History

The Tamkang Times (hereafter called TKT) was established in 1953, originally named "Tamkang English College Weekly." Mr. Chen Wei-lung was the publisher, and Dr Clement C.P. Chang, who served as the President of the Tamkang English College, was the director. It was later renamed "Tamkang Weekly Forum" and then "Tamkang Weekly.” It was named "Tamkang Times" in 1989, and has nearly seventy years of history.

 ․Tamkang English College Weekly 1953 ~ 1958
 ․The English newspaper Tamkang College Echo 1953 ~ 1979
 ․Tamkang Weekly Forum 1958 ~ 1959
 ․Tamkang Weekly 1959 ~ 1989
 ․Tamkang Times 1989 ~ present

 

Objectives 

TKT, aimed at serving faculty, staff, students, and alumni of TKU, has the following five objectives.

To enhance the coverage of campus activities; to foster the relationships among faculty, staff, and students; to strengthen connections with alumni and parents; to promote the atmosphere of academic research, and to advocate the spirit of Tamkang culture.

To enhance the coverage of campus activities 

From significant school events such as anniversary celebrations and graduation ceremonies to general academic exchanges, campus gatherings, and student club activities, all are the focus of TKT. these bits of information add vibrancy to the campus. TKT has always aimed to be a straightforward campus media.

To foster the relationships among faculty, staff, and students 

TKT is the campus media of Tamkang University, serving not only as a bridge for communication among faculty, staff, and students but also as a means to bring everyone closer together through weekly interactions. This helps to strengthen to bond within the Tamkang community.

To strengthen connections with alumni and parents 

TKT values communication with parents. In addition to introducing the current situation of our school, we encourage parents and alumni to subscribe to the e-newsletter to understand the school’s educational policies.

To promote the atmosphere of academic research

Teaching, research, and service are the three major goals of Tamkang University. When innovation and revision have become a byword of today's universities, nothing is more important than to enhance academic quality and establish the academic reputation of our university. To align with this goal, our reporting focuses on encouraging academic pursuits and recognizing outstanding research achievements. Our news, features, and columns are all centered around this objective. By sharing academic and research accomplishments, we aim to instill in the Tamkang community the goal of advancing our university toward a world-class institution.

To advocate the spirit of Tamkang culture 

Globalization, information-oriented, and future-oriented education are the consistent objectives of the Tamkang community, which have also shaped the culture of Tamkang University. This excellent cultural heritage is reflected in the beautiful campus scenery, the open and democratic academic atmosphere and lively and dynamic spirit. To uphold and perpetuate such a cultural spirit is the ultimate goal of TKT.

Personnel

TKT is managed and edited by the Tamkang Times team, with positions including president, administration staff, and four editors. The Tamkang Times Committee was established in 1994, with the current chairperson being Secretary-General Yu-Pei Ma. On August 1, 2024, it was renamed the Tamkang Times and Media Center, consisting of a center director and five editors.

Circulation

The TKT is published on Mondays in print, online, and as an e-newsletter. In addition to being available for free in newspaper racks across campus buildings for faculty and students, it is also distributed to high schools nationwide as a complimentary copy.

Layout

TKT is positioned as an organ of the university, primarily reporting on matters related to the university and its surroundings. It serves as a communication bridge for the entire Tamkang community. The categories are planned as follows:

“TKU Headlines”: includes important school news, policy reports, and information on campus academic activities.

“The Trend Great Flowing River”: The “First-Class Reader” column fosters a reading culture by guiding readers through academic discussions and recommended readings in a conversational or guided format; “The Study Abroad Fax” features students’ reflections on their junior study abroad or exchange experiences, as well as insights from international students studying at our university, highlighting the school’s achievements in globalization. Other popular columns include TOEIC Success, Spiritual Garden, Cool Learning, Intellectual Property Quiz, Alumni News, and advocacy columns from various departments and offices. Additionally, special issues are published during significant moments to shape forums, build consensus, and convey values.

The “Learning New Horizons”: This section covers news and updates from various colleges and departments, as well as the Taipei and online campuses. It also features “People in Focus,” which reports on the activities of faculty and students, and includes special columns such as “Outstanding TKU People,” “Exemplary Teachers,” and “Program Highlights,” further enriching the content and timeliness of the publication. 

Students’ Stories: This section consists of student news, reports on club activities, gender perspectives, campus personalities, and more. It covers information related to student life and the vibrant activities of student activities. 

 

Workflow

TKT operates on a weekly cycle, so the workflow repeats each week. The general process is as follows:

Monday	Administrative and editorial meetings
Tuesday	Review of interviews done by correspondents
Wednesday	Deadline for Inset Page stories
Thursday	Revision of drafts
Friday	Proofreading
Monday	Publication online
First week of every month	Publication of curated print edition

 

 

Computer typesetting 

As of 1996, TKT was fully computerized, utilizing the Chi-Cheng Computer System for compiling and editing, and switched to a horizontal layout with colorized news pages. In 2010, InDesign was adopted, making the layout more lively and dynamic. Starting from October 23, 2010 (issue 800), all pages were changed to full color.

TKT online

In 1997, the TKT website was established, allowing it to be accessed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Electronic newspaper

Starting from August 7, 2000, TKT has officially launched a Chinese e-newsletter. On September 17, 2001, the English e-newsletter was issued to better serve its wide readership.

 

App

Since 2013, TKT has established a dedicated section for the Tamkang Times within the “TKU I Life” app created by the Information Services Office to better serve its large number of mobile device readers.

Student correspondents and their work

The TKT is proud to have a pool of over 30 student correspondents who voluntarily report news from every corner of Tamkang University. Their dedication and passion are the sources of TKT’s vitality. They come from different departments and are spread across various colleges.

The TKT recruits correspondents on an irregular basis, with no restriction on qualifications. Students from all colleges and departments can apply. After passing the interview, candidates undergo intensive training courses and internships organized by TKT, and only those who perform well are accepted as official correspondents.

The review of interviews is held every Tuesday noon, where correspondents report on their weekly interview routes, exchange information, coordinate work, and often use this time to share experiences and review the successes and shortcomings of the previous issue’s news reports. Correspondents discuss their interview strategy and share their information with each other.

Each semester, the TKT organizes training activities, inviting professionals to provide enrichment for student reporters. These sessions cover topics such as news writing, interview experiences, special project planning, feature interviews, photography, and more, aimed at enhancing the reporters’ interviewing and writing skills.