Aims and Perspectives

Biotechnology has become an important emerging technology industry in recent years. In response to this trend, the Department of Biotechnology was established in 2003. Due to the wide scope of biotechnology, the Department integrates the University's development goals and available clinical resources to focus its education on biomedical research, including gene therapy, biological drug research and development, bioinformatics, etc. The Department aims to enhance research capacity and educate and train students as professionals in the biotechnology and bioinformatics fields. The Master's Program in Biotechnology was founded in 2007.

Educational and Research Missions

While biotechnology encompasses broad range of specialties, the Department of Biotechnology is especially designed, in accordance with KMU’s outstanding characteristics, to gear its teaching and research activities towards the field of medical biotechnology. The primary goal of the Department is to produce self-motivated and highly trained graduates with academic insight and research skills who will lead us into the future of biotechnology.

The missions of the Department's education and research are aimed at providing prospective students with:

• a thorough education incorporating both theoretical and practical training in biotechnology,
• the amenities for the understanding in biotechnology in order to train and promote talented students as succsessful researchers and scientists,
• state-of-the-art establishments and facilities for the study, research, and development in the rapidly growing fields of biotechnology, and
• individual and social awareness for the latest and important development in biotechnology to improve the quality of the mankind.

Teaching Features

The Department offers dynamic range of courses encompassing basic biology and modern biotechnology such as medical microbiology, molecular and cell biology, stem cell technology, vaccine engineering, genomics and proteomics, structural biology and biopharmaceutics. The courses offered emphasize both theories and practice in order to cultivate students as future biotechnology professionals. The teaching objectives of the Department are to help students develop independent thinking skills, master problem-solving skills and become acquainted with hands-on techniques in biomedical sciences and practical biotechnology. The courses include professional biomedical sciences and integrate with related courses in the Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology and Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, College of Life Sciences. Students are encouraged to strengthen their knowledge in the life sciences and develop interdisciplinary skills. The Department is expected to become a platform between clinical medicine and basic medical sciences in order to improve KMU and benefit all mankind.

Future Career Paths and Perspectives

【Pursuing advanced studies】

1. Pursue advanced studies in graduate institutes: domestic or foreign institutes related to biotechnology.

2. Attend School of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine and School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine.

【Employment opportunities】

1. Work at academic and research institutes related to biotechnology and life sciences.

2. Apply for civil service exams related to biology.

3. Work as teachers of senior high, junior high or elementary schools after obtaining the teacher qualification.