At the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China rapidly spread across the globe. By June 28, 2020, the number of confirmed cases worldwide had surpassed ten million, with more than five hundred thousand deaths. Although Taiwan’s pandemic response was relatively steady compared to many other countries, globalization meant that no one could remain unaffected. This “pandemic of the century” posed severe challenges to human civilization. Understanding how it has impacted our lives, while reflecting on strategies for responding to such crises, constitutes the primary objective of this series of courses.

In response to the development and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, full-time faculty members at the Center for General Education at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) jointly designed the Current Affairs Course Series titled “Reflecting on the Pandemic: Interdisciplinary Thinking and Dialogue”. The series consists of five courses: “Isolation and (Re)Connection in the COVID-19 Pandemic”; “Freedom and the Reorganization of Power during the Pandemic”; “Anti-Pandemic Techniques with COVID-19”; “Reflections on Human Nature in the Pandemic”; and “Lessons and Impacts from COVID-19” (taught by Professor Wu Wen-Guey, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, NTHU).

Introduction Video for the Courses: https://youtu.be/K6qqDffW1E0?si=mbwuclCngDF2bwqK

Semester Offered: First semester, Academic Year 2020