Promote college student employment! Shih Chien University’s Business Management program launches AI marketing course with support from the Ministry of Labor.

2024/08/02 14:10:39
Economic Daily News Reporter: Liu Xiuzhen / Instant Report

"Hi! I'm Little Red Riding Hood, here to introduce anti-wolf spray… even the bad wolves can turn into good ones!"

Shih Chien University's Department of Business Management Chairperson, Luo Qiongjuan, was introducing an AI marketing video produced by students. She laughed and said, "This is really fun!" She then pointed to a picture of a competing design and said, "This is the future eco-friendly factory that we asked students to design with AI. Isn’t it very creative?" However, the judges pointed out that the tall chimneys in the design actually contradicted the concept of eco-friendliness, and the design needed adjustments.

The AI wave has reached various industries, and schools cannot be left out. After launching the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) course for cultivating "Assistant Sustainability Officers" last year, Shih Chien University's Business Management Department is now riding the AI wave. In the new academic year, they will offer an "AI Marketing Course," aiming to cultivate corporate management talents that meet the dual needs of industry—green sustainability and smart technology.

Before launching the new course, the Business Management Department had already integrated AI learning into existing courses through activities like small paper competitions. The works of students included projects on anti-wolf spray, ESG factories, and even systems for collaborating with businesses to create divination systems for temples.

To prepare for the new course, Luo Qiongjuan, along with Associate Professors Hong Qian-cai and Chen Ren-wei, began holding frequent meetings before the summer break to discuss the content of the "AI Marketing Course" and how to better align what students learn with the current needs of the industry.

NVIDIA's AI Influence Helps Launch New Course Quickly

In June, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang visited Taiwan and announced partnerships with 17 Taiwanese universities and companies, with Shih Chien University being one of the institutions included. This greatly boosted the university's visibility and extended the cooperation's benefits to all departments. "The AI course we planned was quickly approved by the school!" Luo Qiongjuan happily shared during an interview, with the course expected to begin in the new semester in September.

NVIDIA's influence also attracted the attention of the Ministry of Labor, which later discussed a collaboration plan with the Business Management Department and provided NT$12.8 million in funding to help the school cultivate AI talent that meets industry demands. Initially, alongside the Ministry’s requests, Luo Qiongjuan worked with Chen Ren-wei, who is also the Director of the AI Innovation Group, to invite industry experts to brainstorm and understand what kind of AI talent the industry needs. According to surveys, the most in-demand talent is in visual design and image recognition, which became the focus for the course design.

As a result, the Business Management Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, established the "AI Image Recognition and Visual Design Industry Talent Training Center," where the "AI Image Recognition and Visual Design" program was launched. Luo Qiongjuan explained that this employment-oriented curriculum was designed to be closely linked with job opportunities. Fourth-year students can take the course while interning at companies. Since the instructors are from the industry, students who perform well in class may be selected by these industry professionals, increasing their chances of employment.

How AI Can Benefit Business Management

What benefits can AI bring to business management? Chen Ren-wei, who holds a PhD from National Taiwan University's Graduate Institute of Information Management, explained that when AI is integrated into corporate resource planning and organizational transformation, it externally showcases AI marketing functions, while internally it will have a profound impact on operations. "Companies need to have the capability to understand how to use technology to reshape their processes," he said. For example, when companies introduce AI, the integration with internal ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, followed by organizational operations, can have significant effects.

The Business Management Department plans to divide the curriculum into three main areas: Smart Marketing, Innovation Development, and Excellence in Management. Luo Qiongjuan added, "It’s best if everyone possesses both smart marketing and innovation development skills, as that will help achieve excellence in management!" The AI program, in conjunction with last year’s ESG course, will shape Shih Chien University's Business Management Department's dual-strength model: green sustainability and smart technology. These are fundamental skills that modern business managers must have.

AI and ESG: High-Value Competitions

In today's job market, where talent is scarce, Shih Chien University and its Business Management Department are guiding their students to adopt AI marketing practices early, while also using AI to enhance the impact of sustainability courses. Typically, the speed at which academic programs are established does not match the rapid pace of technological advancements. Therefore, they are leveraging competitions to provide students with more opportunities for exposure. Chen Ren-wei said, "We incorporated AI into the courses in June!"

One approach has been to hold small paper competitions that incorporate both AI applications and ESG concepts. The results have been significant. The competition featured judges from various sectors, including the Vice President of Interactive Technology, a short film director, and a lawyer from a law firm. The students’ work clearly showed a difference from previous years. Tasks like graphic design, video production, and website creation, which used to require professional teams, can now be done by students in a short amount of time with AI tools. "This was completely impossible in the past."

Another approach is that, starting last semester, all of Shih Chien's programming courses now include AI modules, with instructors teaching AI concepts as part of the curriculum. In simple terms, while students previously had to write code for programming, now all instructors are required to teach students how to apply AI.

Hong Qian-cai said, "The Business Management Department is the biggest beneficiary of AI development." In his view, Business Management students are generalists in corporate management, but with AI’s assistance, they can become specialists, enhancing their ability to apply expertise in various fields.

After NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang visited Taiwan, the Ministry of Labor and Shih Chien University's Business Management Department jointly established the 'AI Image Recognition and Visual Design Industry Talent Training Center,' with the goal of cultivating AI talent needed by businesses. Reporter: Liu Xiuzhen / Photography.

Winning works from Shih Chien University's Business Management Department's June small paper competition, using AI materials. Photographer: Liu Xiuzhen.

Shih Chien University Business Management Department Chairperson Luo Qiongjuan (far right) with Associate Professors Hong Qian-cai (second from left) and Chen Ren-wei, posing for a photo at the Ministry of Labor's collaboration base. Photographer: Liu Xiuzhen.

Shih Chien University Business Management Department Chairperson Luo Qiongjuan, interviewed at the Ministry of Labor and Shih Chien University's joint establishment of the 'AI Image Recognition and Visual Design Industry Talent Training Center,' praised the students' works enthusiastically. Photographer: Liu Xiuzhen.