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An academic cooperation agreement was signed by NTNU and UCLA. The three-year UCLA-NTNU Taiwan Studies Initiative provides funding for faculty and student exchanges, graduate fellowship support, and workshops and lectures. An annual conference will be convened each year with scholars from UCLA and NTNU participating. NTNU and UCLA will work together to be the center of Taiwan Studies in the world.

UCLA, one of top 15 universities in the world, was founded in 1919 and is home to many Nobel laureates and Pulitzer winners. James C. Liao, the president of Academia Sinica, was a professor at UCLA.  UCLA is located in the heart of Los Angelos and is close to Hollywood. 

The signing ceremony was held in UCLA in late August. Vice President Wu Cheng Chih, Former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Chen Deng Wu and Professor Nikky Lin (Chair of the Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature) attended the ceremony.  UCLA Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement Cindy Fan,  Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement; David Schaberg, Dean of Humanities; and Min Zhou, Director of the Asia Pacific Center were representatives of UCLA. 

Starting from this semester, there will be student exchanges programs, graduate fellowship support, workshops and lectures. An annual conference and talks open to the public will be available as well.  After the ceremony, both parties met with UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor Scott Waugh. Waugh was happy to see the cooperation and positive about future. 

Taiwan is the origin of Austronesian culture and also play an important part in the cross-strait relationship as well as global economy. The vitality and freedom in society have attracted the attention of researchers in International relations.  The representatives from UCLA stated that it's now time for Taiwan Studies as people are interested in this field of study. UCLA is glad to work with NTNU, a university with a strong background in Taiwan Studies. More scholars will join this field of study and build the global stage for Taiwan Studies.

Professor Shih Shu Mei, an alumna of NTNU who has played a key role in the collaboration, also attended the signing. Professor Shih Shu Mei has a split appointment in the Department of Comparative Literature, Asian Languages and Cultures, and Asian American Studies.  Prof. Shih is not only a renowned scholar but also the founder of the field Sinophone studies.  

In this visit to Los Angelos, the representatives not only went to UCLA but also University of Southern California and the University of California, Santa Barbara.