Feng Chia University (FCU)’s extension and cooperative efforts began in February of 1968. To provide the faculty and students of each department, institute and college opportunities for practical experience, in accordance with the principle of placing equal emphasis on theory and practice in education, and to make effective use of faculty resources and facilities, lectures and seminars began to be organized. Through these extension programs members of the community were able to complete professional coursework and training. In October of 1987, the FCU Extension and Cooperative Committee (ECC) was established, which drew up regulations and guidelines for FCU’s extension and cooperative work. This committee was also charged with the overall planning and coordination of cooperative and extension education-related matters. The scope of its duties included building cooperative relationships and securing research projects, extension education and training, application for National Science Council research grants and industry and enterprise-commissioned training and testing.

　　Following on the rapid changes in higher education and the developmental goals of the university, in August of 1993, the Research and Development Committee (RDC) was formed to carry out overall development planning, improvements in the learning and research environment and efforts to increase administrative efficiency.

　　In August of 1996, the EEC and RDC were brought together under the same roof. This was the origin of the Office of Research and Development (ORD), which was formally established in August of 1999. Under this office are three sections for carrying out administrative planning, advancement of research and analysis and evaluation, respectively.

　　In August of 2000, the Precision Instrument Support Center was launched. The purposes of this center are to provide for the efficient sharing of resources, the centralization of precision instrument management and maintenance and the effective utilization of precision instruments. Initially, it oversaw the materials analysis and scientific equipment of the College of Sciences. Then, the precision machinery of the College of Engineering and the clean room laboratory facilities of the College of Information and Electrical Engineering came under its management. This center also carries out continuous planning and purchasing of new instruments and operation training.

　　In January of 2001, the Office of Technology Licensing was set up to encourage researchers to reach their innovative potential, to bring attention to R&D achievements, to develop practical industry applications, to reach the goals of a knowledge-based economy and to promote intellectual property and R&D achievements from university and commissioned research.

　　With the establishment of the Business Incubation Center in March of 2001 has come the gradual integration of the university’s business, management, engineering technology, technical consulting and information technology strengths to provide enterprise with all-in-one service. This includes the areas of technology innovation R&D, business services, management training, financial advice and technical support, etc. This center offers guidance to newly established small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to assist them in achieving success in developing and commercializing innovative technological products. The Business Incubation Center works closely with the Office of Technology Licensing to create a framework for joint industry and university R&D and feedback systems, as well as effective integration of campus resources to provide businesses with a single interface for comprehensive incubation services.

　　In 2002, the Nanotechnology Research Center opened. FCU is the first university in Central Taiwan and the first private university in Taiwan to establish a nanotechnology research center. Nanomaterial and nanobiomedical laboratories carry out research in nanochemical engineering materials and nanobiological materials and related fields. In the future, a nanoelectronic laboratory will be set up to expand the center’s nanotechnology development. To cultivate nanotechnology talent, this center offers nanotechnology-related courses. Combining the research manpower and resources of upstream, midstream and downstream industries, the center works to accelerate the industrialization of nanotechnology.

　　From 2002, faculty members have been encouraged to integrate resources and develop cross-disciplinary and collaborative research projects. The Feng Chia University Distinguished Research Program stimulates pioneering research work in important and emerging fields. This program brings together campus resources and seeks out off-campus resources to form cross-disciplinary research teams. With ample funding and flexible systems this program is rapidly building specialized research capabilities for the university.

　　From March of 2005, the development of specially designated research areas has increased integration of R&D capabilities among FCU’s related research groups. The specially designated research areas on the sixth and seventh floors of the Science and Aeronautical Engineering Building provide a center for FCU’s outstanding researchers, and are available for application by lectures or visiting professors with distinguished research records. In addition, to complement the university’s continued development and the space needs of current and new faculty members, a new building, Xue Si Building, is being constructed next to the Xue Si Chinese Garden. It is expected that this building will be completed in July of 2007 and opened for use in September of that year. This building will possess comprehensive laboratory facilities. In the future, the Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering departments will move into this new technology building, along with the Nanotechnology Research Center and the Research Center for Energy & Resources. To form comprehensive materials science and engineering and chemical engineering research groups, specially designated research areas will be created on the seventh and eighth floors.

　　In June 2005, FCU entered into a lease in the Central Taiwan Science Park for an area of land measuring 0.53 hectares. Together with the 1.47 hectares obtained through a land exchange deal, this university has available about two hectares on which to plan and develop a technology services zone, focused on technology promotion and cultivation of R&D talent, and FCU Business Incubation Center’s entry into the park. The development of FCU’s Central Taiwan Science Park campus is to be divided into four phases. The first phase focuses on the development of the business incubation center. Administrative space will be completed in the second phase and in the third, extension, research and testing facilities. The fourth phase will include the building of other research centers and a future development area. It is expected that first phase construction and related licensing procedures will be completed in April of 2007. To the original operating objectives of the Business Incubation Center will be added a Joint Design Cooperation (JDC) model to provide professional extension courses and extend the functions of the EMTA and EMBA programs, as well as to provide professional information services. The development of this, FCU’s third campus, will complement that of FCU’s main campus. Through integration it is expected that a comprehensive educational and learning environment will be developed.