Soochow Leads Private Universities in Thesis Resource Contribution for Sixth Consecutive Year

Soochow University has once again secured first place among all private universities, earning the Best Academy Contribution Award for the sixth straight year at the 2025 Taiwan Consortium of Electronic Theses & Dissertations Annual Meeting hosted by the National Central Library (NCL). SU achieved the highest overall score across four key indicators: the number and authorization rate of electronic full-text theses, as well as the number and download rate of full-text papers.

This year’s meeting recognized universities for their achievements in promoting thesis open access (academic year 2023–24), full-text usage in 2024, and participation in similarity-checking services for the 2024–25 academic year. Certificates of appreciation were presented to commend institutions for advancing knowledge sharing and academic dissemination.

In addition to placing first in the overall evaluation, Soochow also excelled within the private university category, ranking fifth in thesis authorization volume, fifth in full-text download volume, and fourth in download rate.

By actively promoting open-access licensing and expanding the visibility of academic work, Soochow University has successfully extended the reach of its research output beyond institutional boundaries. This effort has strengthened inter-university and cross-disciplinary collaboration, contributed to innovation-driven partnerships, and enhanced the long-term value of Taiwan’s academic ecosystem.

NCL Director-General Han-Ching Wang noted in her remarks that she hoped to share the positive news of the upcoming next-generation National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations System with universities. The new system aims to provide higher-quality services to support academic rigor and trustworthiness.

The National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations is a critical component of Taiwan’s academic digital infrastructure. As of August 2025, the system includes more than 1.51 million thesis records and 1.12 million electronic full texts, with over 870,000 authorized for open access. The nationwide authorization rate for 2023–24 exceeded 91%, demonstrating the collective contribution of institutions across Taiwan in enriching the country’s digital academic resources.