NTNU Delegation Visits Kyushu to Expand Academic Relationships
In order to expand cooperation and exchanges with Japanese universities, President Wu Cheng Chih of National Taiwan Normal University led a delegation to Kyushu University and Kumamoto University on January 17-20, 2023. The professors participated in the visit included Vice President for International Affairs Liu Yi-de and Dean of the Faculty of Science Chen Jein-shan, Dean of the College of Technology and Engineering Cheng, Ching-min and Professor Lin Cheng-huang of the Department of Fine Arts, and Professor Liu Hsiang-lin of the Department of Physics. During the four day visit, they not only visited the campus and laboratories but also met with the presidents and Officers of International Affairs of the two universities and professors specializing in science and engineering.
Founded in 1903, Kyushu University is one of the imperial universities in Japan and is currently a top research-oriented comprehensive national university. The cooperative relationship between National Taiwan Normal University and Kyushu University began in 2016, and developed into a strategic partner sister school relationship in 2018 with the signing of a school-level academic cooperation memorandum and student exchange agreement. In the six-year cooperative relationship, there are a total of 15 joint academic research projects. The bilateral cooperation areas include the College of Science, the College of Education, the College of Management, the College of Technology and Engineering as well as bilateral joint academic forums and administrative benchmarks. The focus of this visit is to discuss future cooperation with the new president of Kyushu University Ishibashi and his administrative team.
The delegation first visited the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences (IGSES) on the Chikushi campus on January 17. In addition to holding discussions with Dean Nakajima, Prof. Harada, Prof. Tanimoto, Prof. Ogishima, and Prof. Wang about the upcoming joint master's degree cooperation plan to be signed for the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Science and Technology Engineering, they also visited two laboratories on the Chikushi campus. On January 20, the professors of NTNU held a comprehensive discussion with President Ishibashi, three executive vice presidents, Officer of International Affairs Shimizu and Professor Vickers from the School of Education. They discussed strategic aspects (regular mutual visits and administrative benchmarks); research aspects (bilateral academic forums and joint research projects); and teaching aspects (double degree, student exchange, and Collaborative Online International Learning, etc. ). The delegation of NTNU also visited the library and other campus facilities of Kyushu University's Ito new campus after the meeting.
Founded in 1925, Kumamoto University was formerly the fifth high school in Japan. It has a very similar historical background to National Taiwan Normal University, which was founded in 1922 and was formerly the Taihoku High School. Since TSMC recently established a factory in Kumamoto, Kumamoto University has been actively expanding its cooperative relationship with Taiwanese universities and colleges. NTNU delegation met with Deputy International Director Kishida and Associate Professor Kubota and Assistant Professor Kubota from Kumamoto University’s Center for Teaching System Research on January 18; then on January 19, they met with President Ogawa, International Director Otani, and Deputy Dean Ihara of the College of Engineering and others. The two sides exchanged views extensively on future cooperation projects such as the School of Semiconductors and Industrial Innovation, and reached a consensus to sign a memorandum of academic cooperation during the meeting. After the meeting, the delegation visited the Memorial Hall of the Fifth High School and the student canteen and other facilities on the campus.
Among the 397 existing sister schools of National Taiwan Normal University, there are 55 Japanese sister schools (14%), 46 student exchange agreements, and 4 dual-degree agreements (with colleges and universities of Kyushu, Hiroshima, Niigata, Kansai). Japan has always been among the top three in the number of exchange students going abroad and coming to NTNU. Japan and Vietnam are the top two sources of foreign students studying for a degree. Take the statistics from 2019 before Covid as an example, a total of 1,430 Japanese students that year, including 59 students for degree, 95 exchange students and 1,276 Chinese learning short-term students. In view of this, NTNU will continue to maintain close exchanges and relationship with Japanese higher education institutions for international development.