1 New Renaissance Reading Project National Chiao Tung University New Renaissance Reading Project ( abbr. NRRP)

1New Renaissance Reading Project

National Chiao Tung UniversityNational Chiao Tung University

New Renaissance Reading Project

( abbr. NRRP)


I. Course Introduction I. Course Introduction

• To encourage students and the general public to read comprehensively and to cultivate students to think outside the box, the NCTU Center of General Education launched “the New Renaissance Reading Project” (“Selected Masterpieces of Classic Books”) in 2007.


• We have invited ten social elites: Yuan-Tseh Lee, Ovid Tzeng, Chung-Ming Huang, Fangshuo Nan, Hsun Chiang, Ming-Kai Tsai, Evans Tu, Andrew T. Huang, Diane Ying and Rosemary W. Ho, to recommend ten classic books each for this project). (This is the original book list.)

• The number of books on the book list increased to 139 by adding the books recommended by the professors who participate in the certification program. (This is the certification book list.)

II. Book List and Point Allocation II. Book List and Point Allocation


II. Book List and Point Allocation II. Book List and Point Allocation

A B C ED GF H

40 35 30 2025 1015 5

• The 139 books are allocated by points based on the degree of difficulty. There are 8 scales of points


III. Regulations for CertificationIII. Regulations for Certification

• The certification is conducted via a 20+ minute interview and oral report per book by the certification teacher. A “pass” or “fail” result is given to assess students’ reading performance. Students who have attended the Specific Book Classes and studied the specific books listed on the book list of our reading project (such as The Book of Odes, Dream of the Red Chamber, Bible, etc.) can acquire the reading certification in less than half of the time regulated (i.e. 5 – 10 minutes at most).


IV. Course Implementation and IV. Course Implementation and Guided Reading by CelebritiesGuided Reading by Celebrities

• To promote the NRRP and a reading habit on campus, the NCTU Center of General Education will invite twelve well-known scholars and experts to deliver a guided reading lecture of a classic book every week per semester.

• Students who accumulate 100 points within two years after course selection and also attend at least 8 guided reading lectures per semester can receive two credits for the general education course after being verified and approved by the project assistant.


IV. Course Implementation and IV. Course Implementation and Guided Reading by CelebritiesGuided Reading by Celebrities

• All guided reading lectures are/will be recorded by NCTU Digital Content Production Center and uploaded to e-Campus (E3) and broadcast on I’m TV Channel for students’ viewing. Students can also share and discuss their thoughts by utilizing the online website of the Course, as well as the online reading club promoted and run by FunP.com.


V. Official Website of the Course V. Official Website of the Course

• http://www.cc.nctu.edu.tw/~nrrp/


VI. Course Promotions VI. Course Promotions

• ▲ 2007 School Year• Attend lectures and receive classic books• Book exchange (One For All)• Free classic DVD and books for loan• ▲ 2008 School Year• 1+1+1=1?• Exclusive for reading pals (Meet the certification

teachers)• Book display and lending; Four top reading winners

(3+1≠4)• Study groups


VI. Course Promotions VI. Course Promotions

▲ 2009 School Year• 1+1+1=1? • Logo Contest for NRRP- First Prize:

NT$10,000.


VII. Promotion PostersVII. Promotion Posters


VIII. Book Publication and Back VIII. Book Publication and Back Cover Text Cover Text

Reading, a Portable Feast

• In August 2007, when all universities were busy greeting the freshmen, NCTU’s President, Dr. Chung-Yu Wu was shaping a brand new top-notch learning environment in order to enhance students’ respect and love for knowledge. No doubt, students can obtain knowledge through self-study; however, students’ awareness and interest in books can be further enhanced through celebrities and experts’ presence, introductions to classic books and exchange of ideas after reading the classic books. This is the origin of the New Renaissance Reading Project.



• Starting from a series of promotion activities: Attending lectures and receiving classics; Book exchange; Classic movies for loan; Four top reading winners, etc., to the course being awarded the Excellence Award for General Education Program by the Ministry of Education, we have been striving for perfection and seeking new ways to enrich the course.

• Coverage by the Common Wealth Magazine; NCTU Center of General Education has invited scholars and experts to deliver lectures on Selected Masterpieces of Classic Books. Lectures are/will be recorded by NCTU Digital Content Production Center and uploaded to e-Campus (E3) and broadcast on I’m TV Channel (You can watch them thru the NCTU website). Students can also discuss and exchange their thoughts on the online forum (http://www.cc.nctu.edu.tw/~nrrp/).



The publication of the book is like a small step for the course, but one giant leap for the NCTU General Education Program. In addition to the lecturers, the publication of this book is the result of the efforts of the NRRP Team, including organizing the manuscripts of the lectures, text of guided reading, proofreading and digitalization. The book cover design and illustrations are the works of students of NCTU Institute of Applied Arts.

Did you miss the spectacular lectures delivered by great masters?

Now with the book in hand, you can readily absorb the essence of the course! You can’t afford to miss this intellectual and visual feast. What are you still waiting for? Let the book feed minds and spirits hungry for knowledge!



The title of the book is “Speaking of Books / Telling A Story” 《說書》 . On the back cover you will find the following text:

" This book is the first collection of lectures delivered in the course of NCTU New Renaissance Reading Project: Guided Reading of Classic Books. 　

Did you miss the spectacular lectures delivered by celebrities? This course was elaborately planned by NCTU Center of General

Education, and was awarded the Excellence Award for General Education Program by the Ministry of Education in the second semester of the 2007 School Year. Now with the book in hand, you can readily absorb the essence of the course! You can’t afford to miss this intellectual and visual feast. What are you still waiting for? Let the book feed minds and spirits hungry for knowledge! "


VIII. Book Publication and Back VIII. Book Publication and Back Cover TextCover Text


VIIII. All the guided reading VIIII. All the guided reading professors (2007/9~2010/1):professors (2007/9~2010/1):

• Mr. 李弘祺、 Mr. 宋泉盛、 Mr. 廖元成、 Ms. 董挽華、 Mr. 蔡英俊、 Ms. 何薇玲、 Mr. 黃達夫、 Mr.曾志朗、 Mr. 南方朔、 Mr. 杜書伍、 Mr. 蔡明介、 Mr. 詹海雲、 Mr. 翁明賢、 Mr. 陳修武、 Ms. 陳小雀、 Ms. 朱佩蘭、 Mr. 康培德、 Mr. 吳重雨、 Ms.方瑜、 Mr. 王文興、 Mr. 李勤岸、 Mr. 劉必榮、 Mr. 黃孝光、 Mr. 柯景騰 ( 九把刀 ) 、 Mr. 林中明、 Mr. 王高成、 Mr. 曾慶豹、 Mr. 黃煥榮、 Mr. 張南驥、 Mr. 魏外揚、 Mr. 包宗和、 Ms. 陳仁姮、 Mr. 林昌華、 Mr. 楊永良、 Mr. 彭鏡禧、 Mr. 苑舉正、 Mr.孫治本、 Mr. 洪鎌德、 Mr. 陳國華、 Mr. 康來昌、 Ms. 李玲玲、 Mr. 彭明偉、 Mr. 謝鵬雄、 Mr. 丁達剛、 Mr. 林毓生、 Mr. 陳佐人、 Mr. 錢理群、 Mr.唐代彪、 Ms. 夏燕生 , In total: 49 professors.(One scholar was invited twice to deliever two talks on two different books.)


X. All the guided reading book list X. All the guided reading book list (2007/9~2010/1):(2007/9~2010/1):• Bible 、 Les Miserables 、 Jonah 、 The Adventures of

Pinocchio 、 Deutschstunde 、 Hu-shih Anthology 、 The Daughter of Time 、 Confessiones 、 What Life Could Mean to You 、 Three Scholars' Annotation to Historical Records 、The Analects of Confucius and Abacus 、 The Analects of Confucius 、 One Hundred Years of Solitude 、 Freezing Point 、 Discovery Taiwan 、 Remember Who You Are 、 Faust 、 Tang Poems 、 Selected Chinese Notes-story 、 Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 、 The Art of War 、 The Journey to the West 、 The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order 、 The Fifth Discipline 、 The Origin of Species 、The Pilgrim Progress 、 The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell 、 The Chronicles of Narnia:the Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe 、 The Collection of Leo Tolstoy


X. All the guided reading book list X. All the guided reading book list (2007/9~2010/1):(2007/9~2010/1):• From Far Formosa: The Island, its People and Missions 、

The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa 、 Yi Jing 、 King Lear 、 The Structure of Scientific Revolutions 、 Interpretation of Dreams 、 The Wealth of Nations 、 The Dream of the Red Chamber 、 Wuthering Heights 、 The Limits of Growth 、 The Lord of the Rings 、King Solomon's Ring 、 Selected Stories of Shen Congwen 、 Lao-tzu 、 Agatha Christie’s Detectives 、 Academia and Politics:Max Weber Anthology I 、 Paradise Lost 、War and Peace 、 Hamlet 、 East of Eden 、 Mencius 、 Hsun-tzu 、 Bible in English and American Poetry 、 Capitalism and Freedom ， The Collection of Lu Xun's Works , All are 54 books.(Once in a while, two different speakers delivered two speeches for the same book.)


XI. Influence of the Course XI. Influence of the Course • Arousing students’ interest in reading classic books (more than half of

the books in our original book list (100 books) have been given guided reading lectures) and promoting excellent reading atmosphere.

• Providing an opportunity for the teachers and staff to pursue on-the-job education, so that they can stand on the shoulders of giants to revamp their intellectual pursuits in order to enrich and enhance their teaching and research.

• A professor (from NCTU) said, “This course has inspired me not only in regard to teaching passion and methodology, but also in every other teaching detail.”

• The appreciation or re-reading of classic books can inspire new thinking and generate eternal values. The ‘asking a question and receiving a classic’ promotion during lectures can inspire students to ask great questions.

• Passing on life’s wisdom and experience by great masters is the modern version of “integrating various schools of thought” by adding actual experiences to theories.


XI. Influence of the Course XI. Influence of the Course • This course is also a feedback from NCTU to the local

communities to provide the public of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli---the disadvantaged Hakka Area--- with an opportunity to understand the changes from ancient to modern era, as well as the relationship between heaven and men.

• The educational effects of these great lectures are further increased through the internet to provide a mental feast for all viewers.

• Due to the highly active interactions during the class, students often request more time for discussion. So a discussion forum on the official website (http:// www.cc.nctu.edu.tw/~ nrrp) is used to extend the interaction and influence of guided reading and online teaching.

• Besides the print form (e.g. “Speaking of Books / Telling A Story” 《說書》 ), the collection of the guided reading lectures is also available on DVD-ROM. The influence of these great lectures has thus spread from on-campus to off-campus.


XII. Future Prospects XII. Future Prospects

• Helping more students complete the certification, and continuing to promote the classic elaboration.

• Continuing to conduct activities such as the study groups and the contest of four top reading winners; promoting the connections between reading classics and obtaining credits, as well as the interaction between “learning” and “thinking”.

• Cooperating with professors in other colleges to propose more classic books in other fields and consolidate broader and deeper thinking in education.

• More sequels of “Speaking of Books / Telling A Story” 《說書》 will be published in hardcopy and CD-ROM. So the influence of this course can transcend the barriers of time and space.

Documents

1 New Renaissance Reading Project National Chiao Tung University New Renaissance Reading Project ( abbr. NRRP)