EN-US 
ZH 
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly expanded into fields such as translation, writing, design, multimedia production, and data analysis, transforming the competencies that businesses expected from humanities and social sciences graduates. In recent years, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Yuan Ze University has incorporated AI and digital tools into its undergraduate curriculum. Rather than simply adding standalone AI courses, the college emphasized integrating AI with existing disciplinary expertise to cultivate students’ abilities to solve problems through technology.
Chun-Hao Lee, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Yuan Ze University, stated that the core of humanities and social sciences education had remained language proficiency, cultural understanding, social observation, policy analysis, and creative thinking. AI served as an important tool to enhance students’ professional capabilities. The purpose of learning AI was not to replace existing disciplinary knowledge but to extend professional expertise through technology, creating an advantage that combined subject knowledge with technological applications.
Chun-Hao Lee noted that all departments within the college had developed AI applications according to their academic specialties. Among them, the Department of Chinese Linguistics and Literature, the Department of Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics, the Department of Art and Design, and the Department of Social and Policy Sciences represented some of the most distinctive examples. These departments had integrated AI into fields such as content creation, cross-linguistic communication, design innovation, and public governance, respectively, developing specialized AI-related curricula.
The Department of Chinese Linguistics and Literature built its curriculum upon Chinese-language expression, literary studies, and cultural literacy while incorporating generative AI for cultural data organization, content planning, and cross-media creation. In addition to learning written composition, students were required to transform the same topic into various formats, including social media content, short-form video scripts, and digital exhibitions. The department indicated that, compared with traditional Chinese-language programs that focused primarily on literary research and language education, its curriculum placed greater emphasis on the digital application of cultural content and on using AI to support content production and management.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics integrated English, Japanese, translation studies, and intercultural communication with AI-assisted translation, multilingual content management, and international market analysis. In addition to language proficiency, students learned to use AI to gather international information, verify translation quality, and analyze market demands in different regions. The department noted that although AI could improve translation efficiency, intercultural understanding and communication judgment still relied heavily on professional language expertise.
The Department of Art and Design incorporated AI into visual concept development, image generation, multimedia integration, and interactive content creation. Students applied AI throughout the creative process while building upon foundations in design thinking and aesthetic training. The department believed that AI could shorten the time required for initial concept development, but design concepts, brand strategies, and user-needs analysis still depended on the designer’s professional judgment. As a result, the curriculum focused on cultivating students’ abilities to integrate AI tools with design expertise.
The Department of Social and Policy Sciences combined social research, public policy, big data analytics, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). AI was used to assist in organizing public opinion data, analyzing social trends, and constructing policy analysis models. Students also learned to transform analytical results into charts, policy recommendations, and decision-support information. The curriculum integrated public governance and data analytics to prepare students for careers in government agencies, think tanks, market research organizations, and public policy sectors.
Chun-Hao Lee explained that AI could assist with data organization, text generation, and information analysis. However, determining whether content was accurate, culturally appropriate, and capable of addressing real-world problems still depended upon professional judgment. Therefore, the college had incorporated information verification, copyright protection, personal data protection, and AI ethics into its curriculum to help students understand that AI was a tool for enhancing professional competence rather than replacing critical thinking.
He further stated that future employers would seek talent capable of integrating domain expertise with AI applications rather than individuals possessing only technical tool-operation skills. Through the integration of AI and humanities-based education, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences hoped to strengthen students’ interdisciplinary competencies and workplace competitiveness while responding to industry demands for next-generation talent.
