Vice President Leads Delegation to Indonesia for Academic Exchange
Vice President Yao-Ting Sung led a delegation to Indonesia from November 5 to 11 for an academic exchange visit that included meetings with partner universities, the renewal of cooperation agreements, and participation in a jointly organized international conference.
Visit to Bandung Institute of Technology
The delegation visited Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung), where they met with Lavi Rizki Zuhal, vice president of the university. Discussions covered potential areas of cooperation, including a proposed university-level memorandum of understanding, dual-degree programs, collaboration in STEM education, and short-term initiatives involving student exchange, community engagement, and social practice.
MOU Renewal with Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
The delegation later visited Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) for a university-level MOU renewal ceremony hosted by Didi Sukyadi, president of the university.
Since 2023, the College of Education and the College of Science have maintained academic MOUs with UPI’s Faculty of Education Sciences and Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, under which the two institutions established a 1+1 dual master’s degree program. The renewal elevated the partnership to the university level, allowing cooperation to extend to additional academic areas.
Following the ceremony, they visited UPI’s Faculty of Language and Literature, Faculty of Education Sciences, and Language Center. Discussions focused on faculty and student exchange, as well as cooperation in Chinese language teaching.
Alumni Event in Jakarta
An alumni event in Jakarta provided an opportunity for graduates to reconnect and exchange views. Although scheduling and travel constraints prevented some alumni from attending, they expressed interest in participating in future activities.
Vice President Sung encouraged those present to consider forming a regional alumni association in the Greater Jakarta area to support communication among alumni and maintain ties with the university.
Visit to Universitas Indonesia
The delegation also visited Universitas Indonesia (UI), where they met with Hamdi Muluk, vice president of the university. The two institutions signed a university-level MOU in 2017.
During the visit, they held discussions with central administrative units on possible areas of cooperation and toured the Faculty of Humanities and the Language Center. In addition to faculty and student exchange, UI expressed interest in collaboration related to Chinese language course modules, digital learning platforms, and Chinese language teacher training.
Joint International Conference with UPI
As part of the visit, NTNU and UPI jointly hosted the two-day MSCEIS–IWALS International Joint Conference, held from November 7 to 8 under the theme “Digital Innovation in Mathematics, Computer, Science Learning, and Research.” The conference examined the application of digital technologies in mathematics, computer science, and science education.
In his opening remarks, Vice President Sung noted that the IWALS conference has been held for nearly a decade in several countries, including Pennsylvania State University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, the University of Jyväskylä, and Hanoi National University of Education. He observed that the current conference took place amid rapid technological change, raising questions about how digital learning resources and methods are shaping educational practice.
UPI President Didi Sukyadi said that technology has reshaped contemporary teaching and learning, with increased reliance on large-scale online learning alongside traditional classroom instruction. He also noted that insufficient attention to cultural context can complicate efforts toward digital transformation.
The conference featured five keynote lectures. Chun-Yen Chang, professor at the Graduate Institute of Science Education, and Tzu-Chien Liu, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, were invited as keynote speakers. Their presentations addressed the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) in education and its potential integration with artificial intelligence.
The program also included paper and poster sessions, with scholars from the United States, the Netherlands, Turkey, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam participating. More than 100 participants attended the conference.
Observations and Next Steps
Through university visits, conference participation, and alumni engagement, the delegation gained insight into the role of international academic networks and the growing interest in Chinese language learning in Indonesia. The visit also provided a basis for further discussion on academic exchange, joint research, and cooperation in Chinese language education.