In 1945, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki expedited the end of WWII, terminated 50 years of Japanese rule over Taiwan, and concluded the ravages in the later years of WWII.

In January, 1946, the Taiwan Provincial Administrative Executive Office appointed Dr. Shih-An Wang as the first post-war president of Tainan Junior College of Technology. At this juncture, administration of the school proved to be tough as many campus buildings and school equipment had been destroyed. President Wang aspired to recover the reputation of the school as the top technical college in Taiwan. His vision was conveyed in the school anthem: Amid new changes day after day in the atomic age, we pursue sophisticated academic study, work on natural resources, and create a myriad of treasures, love people, and all prosper. Accordingly, the president managed to rebuild school buildings and procure teaching and research equipment. Also, he retained Japanese teachers temporally while traveling to Beijing and Shanghai to recruit professional teachers. As a result, the school was upgraded to Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering in December.

Additionally, to help students study with an equal emphasis on theory and practice, the school began to launch internship projects in collaboration with the industrial sector in the summer of 1946. In 1948, President Wang sent an official request to the National Resources Commission to seek cooperation with all industrial and mining organizations under its jurisdiction, such as the Taiwan Railway Administration, Taipower Company, Taiwan Sugar Corporation, and Taiwan Fertilizer Company. The Office of Academic Affairs set up the Off-campus Internship Division to administer relevant matters, and this shaped the pragmatic spirit of NCKU in the future.

In 1951, a detailed off-campus internship program was drafted, requiring students to intern at organizations off campus for at least 6 months before graduation. They had to write daily internship reports and submit them weekly to be reviewed by instructors designated to each internship venue. With time, the required duration of internships was adjusted; however, this enabled students to experience various industries and establish good relationships with internship organizations during their college years. Some could even be recruited before they graduated. Today, NCKU is gradually transforming into a top research university. Its pragmatic spirit in conjunction with its professional research attitude has laid a foundation for its students to become “college graduates most sought-after by enterprises” in Taiwan.