On August 31, 2025, National Taiwan University (NTU) held the launch ceremony of the “Five-Year Pilot Program for Advanced Courses for High School Students.” The program marks NTU’s collaboration with five senior high schools to promote university-level preparatory courses, offering outstanding high school students the opportunity to take foundational university courses during their studies. Through early exposure to the academic environment of higher education, students can gradually develop advanced learning capabilities. They may accumulate university credits through the program while exploring diverse academic interests before entering higher education, thereby laying a solid foundation for their future academic development and career planning.

In the first year, the program invited second- and third-year students from the Northern Five-School Alliance—Chiang Kai-shek Senior High School, Taipei First Girls High School, The Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, and Taipei Municipal Chenggong High School—which have long partnered with NTU in micro-course collaborations. A total of 134 students joined the program. Each student may take one course, and upon completion will receive a course certificate from NTU. If they later enroll at NTU, credits may be transferred in accordance with university regulations.

The curriculum spans the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. For the 2025–26 academic year, courses include:

• Fall Semester (114-1): Advanced Calculus I, General Physics (A, Part I), Principles of Economics, Sociology

• Spring Semester (114-2): Advanced Calculus II, General Physics (A, Part II), General Chemistry, General Biology (B), General Psychology

Courses are co-taught by NTU’s distinguished chairs and full-time professors, held on weekday evenings to facilitate high school students’ participation, with some lectures delivered by Academicians of Academia Sinica.

Funding for the program, apart from registration fees, comes largely from dedicated donations, reflecting society’s commitment to cultivating top talents. NTU President Wen-Chang Chen emphasized that the advanced courses will not only help students adapt early to the depth and pace of university-level learning, fostering cross-disciplinary skills and independent inquiry, but will also ease the transition into higher education by reducing the academic pressure of the first year. The program also allows NTU to identify and guide promising students early on, establishing a smooth pathway from high school to university. With this foundation, students can pursue higher-level learning tailored to their strengths, thereby strengthening the nation’s talent pipeline in higher education. Ultimately, this positive cycle will encourage outstanding students to remain in Taiwan for further study and contribute across various fields, enhancing the country’s overall competitiveness.

At the launch ceremony, four of the five principals of the participating high schools attended, demonstrating their support and the determination of universities and high schools to work hand in hand.

• Chiang Kai-shek Senior High School Principal Chih-Chun Chuang remarked: “Through this program, students can step away from the high school classroom and enter the hall of knowledge that is the university. It is like a key that opens this hall of knowledge.”

• Zhongshan Girls High School Principal Yun-Fen Chang said: “It is very important for students to experience firsthand the quality academic atmosphere of NTU.”

• Chenggong High School Principal Jing-Jing Liu noted that the program enhances students’ motivation and drive for exploration: “It is like a key that unlocks more possibilities for the future.”

• Affiliated Senior High School of NTNU Principal Chun-Ying Liao added: “Being able to personally experience university courses is a precious opportunity for differentiated learning among top students.”

Attendees unanimously affirmed the program’s forward-looking vision and impact, and expressed hopes that it will serve as a model for nationwide cooperation between universities and high schools, cultivating a new generation of talent in Taiwan with both international perspectives and professional expertise.