University of Bordeaux Visit Explores Expanded Academic Cooperation
A delegation from NTNU’s partner institution, University of Bordeaux, visited from November 27 to December 2, 2025, for a series of academic exchanges hosted by the Office of International Affairs, the College of Sports and Recreation and its Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, and the College of Technology and Engineering and its Department of Electrical Engineering. The visit focused on strengthening existing ties and exploring additional areas of cooperation.
The two universities signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019, formally launching bilateral collaboration. Since then, they have carried out joint forums, dual master’s degree initiatives, short-term teaching programs, and faculty and student exchanges. The visit followed up on discussions from an online meeting held on October 15 between the College of Sports and Recreation and Bordeaux’s SMART Research Center (Sports, Movement, Ambition, Research, Technology), with attention given to the possible formation of an international research consortium.
Academic dialogue in sports science and technology
On November 29, the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, in collaboration with the Chinese Taipei Society of Sports Science, hosted the 2025 annual special issue conference. Dr. Camille Jeunet-Kelway of the University of Bordeaux was invited as the featured speaker and delivered a lecture titled “EEG Neurofeedback to Improve or Restore Motor Abilities: A User-Centered Approach.” Her presentation introduced research on neurofeedback-based interventions for stroke survivors, patients with Parkinson’s disease, and athletes, and examined how such approaches may support the recovery or enhancement of motor function.
Other members of the Bordeaux delegation also took part in discussions with faculty, students, and visiting scholars from several countries. These exchanges explored potential directions for future collaboration and considered the role of sports science research in public health contexts.
During the visit, the College of Sports and Recreation initiated plans to establish an international research consortium with the SMART Research Center. Faculty members noted that early-stage research exchange and collaboration could support talent development and facilitate closer academic links. Dean Tzyy-Yuang Shiang expressed interest in pursuing sustained and practical cooperation, while Yu-Kai Chang, chair of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, noted that a consortium framework could provide a basis for longer-term collaboration between the two institutions. Faculty from both sides shared views on current research directions and discussed opportunities for continued exchange.
Exchange in engineering and applied research
On December 1, the delegation visited the Department of Electrical Engineering for discussions with faculty members including Cheng-Hung Lin, associate vice president for research and development; Syuan-Yi Chen, department chair; Jacky Baltes; Chen-Chien James Hsu; Chia-Hung Yeh; Li-Wei Kang; and Saeed Saeedvand.
The meeting focused on research areas such as robotics, computer vision, human movement, and cognition. Representing Bordeaux, Xavier Blanc, director of the LaBRI Laboratory, introduced the laboratory’s work in software engineering and artificial intelligence, which spans theoretical computer science and applied research in areas including robotics and unmanned aerial systems. The two sides exchanged views on possible collaboration and discussed how future research networks might integrate academic and applied perspectives.
Institutional exchange and campus visit
On the final day of the visit, the Office of International Affairs arranged a campus tour and a university-level consultation meeting. Members of the delegation visited the exhibition Vision Intérieure: The Art of Gao Xingjian and engaged with student docents to learn more about the Nobel laureate’s work and his connection to Taiwan.
Following the tour, discussions were held with Yi-De Liu, director of the Office of International Affairs; Yu-Kai Chang; and Tsung-Min Hung. Liu noted that the universities already maintain a student exchange agreement and referred to a field-based teaching program in French culture and tourism conducted earlier in the year. Participants discussed ways to encourage further student mobility and considered the possibility of expanding cooperation to additional academic formats.
Alexandra Struk, who oversees international affairs at the University of Bordeaux, expressed interest in developing cross-institutional academic networks with the College of Sports and Recreation and the College of Technology and Engineering. Kévin Blin raised the prospect of collaboration in areas related to sports management and economics, while Effie Segas, an engineer affiliated with the SMART Research Center, and Tsung-Min Hung discussed the exchange of research materials as a basis for future joint projects.
The visit marked the first in-person exchange between the two universities in the areas of sports science and engineering. Discussions during the week outlined possible directions for continued academic cooperation and provided a framework for future research exchange and faculty and student engagement between Taiwan and France.