The institutional predecessor of National Taiwan University was Taihoku Imperial University (TIU), founded in 1928 by the Japanese colonial administration, under its first president Shidehara Tan Tairaka Hiroshi.
When TIU was first established, it had two colleges: the Faculty of Literature and Politics and the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, with a combined total of 59 students. By 1945, the university had expanded to five divisions, including Literature and Politics, Science, Agriculture, Medicine and Engineering, with a total enrollment of 382 students.

After World War II and Taiwan’s retrocession to Chinese Sovereignty, Taihoku Imperial University was formally transferred to Chinese administration in 1945 and renamed National Taiwan University, with Dr. Lo Tsung-lo appointed as the first NTU President.

After restructuring in accordance with the Republic of China’s academic system in 1945, academic departments were established and the former divisions were renamed Colleges.

In the following decades, the total number of students, including those enrolled at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, has grown to over 31,000, comprising around 17,000 university students and 15,000 graduate students.

With its foundation rooted in such ideals, NTU continues to provide a diverse, competitive, and international curriculum, while insisting on a strong academic training for cutting-edge research and development and also actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with industries in the private sector so as to fulfill its social responsibilities of giving back to society. 

Outstanding persons / Nobel Prize Laureates:

• Lee Yuan-tseh, BSc graduate of NTU; Chemistry Nobel Prize Laureate 1986
• Ma Ying-jeou, Bachelor of Law graduate of NTU; president of the Republic of China (2008-present)
• Chen Shui-bian; Bachelor of Law graduate of NTU, former president of the Republic of China (2000-2008)
• Lee Teng-hui; BSc graduate of NTU, former president of the Republic of China (1998-2000)

Established:
1928 as Taihoku Imperial University
1945 as National Taiwan University

Type:
Public

Structure:

The university’s campus stretches approximately 34,283 hectares across the whole of Taiwan, with the main campus located in the heart of the nation’s capital, Taipei City. In addition to the main campus, the university comprises:

• College of Medicine and University Hospital
• University Farm
• Chubei Branch
• Yinlin Branch
• Xitou Experimental Farm

At present, the university consists of 11 colleges, 54 departments, 105 graduate institutes, as well as 6 Master’s and Doctorate degree programs. NTU’s programs cover a wide array of disciplines across science, arts, and the humanities, with up to 8,000 courses made available for selection each semester.

The university includes the following colleges:

• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science
• College of Social Sciences
• College of Medicine
• College of Engineering
• College of Bio-Resources & Agriculture
• College of Management
• College of Public Health
• College of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
• College of Law
• College of Life Science

Staff:
(as of October 2015)
Full-time Faculty: 2,026
Part-time Faculty: 1,974

Students:
(as of October 2015)
31,762 (16,534 Undergraduate, 11,241 Master's, 3,987 Doctorate)

Endowment:
Over NTD 214.5 million (214,530,953)

Focus / Key Aspects:

National Taiwan University is a comprehensive research institute that is based on a complete and integrated academic foundation.

NTU’s affiliated international research centers include:

• International Center of Excellence on Intelligent Robotics and Automation Research
• Intel-NTU Connected Context Computing Center
• International Center of Excellence in Cancer Research
• European Union Centre in Taiwan
• New Energy Center in NTU

National-level research centers include:

• National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering
• Research Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Science & Technology
• National Center for Theoretical Sciences (Taipei Office)
• Chemistry Research Promotion Center
• MOHW-NTU Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center
• National Center for Food Safety Education and Research

Spin-offs:
Official spin-offs: 5
Affiliated spin-offs: 35

Partner Universities:

NTU has agreements with 513 partner institutions from 61 countries, including various programs such as joint degrees, scholar exchanges and student exchanges. Among them are institutions in:

• North America
• Latin America
• Asia
• Europe
• Africa
• Oceania

A comprehensive list can be accessed online >>>

Student Programs:
Student exchange programs with a wide range of partner institutions are facilitated by:

• The Office of International Affairs (OIA)
  The OIA is responsible for developing the University’s world strategy and plays a vital role in NTU’s pursuit of excellence through an integration of international partnerships and the creation of global opportunities including assistance to local and incoming international students.

• The Center for International Education (CIE)
  The CIE runs NTU’s Summer+ programs, designs tailored programs for overseas partners, develops a comprehensive selection of Chinese language and culture programs open to all international students, and works with colleges and departments to increase NTU’s offering of English-language curricula.

Affiliations:
National Taiwan University is a highly engaged member of the following international associations:

• The Association of East Asian Research Universities (AEARU)
• Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
• Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL)
• Eurasia-Pacific Uninet (EPU)
• Presidents’ Forum of Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities (SATU)
• University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP)