SemesterFall Semester, 2025
DepartmentThe International Master Program of Applied Economics and Social Development (IMES) , First Year The International Master Program of Applied Economics and Social Development (IMES) , Second Year
Course NameContemporary Social Problems and Justice
InstructorSHIE WEN-CHI
Credit3.0
Course TypeElective
Prerequisite
Course Objective
Course Description
Course Schedule


























































































Week

Date

Topic and Content 

1

09/05

Course Introduction and Introduction to Library Resources



Collaboration with NCUU Library




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie and Guest Lecturer: Amy Liu,  NCCU Commerce Librarian

  • First Day of Class Attendance Questionnaire

  • Self-Introduction within the Discussion Board

  • Social Problem Discussion: COVID-19

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

2

09/12

Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies, Research Ethics, and Unflattening




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie

  • Social Problem Discussion: COVID-19 Vaccine, The Tuskegee Experiment, Racial Bias

  • Group Progress 1: Group Member Info & Research Topic Exploration 

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

3

09/19

Agenda Setting and Problem Definition




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie

  • Social Problem Discussion and Case Study: Fake News, Environmental Justice, and Human Rights

  • Group Progress 2: Draft of Map & Research Topic Exploration 

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

4

09/26

The Interdisciplinary Cognitive Toolkit, Disciplinarities, and Literature Review Skills



Collaboration with NCUU Library




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie and Guest Lecturer: Amy Liu,  NCCU Commerce Librarian

  • Social Problem Discussion: Social Order and Equity: Police Brutality, School Violence, Racial Bias, and Human Rights

  • NCCU&NTU Team Checkpoint 1: Preferred Research Topic

  • Group Progress 3: Bibliography List Proposal 

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

5

10/03


 

(9:00-



12:30)

Youth Public Participation Forum and Field Trips



Collaboration with Nanyang Technological University - NTU Singapore 




  • Field Trip: Department for Youth, Taipei City Government 

  • Social Problem Discussion: Citizen Participation for Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Equity, Youth Justice, Digital Citizenship & e-Participation

  • Lunch and Project Discussion with Students of Nanyang Technological University - NTU Singapore

6

10/10

National Holiday: Taiwan National Day – No Class. 

7

10/17

Disciplinarities, Interactive Mapping, and Project Preparation/Consultation




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie 

  • Peer Feedback and Feedback from Dr. WenChi Shie and Dr. Chung-An Chen

  • NCCU&NTU Team Checkpoint 2: Preliminary Findings on Comparative Policy Goals, Policy Details, and Implementation Difficulties

  • Group Progress 4: Bibliography List

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

8

10/24

National Holiday: Taiwan's Retrocession Day – No Class. 

9

10/31

Introduction to Political Science & Public Administration




  • Social Problem Discussion: Collaborative Governance, Collective Action Problems, Nature and Manmade Disasters: Hurricane, Gender Inequality 

  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie

  • NCCU&NTU Team Checkpoint 3: Preliminary Findings on Comparative Policy Goals, Policy Details, and Implementation Difficulties

  • Group Progress 5: Integrated Bibliography

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

10

11/07


 

(09:00-



12:30)

Keynote Speech & Workshop: Introduction to Public Budgeting and Budget Simulation




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturer: Dr. Wei-Jie Liao, Assistant Professor, Public Management at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

  • Interactive Event: Budget Simulation




  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

11

11/14

Midterm Presentation: Comparative Policy Learning in International Contexts




  • Peer Feedback and Feedback from Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturer(s) 

12

11/21

Keynote Speech & Workshop: AI, Public Governance Ethics, and Sustainability




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturers

  • Social Problem Discussion: AI Ethics and Risks, e-Governance, Sustainability

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

13

11/28

Sustainability Forum and Field Trip: 




  • Field Trip: CPC Petroleum Discovery Museum

  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturer(s)

  • Social Problem Discussion: ESG, Renewable Energy, Environmental Justice, and Conservation

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments and Library Resources

14

12/05

Workshop: Gender Inequality




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturer(s)

  • Social Problem Discussion: Gender Roles and Norms, Gender Pay Gap, Sex Harassment/Assault, and/or the #MeToo Movement

  • Group Progress 6: Interactive Mapping and Reflection

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments

15

12/12

Keynote Speech & Workshop: Elevating Academic Voices: Strategies for Student Success at International Conferences




  • Lecture by Dr. WenChi Shie with Guest Lecturer: Dr. Wei-Jie Liao, Assistant Professor, Public Management at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

  • Group Project Consultation with Drs. WenChi Shie and Wei-Jie Liao  

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments

16

12/19

Disciplinary Integration and Justice: Final Presentation with Q&A




  • Peer Feedback and Feedback from Dr. WenChi Shie and Guest Lecturers(s)

  • See Moodle for Reading Assignments


Teaching Methods
Teaching Assistant

Allison Tsai | 蔡昕呈



Junior, Department of Public Administration



112206031@g.nccu.edu.tw



 



 


Requirement/Grading

* Each student is expected to:




  • Actively participate in course discussions, in-class activities, and group project assignments 

  • Complete all required assignments and activities on time



* All the assignments are designed to guide you in completing your final project with your critical thinking, problem identification, and problem-solving skills.



* All students are required to attend each class meeting and be ready to discuss the reading materials and assigned social problems with others.



 



Evaluation:




  1. Preparation, Engagement, and Participation (including In-Class Activities, Peer Feedback, Self and Peer Evaluation, and After-Class Feedback) (10%)



* Absence 3 times without university-eligible reasons and permission from Dr. Shie in advance will lead to zero credit. 



* Also, absence will lead to zero credit for those weekly assignments assigned for the week absent. 



* When submitting assignments, students must clearly label their individual or group submissions by specifying both their names and the names of the assignments. 





 




  1. Individual Assignments (40%)



Weekly Questions (Due every Tuesday at 23:59, 1-2 meaningful questions based on required readings and weekly topics), and Weekly Notes and Reflective Journals (Due the following Tuesday at 23:59) 




  1. Group Assignments (50%)


    1. Group Discussion and Progress, NCCU&NTU Team Checkpoints 

    2. Group Project Presentations:

      1. Midterm Presentation: Comparative Policy Learning in International Contexts

      2. Group Project and Final Integration Presentation  







* Group assignments will be graded based on your role(s) and contributions in each assignment, as well as self & peer evaluation. Non-participation will result in a zero for your group project grade. 



* Graduate students are expected to complete their group projects with a full research design and thorough literature review. 



* Course and Lateness Policy:




  • If you have any questions, challenges, or special learning needs, contact Dr. Shie to discuss your situation and a learning plan before any deadlines for this course. At the same time, you have to reach out to NCCU resources and/or other relevant sources to support your situation and be able to request a letter of support.   

  • Students who are unable to attend classes due to illness or other university-approved reasons are required to apply for a leave of absence, providing documentary evidence. Please email both Dr. Shie and the teaching assistant for approval before leaving. 



Without an excused absence, no late work will be accepted. From the due date, students with an excused absence have 24 hours to submit missing assignments, unless otherwise arranged with the instructor. If you have any questions or difficulties, contact Dr. Shie as soon as possible before the due dates. Late homework submissions will only be accepted with a university-approved excused absence given to Dr. Shie within 24 hours of the missed due date. If you anticipate you won’t be able to meet the deadline for eligible reasons, you have to get approval from Dr. Shie in advance.



 


Textbook & Reference

Required Text: 




  1. Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, and Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to interdisciplinary studies. SAGE Publications, Incorporated, 2019. (This book has been assigned as a textbook within the NCCU library.) 

  2. Other required readings (for example, talks, videos, short readings, and journal articles) and weekly assignments will be posted within the class Moodle site to clarify concepts during the semester.


Urls about Course
Attachment