College of Liberal Arts and the University of Melbourne Sign MOU to Promote Academic Exchange
National Taiwan Normal University’s College of Liberal Arts and the University of Melbourne signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 19 April. The two universities will work together to strengthen their respective master's and doctoral programs as well as the fields of translation, aboriginal studies, and Taiwanese literature. Through the MOU, the schools will promote more student exchanges and the establishment of a dual academic system.
Founded in 1852, the University of Melbourne (UniMelb) is a leading research university in Australia. It is ranked 33rd in the 2023 QS World University Rankings and produced eight Nobel Prize winners. A guiding principle for this institution is to enable its students to develop in diverse ways. Therefore, the University of Melbourne is committed to promoting international exchange, collaborating with sister universities to expand its research scope and break down barriers to knowledge.
Under the guidance of Dr. Yi-De Liu, Vice President for International Affairs, Dean Chiou-Lan Chern of NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts and Associate Dean International Timothy Lynch of University of Melbourne completed the signing of the MOU. As the meeting drew to an end, the guests were given a tour of NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center by its Executive Director, Dr. Ya-Hsun Tsai.
The Melbourne delegation included Dr. Michael Wesley, Vice Chancellor International; Dr. Muthupandian Ashokkumar, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor International; Dr. Aaron Corn, Director of the Indigenous Knowledge Institute; Dr. Kirsten Clark, Institute Manager of the Indigenous Knowledge Institute; Dr. Anthony Spires, Deputy Director of the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies; and Dr. Craig Smith, Senior Lecturer in the Asia Institute; and Ying Richter, International Partnership Adviser.
Since the Taiwan Literature Translation Project began, Dr. Smith has worked closely with Dr. Nikky Lin, NTNU Professor of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature. Not only has Dr. Smith served as a translator for the project, but he has also assisted in organizing literary readings. At the end of last year, Dr. Smith came to Taiwan by invitation to give a lecture. He also met with Dr. Chern of the College of Liberal Arts, at that time. During the meeting, Dr. Smith expressed his interest in Taiwanese literature; and Professor Lin, as the Director of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, recommended that visitors travel to Tainan and visit NMTL for a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture.
College of Liberal Arts Dean Chiou-Lan Chern said, 'Indigenous studies on a global scale is one of our key areas of collaboration, and we are very pleased to be working with University of Melbourne as a partner. In the context of the university and many other settings, we will learn about all the different things that Indigenous people have created.