Vice President Promotes Taiwan Higher Education’s Global Strategies in Spain

Invited by the Spanish Royal Academy, NTU Vice President for International Affairs Luisa Shu-Ying Chang (張淑英) traveled to Spain to celebrate the launch of the newly published Hispanic Judicial Dictionary (Spanish: Diccionario Panhispánico del Español Jurídico) and the University of Salamanca's 8th centenary event, both chaired by King Felipe VI of Spain on December 15, 2017.

Situated 260 km from the capital of Madrid, the event was held in Salamanca to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the University of Salamanca, the first higher education institution in Spain and one of the Europe's oldest, most prestigious universities along with the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and University of Bologna. In 2010, the Vice President for International Relations of the University of Salamanca visited NTU to strengthen partnership between the two universities.

At the ceremony, Vice President Chang met with King Felipe VI who acceded to the throne in 2014. The king, age 49, was impressed by Chang´s "NTU pin" designed by the Office of International Affairs, and noted that his daughters Princess Leonor, age 12, and Princess Sofía, age 10, are learning Chinese.

Vice President Chang expressed that in 2012, when she was Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, she together with a number of Chinese instructors visited the University of Salamanca, Complutense University of Madrid, Pompeu Fabra University, and University of Santiago de Compostela to facilitate Chinese teaching. Vice President Chang emphasized that NTU has actively engaged in international collaborations with Spanish partners, through which a growing number of Spanish-speaking individuals are coming to study in Taiwan.

Vice President Chang was invited to attend the event as a Correspondent Foreign Academician. The Spanish Royal Academy has not nominated any foreign academicians since 2009. Yet Vice President Chang was elected among the 17 academicians worldwide in April, 2016, and has been invited to participate in academic events other than financial meetings and the election of Spanish academicians, according to the royal decree. As an Academician, she can provide advice and suggestions regarding academic research and the usage of Spanish vocabulary.

The Spanish Royal Academy was founded in 1713 under the leadership of the king, who chairs significant academic events and award ceremonies in person to highlight the prominence, glory, and considerable importance of such occasions.

The release of Hispanic Judicial Dictionary in two volumes, 2220 pages, as the token of wisdom, is a joint effort by 400 judicial experts and academicians through the coordination of the Spanish Royal Academy.

Drawing icons from Hispanic academics, the event gathered 22 directors and representatives from Latin America's academies. Prior to Salamanca´s ceremony, these delegates attended Thursday's plenary meeting at the Spanish Royal Academy on December 14.

At the magnificent ceremony on December 15, together with all the distinguished guests, the current and the newly elected presidents of the University of Salamanca witnessed a historical moment—the university's 800th anniversary. Meanwhile, Vice President Chang not only conveyed her congratulations to the presidents but also invited them to attend NTU's 90th anniversary festivities in 2018.

Vice President Chang's visit to Spain illuminates NTU's vibrant academia in which our talented faculty members play a crucial role in advocating international outreach and linkage with far-reaching, worldwide impact.