Introduction

The Department of Economics, NTU is the most prominent department of economics in Taiwan. The undergraduate program originated in 1928 as the School of Liberal Arts and Political Sciences of the Taipei Imperial University. Taipei Imperial University was renamed National Taiwan University in 1947. Our M.A., Ph.D., and EMEA programs were established in 1956, 1968 and 2003, respectively. The Department of Economics was a part of the College of Law until June 1996 when the college was renamed the College of Social Sciences. More than 10,000 graduates from our department work in the fields of academic research, business and politics, so that our department is deeply interwoven into the economic, political and social fabric of Taiwan.

Our mission is to nurture talented students and encourage advanced research. We accept approximately 120 undergraduate and 60 graduate students each year, all of which are elite students with outstanding academic achievements. In order to create a sturdy foundation for our students, we provide a wide variety of courses, many taught in English. Our department offers the BESAP exchange program to study at UC Berkley and double-degree programs with the City University of Hong Kong and Waseda University and Hokkaido University. Some enthusiastic alumni have set up scholarships to subsidize both students in straitened circumstances and those who wish to participate in exchange programs and advanced study abroad. In addition, we also have an executive master degree program that provides mid-career professionals the opportunity to pursue higher education.

We have a strong international faculty with specialties in virtually all fields of economic research. Faculty members have graduated from top universities and come from not only Taiwan, but also Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and the United States. Their work has been published in well-known international journals, such as Science, AER, JPE, QJE, RESTUD, etc. In addition, our department often hosts international academic conferences, invites professors and scholars from overseas for lectures, provides the newest research information, and encourages international academic exchange. Our department is home to the Taiwan Economic Review, the preeminent journal of social sciences in Taiwan. We also cooperate with the City University of Hong Kong in the publication of two SSCI journals; the PER and the APJAE.

Our department is located in the heart of Taipei, with convenient public transportation. Being the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan, Taipei is well-known for its food and modern street culture. This is the place to experience the local Taiwan lifestyle while pursuing education. 

For the last ninety years, the NTU Department of Economics has led Taiwan in economic education, research and policy. Our department’s goal is to broaden students’ economics knowledge, and train them to apply the economic skills and rationality learned at this university to serving society. We pride ourselves in educating students and promoting academic research, and we will continue to do so in the future.