Tag: Taiwan

Dean Nai-Wen Kuo of the College of Management at Taipei Medical University (TMU) has been named a recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), recognising his contributions to healthcare leadership, public health, and international collaboration.

The honour, one of JHU’s highest alumni distinctions, was presented during the university’s 150th anniversary celebrations in Baltimore in October 2025. It recognises individuals whose work demonstrates sustained professional excellence, public service, and global impact.

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins University is widely regarded as the first modern research university in the United States and continues to rank among the world’s leading institutions. In the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it is placed 16th globally.

A graduate of JHU’s public health doctoral programme, Dean Kuo has built a career that spans academic leadership, healthcare management, and international health cooperation. He previously served as Deputy Superintendent (Administration), Taipei Medical University Hospital, and Deputy CEO of the Taipei City Hospital Administration Center, where he led system-wide initiatives in quality improvement and financial management.

At TMU, he has played a key role in advancing international engagement. During his tenure as Dean of the Office of Global Engagement (2011–2016), he expanded the university’s global academic network and established a number of cross-border collaboration and exchange programmes. He later served as Dean of the College of Public Health, strengthening partnerships with leading institutions including JHU, Yale University, and the National University of Singapore, while contributing to national health policy and research initiatives.

His work also extends to broader public health and social impact efforts, including international collaborations on epidemic preparedness and tuberculosis control in Southeast Asia, as well as nationwide initiatives in Taiwan to improve healthcare accessibility.

Reflecting on the recognition, Dean Kuo described the award as deeply meaningful, noting that his experience at Johns Hopkins shaped his professional path and inspired his long-term commitment to improving health and advancing social justice.

The recognition underscores not only his individual achievements but also the longstanding academic and public health ties between TMU and Johns Hopkins University, highlighting TMU’s continued engagement in global health, education, and research collaboration.

Summary

A recent study led by researchers at Taipei Medical University(TMU) examines how trust affects AI use in nutrition education, particularly the actual use of AI chatbots among dietetic students. The findings suggest that students are more likely to integrate AI tools into their learning when they perceive them as reliable and useful, highlighting the importance of building digital literacy and critical thinking skills alongside technical training in healthcare education.

AI in Nutrition Education: Why Trust Matters for Future Dietitians

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, universities face a new challenge: preparing future professionals not only to use AI tools, but to use them wisely. For students in nutrition and dietetics, this means learning how to engage with AI chatbots and digital assistants that can provide dietary information, support clinical reasoning, and streamline learning tasks.

At Taipei Medical University, researchers set out to understand a key factor behind students’ willingness to adopt these technologies: trust. While AI tools such as chatbots are widely available, not all students choose to use them in their studies or future practice. Understanding what drives real-world adoption is crucial for designing effective digital health education.

Trust as a driver of AI adoption

The study explored how dietetic students perceive and use AI chatbots as virtual nutrition assistants. Rather than focusing only on whether students had access to AI tools, the research examined the psychological and behavioral factors that shape actual usage.

The results showed that trust plays a central role. Students who believed that AI tools were reliable and helpful were significantly more likely to incorporate them into their learning. In contrast, students who were uncertain about the accuracy or appropriateness of AI-generated information tended to use these tools less, even when they were readily available.

This finding suggests that simply introducing AI into classrooms is not enough. How students perceive these tools—and whether they feel confident evaluating AI-generated information—can strongly influence whether AI becomes a meaningful part of their learning process.

Structural model showing key factors associated with students’ actual use of ChatGPT for learning and nutrition-related tasks.

Beyond technical skills: building critical digital literacy

The research highlights an important implication for medical and health professions education. Training future healthcare professionals to work with AI requires more than teaching them how to operate digital tools. Students must also develop the ability to critically assess AI outputs, understand limitations and potential biases, and integrate algorithmic suggestions with professional judgment.

In nutrition education, where advice can directly affect patient health, this balance is especially important. AI chatbots may offer rapid access to information, but students still need to evaluate whether recommendations are evidence-based and appropriate for individual patients.

Implications for AI-enabled healthcare education

As AI-supported systems become more common in hospitals and clinics, students who are comfortable working with digital tools—and who understand both their value and their limitations—will be better prepared for future practice. The study suggests that universities should place greater emphasis on fostering trust through transparent AI use, clear guidance on ethical and safe applications, and training that strengthens students’ confidence in navigating AI-supported environments.

By addressing both the technical and human dimensions of AI adoption, institutions like Taipei Medical University aim to cultivate healthcare professionals who can work alongside intelligent systems while maintaining professional responsibility and patient-centered care.

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Original Article: Trust Predicts Actual Use of AI Chatbot as a Virtual Nutrition Assistant Among Dietetic Students in Taiwan: A Path Analysis

Original Article: Trust Predicts Actual Use of AI Chatbot as a Virtual Nutrition Assistant Among Dietetic Students in Taiwan: A Path Analysis

The Global Business Fast-Track program launched by Taipei Medical University’s College of Management creates new international study pathways for students.

Taipei Medical University (TMU) continues to expand its global academic partnerships as its College of Management establishes dual degree collaborations with three internationally recognized business schools: Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine).

All three institutions are ranked among the world’s top universities in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with Johns Hopkins University ranked 16th, UIUC 41st, and UC Irvine 97th. With these agreements, the TMU College of Management becomes the first and currently the only management school in Taiwan to hold dual degree partnerships with three business schools from universities ranked within the global top 100.

The initiative began in 2025, when TMU signed its first dual degree agreement with UIUC’s Gies College of Business, enabling bachelor’s–master’s and master’s–master’s study pathways. The university later expanded its international network through additional agreements with UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business and Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, creating broader opportunities for international academic exchange.

According to Dean Nai-Wen Kuo of the TMU College of Management, the partnerships aim to connect TMU students with leading global business education while expanding international career opportunities. Many of the partner programs are designated STEM programs in the United States, allowing international graduates to remain in the country for up to three years of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation.

The dual degree collaborations also provide TMU students with a dedicated fast-track admission pathway to partner schools. Because of the established institutional partnerships, applicants from TMU are reviewed through a streamlined process rather than competing within the general global applicant pool. In some cases, admission decisions may be issued in as little as two weeks after application submission.

Recruitment brochure for the 2026 dual degree program between UIUC Gies College of Business and the TMU College of Management.

In addition, partner institutions offer several application benefits for TMU students. GRE and GMAT requirements and application fees are waived, and some partner schools also waive recommendation letter requirements. Scholarships may also be offered based on applicants’ academic qualifications.

Because the agreements are established at the school-to-school level, TMU students may apply to multiple graduate programs within each partner business school. This arrangement provides students with greater flexibility to pursue different areas of specialization and expands opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

Dean Kuo noted that global partners recognize TMU’s strengths in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, healthcare data analytics, research capacity, and smart healthcare management. By building partnerships with leading international business schools, TMU aims to provide students with broader interdisciplinary learning opportunities and stronger global career prospects.

Dean Ian Williamson of the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business and Dean Nai-Wen Kuo of the TMU College of Management at Taipei Medical University Hospital.

Left: Executive Vice President Jan-Show Chu continues to lead TMU’s sustainability vision. She also led 40 senior administrators to obtain certification as Climate and Health Managers. Right: Ling-Chu Chien, Chief Sustainability Officer of Taipei Medical University.

According to Ling-Chu Chien, the university’s Chief Sustainability Officer, sustainability is embedded across the institution’s governance, education and clinical systems.

“TMU does not treat sustainability as a peripheral or short-term initiative,” Chien says. “Instead, sustainability is positioned as a core guiding principle, shaping institutional governance, medical education and clinical operations.

TMU has been a leading medical institution in Taiwan for more than 60 years. It has more than 6,600 students enrolled in its 11 colleges, with seven affiliated hospitals and institutions. The university is careful to ensure that all of its institutions take a coherent approach to sustainability in their operations, curricula and leadership. “By aligning governance structures and resource allocation across the university and its affiliated hospitals and institutions, TMU ensures that sustainability strategies are implemented consistently across academic units, administrative systems and clinical settings,” she says.

TMU also ensures that its initiatives are benchmarked against international best practices and mechanisms published by the International Organization for Standardization. These standards guide its greenhouse gas inventory verification, energy management systems and circular economy programmes.

The university has established a comprehensive sustainability governance framework, which includes a dedicated Office of Sustainability Development, a university sustainability committee and designated sustainability personnel and monitoring mechanisms within each college and administrative unit. “This structure ensures that sustainability considerations are substantively integrated into curriculum design, research planning, infrastructure investment and daily operational management,” Chien says.

However, education remains the main driver of TMU’s sustainability transformation, Chien says. In 2024, it offered more than 1,900 sustainability-related courses that covered the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “Through issue-based learning, interdisciplinary curricula, microcredential programmes and MOOCs, TMU cultivates students’ systems thinking and practical problem-solving capability,” she says. 

The university is also raising sustainability awareness and skills among senior administrators and academic leaders, with more than 230 executives completing formal sustainability leadership training.

At the same time, the university is addressing disparities in healthcare access. Its outreach medical teams, social responsibility initiatives and student service programmes focus on underserved and rural communities. In 2023, 22 student service teams and 950 participants were involved in medical services, health promotion and preventative care.

TMU’s success in sustainability relies on extensive collaboration with other partners, Chien says. “By integrating resources from government, industry and international partners, TMU advances sustainability actions that are both systemic and scalable.”

At a government-level, the university collaborates with several ministries and the National Science and Technology Council, engaging in policy research, talent development and technology commercialisation. With industry, TMU has built a biomedical innovation ecosystem that integrates academic research, clinical environments and entrepreneurship. This ecosystem has supported the establishment of 28 start-up companies, with a combined capital of NTD 2.35 billion (£55 million), she says. “These collaborations translate sustainable healthcare, health technologies and innovative applications into real-world solutions, expanding the scale and impact of sustainability outcomes.”

Similarly, the university’s extensive international collaborations allow it to promote sustainable capacity building and health system resilience, among other issues. Looking to the future, the institution is leading by example to showcase its model for health-related sustainability. 

“By advancing smart, low-carbon healthcare and clinical practices, TMU seeks to develop a demonstrative sustainable healthcare system that can serve as a key reference for healthcare transformation in Asia,” Chein says. “TMU’s future role will extend beyond being a sustainable medical university to becoming a key Asian hub that integrates education, healthcare, technology and policy.”

For more information about TMU’s sustainability initiatives,

please visit the Office of Sustainability Development website: https://sdgs-en.tmu.edu.tw/