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2024.1106

Strengthening Academic Ties and Recruiting Next-Gen Talent in Osaka

From October 28 to 31, President Cheng-Chih Wu led a team from NTNU on a high-profile academic and alumni outreach mission Osaka. The delegation included Yi-De Liu, Director of the Office of International Affairs; Ching-Min Cheng, Dean of the College of Technology and Engineering; Hui-Ling Sung, Associate Dean of the School of Continuing Education; Min-Ping Kang, Director of the Public Affairs Center; and Chin-Li Lin, Professor from the Department of Taiwan Literature. They visited two top universities, and hosted an alumni reunion in Osaka. NTNU has long fostered academic exchange with Japanese institutions and currently partners with 59 Japanese sister schools, resulting in 81 Memoranda of Understanding, 65 student exchange agreements, and seven dual-degree programs.

The visit aimed to strengthen ties with Osaka University and Osaka Metropolitan University, with Osaka University being one of NTNU’s ten key partner institutions. On October 28, the delegation visited Osaka University, a leading national research university established in 1931, ranked 86th globally and fourth in Japan in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. Since 2011, Osaka University has maintained agreements with NTNU’s Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science, Technology and Engineering, and International and Social Sciences. These agreements span academic exchanges, student mobility, and dual-degree programs.

President Wu led the delegation in meeting Osaka University’s President Shojiro Nishio, where they signed a new Memorandum of Understanding and a student exchange agreement—key milestones in their partnership. Following the signing, Professor Chumei Lin from Osaka University’s Graduate School of Humanities, a pivotal figure in the collaboration, guided the delegation on a tour of the Suita and Minoh campuses. That evening, the delegation hosted an alumni reunion in Osaka with over 20 alumni. Chujiu Li, Chairman of Japan Tosen, Ltd., was elected as the alumni association’s first president, and Sekiguchi Daiki, General Manager of Velodash Co., Ltd., as vice president. Alumni traveled from across Japan to attend, including 92-year-old Tsai-yin Hsu, who traveled for over two hours to attend.

On October 29, the delegation visited Osaka Metropolitan University, a sister school formed by merging Osaka Prefecture University and Osaka City University, now Japan’s largest public university with 16,000 students. Since becoming sister schools in 2011, NTNU and Osaka Prefecture University have maintained exchanges. The delegation met with President Masahiro Tatsumisago’s team to explore new collaborative opportunities. They also toured the university’s Plant Factory Research Center, which spans three campus buildings and includes a laboratory in Sakai City, focusing on innovative cultivation and mass production technologies.

Before returning to Taiwan on October 30, President Wu met with ten NTNU College of Science students, led by Physics Professor Hsiang-Lin Liu, who were on a short-term study tour at Osaka University’s Toyonaka campus. This program, coordinated by Professor Chumei Lin, enabled cultural exchange with 20 Japanese students from Osaka University’s Department of Chinese. Students from both universities discussed the challenges and benefits of foreign language learning, exchanging insights and experiences. NTNU students continued their visit to Osaka University’s Departments of Physics and Applied Physics, expanding their understanding of Japanese academic research and international perspectives.

After these visits and the alumni reunion, NTNU’s Vice President for International Affairs Yi-De Liu and NTU’s associate director of the Office of International Affairs, Kuo-Hsin Yang, led a joint recruitment team from NTNU, National Taiwan University (NTU), and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) to Osaka and Kyoto from October 30 to November 1. This trip marked the alliance’s third collaborative recruitment effort since pandemic restrictions were lifted, with previous trips to Jakarta, Bangkok, and Incheon.

Organized by NTNU with support from the Taiwan Education Center in Japan, the recruitment effort aimed to enhance Japanese students’ awareness of Taiwan’s educational opportunities. Over three days, the team visited four high schools, including Doshisha International Senior High School in Kyoto, Osaka Prefectural Sumiyoshi Senior High School, Yūhigaoka Gakuen Senior High School, and Kyoto Prefectural Otokuni Senior High School.

At Doshisha International Senior High School, an institution known for its international focus, Yi-De Liu introduced Taiwan’s higher education system and the strengths of each university to students, faculty, and parents. On the morning of October 31, the team visited Osaka Prefectural Sumiyoshi Senior High School, renowned for its science and technology programs and international science exchanges. That afternoon, they presented to over 40 students at Yūhigaoka Gakuen Senior High School. Attendees included Yurou Lin, Section Chief of the Education Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Osaka, and Ms. Ushida, a Japanese staff member and alumna of Yūhigaoka Gakuen who also studied at NTU. Ms. Ushida shared her study abroad experiences in Taiwan, inspiring students interested in studying there.

The recruitment team’s final stop on November 1 was Kyoto Prefectural Otokuni Senior High School, where approximately 80 students attended the information session. Known for its rigorous humanities and sciences programs and international exchanges, Otokuni High School plans a study trip to Taiwan in mid-November to visit NTNU and participate in Mandarin courses, offering students an immersive cultural experience. Section Chief Yurou Lin, who facilitated the visit, expressed gratitude to NTU, NTNU, and NTUST for promoting Taiwan’s higher education in Japan. The recruitment events enabled meaningful exchanges and highlighted Taiwan’s strengths and global engagement in higher education. Organizers anticipate that more students from the Kansai region will choose to study at the three universities in the near future.