Dr. Yu-Lin Wang, the founder of the university, recognized the rapid development of medicine in Taiwan and the shortage of personnel receiving professional nursing education. Believing that medicine and nursing must complement each other to achieve better outcomes, he actively planned and established a five-year Nursing and Midwifery Junior College named Hungkuang Junior College of Nursing, the first nursing junior college in central Taiwan.
In response to social needs and to expand the educational pathways for vocational nursing students, a two-year day program in the Department of Nursing was added.
A two-year evening program in the Department of Nursing was established.
In line with national policy, the Midwifery Department was abolished, and both the five-year and two-year programs were merged into the Department of Nursing. The curriculum was closely aligned with societal needs, emphasizing humanistic care and improving the quality of nursing professionals.
The institution was officially upgraded to Hungkuang Institute of Technology, with the establishment of the Department of Nursing to create a comprehensive system of technological and vocational education. To meet the rapidly changing healthcare environment, forward-looking curricula were developed, strengthening faculty teaching and research capacity. In August of the same year, the first class of two-year technical program students was admitted, continuing the junior college tradition.
The two-year junior college program was discontinued, and four-year technical program students were admitted instead.
An in-service two-year bachelor’s program was launched, providing opportunities for local nursing graduates from junior colleges to continue their studies. This initiative fulfilled the Ministry of Education’s concept of lifelong learning and expanded the application of theory and practice.
The Master’s Program in Nursing admitted its first cohort of students.
The Nurse Practitioner (NP) program was introduced, expanding the professional roles of nurses.
The Ph.D. Program in Nursing admitted its first students, making it the first doctoral program offered by a private technological and vocational university in Taiwan. This marked the completion of a full spectrum of advanced nursing education.
The four-year evening program in the Department of Nursing began enrollment.