1980 (May) – The Taiwan Provincial Department of Education established the “Preparatory Office for Taiwan Provincial Huwei Institute of Technology” in May and approved its founding in July, renaming it “Taiwan Provincial Yunlin Institute of Technology.” Departments included Mechanical Manufacturing, Mechanical Materials, Mechanical Design, Power Machinery, and Electrical Engineering. The first president was Dr. Zhang Tianjin.
1981 (Sep) – Converted to a national institution, renamed “National Yunlin Institute of Technology.”
1988 – Added the Optoelectronic Engineering Department and Automation Engineering Department.
1989 (Aug) – President Zhang Tianjin transferred to National Taipei University of Technology. Dr. Yu Zhengguang became the second president.
1990 – Established the Mechanical Engineering (Automobile) division, renamed Vehicle Engineering in 1993.
1994 – Added a two-year Aircraft Engineering program; admissions began in 1995.
1997 (Jul) – Upgraded to “National Huwei Institute of Technology,” gradually restructuring five-year programs into two-year and four-year programs.
1999 (Feb) – President Yu Zhengguang retired and became chairman of Nankai Institute of Technology. Dean Chen Fengcun served as acting president; in Oct, Dr. Lin Jianchang became the third president.
2000 – Added the Information Management Department.
2001 – Added the Applied Foreign Languages Department.
2002 – Added the Information Engineering Department, Finance Department, Institute of Optoelectronics and Materials Science, and Institute of Power Machinery.
2003 – Added Business Management and Biotechnology Departments.
2004 (Feb) – Renamed “National Huwei University of Science and Technology (NHUST, now NFU),” with Dr. Lin Jianchang continuing as president. Established four colleges: Liberal Arts, Engineering, Electrical & Computer, and Management. Added Multimedia Design, Leisure Industry Management, Industrial Engineering & Management Institute, Mechanical & Mechatronics Institute, and Information Management Master’s program.
2005 (Oct) – President Lin Jianchang’s term ended; Dean Cai Yongli served as acting president. Added Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering Master’s, and Optoelectronics Ph.D. programs.
2006 (Feb) – Dr. Lin Jianchang retired; Dr. Lin Zhen-de became the fourth president. Added Materials Science & Green Energy Institute, Management Institute; Mechanical Manufacturing renamed Mechanical & Computer-Aided Engineering; General Education and Teacher Training merged into “General Education Center.”
2007 – Added Institute of Aeronautics & Electronics Technology, Institute of Creative & Precision Engineering; Leisure Industry Management renamed Department of Leisure & Recreation.
2008 – Added Master’s programs in Information Engineering, Automation Engineering, and Biotechnology.
2009 – Added Master’s programs in Mechanical Design Engineering and Leisure & Recreation.
2010 (Feb) – President Lin Zhen-de’s term ended; reappointed after selection. Added Master’s programs in Electronic Engineering and Vehicle Engineering.
2011 – Added Finance Master’s program. In Sep, Executive Yuan approved construction of a new campus; preparatory office inaugurated on Oct 25.
2012 (Mar) – Executive Yuan allocated 17.181 hectares in Huwei High-Speed Rail Special Zone for the new campus.
2013 (Apr) – Received Ministry of Education funding under Model Technology University Program. Dr. Lin Zhen-de retired; in Aug, Dr. Jue Wenyu became the fifth president.
2014 – Received Ministry of Education funding under the “Second Phase Vocational Rebuilding Program.”
2015 – Environmental assessment of Xingzhong Campus approved.
2016 – Xingzhong Campus bridge opened to traffic.
2017 (Aug) – President Jue Wenyu reappointed.
2018 – Received Ministry of Education Higher Education Sprout Project funding. Reopened five-year program; established Precision Mechanical Engineering Department.
2019 – Received funding to optimize practical training environment. Added Agricultural Technology Department and two-year Electronic Engineering program.
2020 – Added five-year Information Engineering program.
2021 (Aug) – Professor Shinn-Liang Chang appointed as president of NFU.
