In order to promote internationalization of academic research,and to push NTU toward becoming a top-notch university in the world,President Li Si-chen attended the Conference of Asian University Presidents held at Shanghai’s Jian Tung University from November 22-26.During the trip, he also visited Nanjing University (known as the pivotof the world’s literary studies) and Fudan University (with a historyand tradition over 100 years). At the end of his visit, he signed anagreement with Nanjing University for academic exchange and cooperation.

As a result of President Li’s visit, NTU and Nanjing University became sister universities, and the Institute for Advanced Research in Humanities and Social Sciences of NTU also became sister research unit of its counterpart in Nanjing University. Contents of the Agreement include co-sponsoring academic conferences, conducting special topic and project research, exchanging personnel to do cooperative research or as research fellows, and donating academic materials to each other.

According to President Li, NTU intends to implement a number of exchange programs with the famous universities of mainland China next year. Target universities include Beijing University, Tsing Hua University, and China’s People’s University, which he visited from October 26-27^th, Nanjing University, Shanghai Jiao-tung University and Fudan University which he visited during this trip. With regard to the format of exchange, he said NTU’s students could go to China for summer learning, and students from China could also come to NTU as formal exchange students for one semester. In conclusion, President Li said his latest trip to China was instrumental in establishing academic cooperation with China’s top universities, and as such bore tremendous historical significance.