BRIEF HISTORY

The Department of Urban Planning and Disaster Management (UPDM) was founded in 2003, with only an undergraduate program initially. The Master’s and Professional Master’s programs were established in 2011 and 2015, respectively. In light of global climate change and various social transformations, the department seeks to develop a pool of highly-skilled and well-rounded professionals capable of both applying their theoretical knowledge in practice and integrating disaster management strategies with urban and regional planning. Our graduates are in high demand with various employers due to their familiarity with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a GIS-based 3D visual simulation system. They are also valued for their fieldwork experience in a community-based disaster mitigation and community development projects.

Currently the department has 10 full-time faculty, all of whom hold doctoral degrees from prestigious universities around the world. We also employ 10 part-time lecturers, who have extensive work experience in government and/or consultancy sectors. Our research and professional experience in the areas of urban planning and disaster management are well recognized within academia, government, and industry in Taiwan. Local and national government agencies often appoint our faculty members to review various projects and policy programs on environmental change and urban planning.

Each year the department enrolls around 60 undergraduates and around 10 Master’s students. An additional twelve students are also enrolled in the Executive Master’s degree program. Our students are required to take practicums where they work on a special group project as they are encouraged “to learn by doing”. These practicums often lead to intensive and fruitful discussions between students and their mentors. The department also provides a number of designated classrooms for students, such a design studio, a computer lab for virtual disaster simulation, and a well-equipped classroom for urban planning and design.

Since 2023, the Department is also running the the brand-new PhD program, which is focused on the AI application in the field of disaster prevention and management.

Past and Current Chairs of the Department:

Past Department Chair: Dr. Hung, Chi-Tung (Aug 2003 – Jul 2013);

Past Department Chair: Dr. Wu, Jie-Ying (Aug 2013 – Jan 2016);

Current Department Chair: Dr. Lin, Wen-Yen(Feb 2016 onwards)