National Ilan University’s history dates back to 1926 when Taiwan Provincial Ilan School of Agriculture and Forestry was established. The school was promoted from a five-year junior college to a polytechnic college and was renamed National Ilan Institute of Technology. In 2003 the institute was granted university status and became National Ilan University.
The university is located in the centre of Yilan City, Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan. It is the only national university in Yilan Country. The city is situated on the north side of the Lanyang River. It is known as the cultural, economic and political centre of the region.
There are four colleges at the university, namely the College of Bioresources, College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering, and College of Humanities and Management. The university also boasts 15 departments and 17 graduate institutes. Most courses are taught in Chinese, however there is a selection of masters programmes that are taught in English.
The university is fully equipped with over 150 laboratories available for students to carry out research and enrich their studies. There is also an Analysis and Technology Consulting Centre, which is used by local industries to manufacture and produce their goods. In 2006 the university opened an Incubator Centre, which has research development facilities available for local industries.
The university has partnerships with over 100 universities and research institutions worldwide. These partnerships facilitate academic exchange programmes for students as well as overseas volunteer activities and summer camps. Every year the university welcomes increasing numbers of international students from across the globe.