Invited Speaker Announcement: Opening Taiwan's Online Courses: OER, Digital Learning, and Collaboration with the New Southbound Countries

Higher education institutions are increasingly leveraging Open Educational Resources (OER) and digital learning to address major challenges, including unequal access to educational resources, the growing demand for AI-era competencies, and the need for lifelong learning opportunities. While many universities have successfully developed online courses independently, the next stage of open education requires moving beyond content sharing toward sustainable cross-border collaboration and shared educational ecosystems.

This presentation examines Taiwan's digital learning journey, tracing its evolution from OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiatives to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and, more recently, to nationwide alliances supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Education. Through sustained investment in digital infrastructure, course development, and cross-campus collaboration, Taiwan has established a comprehensive digital learning ecosystem involving 37 universities, more than 340 MOOCs, over 150 AI-related courses, and a wide range of cross-campus and international learning opportunities. These initiatives have significantly expanded participation, strengthened international engagement, and increased the recognition of online learning within formal higher education.

Beyond improving access to education, the presentation addresses several key challenges that must be overcome to support meaningful international collaboration. These include language barriers, quality assurance frameworks, credit recognition mechanisms, and the long-term sustainability of shared educational initiatives. Addressing these issues requires coordinated efforts among higher education institutions, governments, and educators to build mutual trust and establish common standards for cross-border digital learning.

The second part of the presentation focuses on opportunities for collaboration between Taiwan and the New Southbound countries. Drawing upon shared priorities in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, healthcare, sustainability, and workforce development, several collaborative models will be introduced, including course sharing, international co-teaching, stackable micro-programs, joint certificates, and cross-national learning communities. These approaches enable institutions to maximize existing educational resources while fostering deeper academic partnerships and faculty collaboration.

Looking ahead, the presentation introduces the vision of a Taiwan Digital Learning Partnership and, ultimately, an Asian OER Network that promotes shared courses, shared expertise, and shared opportunities across the region. By opening not only educational resources but also institutional partnerships, Taiwan aims to contribute to a more sustainable and collaborative framework for open education and digital learning throughout Asia.

About the Speaker

Dr. Yu-Lun Huang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Taiwan. She currently serves as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of the Center for e-Learning at NYCU.

Dr. Huang received both her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science and Information Engineering from National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, in 1995 and 2001, respectively. She has been a member of the Phi Tau Phi Honor Society since 1995.

From 2014 to 2021, she served as Secretary-General of the Taiwan Open Course Consortium, where she played a leading role in advancing Taiwan's open course initiatives. Since 2021, she has continued to support the consortium as a consultant.

Between 2022 and 2025, Dr. Huang contributed to the second phase of Taiwan's national digital learning initiative under the Ministry of Education. She is currently involved in an ongoing Ministry of Education project dedicated to expanding the global reach of Taiwan's digital learning ecosystem and strengthening international collaboration in open and digital education.