow. Our goal is to be a school that combines the classical spirit with a modern perspective. We aspire to become not only one of the best schools in Asia, but in the entire world.