About SPS

Missions and Visions

The Department was established in 1989. We are determined to analyze social changes, social dynamics, and social structures on different scales and in different contexts by means of intensive social studies. We are dedicated to liberal and comprehensive education so that students are equipped with substantial knowledge in sociology and policy sciences, which will lead them to participate in national development and social practices. These two focuses complement each other in that the former provides theoretical understanding of the changing structures of knowledge while the latter promotes the application of knowledge to social practices, including social reform, social critique, and radical social changes.

Features

• Establish a Professional Internship Course for the First Time: From the very beginning, we designed a professional internship course and developed the first sociological internship system in the country. The goal of this course is to improve students’ abilities to plan and implement activities, and strengthen their life learning and interpersonal skills, thus providing qualified individuals to meet the needs of the society.
• Integrate Sociology, Policy Sciences, and other Social Sciences: Unlike traditional sociology courses, this department goes a step further by emphasizing the dialogue between ‘sociology, policy sciences, and other social sciences’, with traditional sociology courses as a core of the curriculum. Sociology demonstrates and describes social problems, which in turn contributes to the development of policy science. Through policy science, sociology can strengthen the planning, implementation, and evaluation of policies.
• Promote Interdisciplinary Research: To respond to globalization and rapid changes in society, we consider newly emerging research areas, critically reassess the interdisciplinary boundaries, and promote transdisciplinary research. We hope that through the dialogue and interaction between sociology and other subject areas, research on the new social development trends and a variety of other topics can be performed, including the cultural/creative industry, social enterprise and social practice, social creativity, ethnic culture, gender mainstreaming, consumer society, welfare for the elderly, technology and society, etc.
• Establish a Survey Research Center and Digital Classroom for Qualitative Research: Using practical workshops, a survey research center, and digital classrooms for qualitative research, we effectively teach a course for questionnaire survey. In addition, students may practice on computers, receive survey skill training, and gain practical experience of survey investigation, thereby strengthening their practical training in social research and policy science.