His Excellency H.E. Johnson Toribiong, President of the Republic of Palau, paid a 6-day state visit to Taiwan with his spouse under the invitation from the government of Taiwan. On the 23rd of February, President Toribiong and his entourage of 13 people visited National Taiwan University and were given a personal reception by Dr. Si-chen Lee, President of NTU. Dr. Ming-Je Tang, Vice President of NTU, and Dr. Tung Shen, Director of NTU's Office of International Affairs, accompanied the honored guests throughout their visit. Mr. Shiming Li, Director of the Department of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Miss Maggie Tien, Taiwan's ambassador to the Republic of Palau, also accompanied the visiting guests on their tour of NTU.

Miss Uroii Sallii, daughter of the Queen of Palau, is currently an elective student enrolled at NTU. She plans to apply to the Global MBA Program offered by the College of Management this fall, and she was also invited to participate in the tour of NTU with the delegation from her country. Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bio-resources, Dr. Bao-Ji Chen, made special arrangements to entertain the visiting dignitaries in the NTU greenhouse, where Professor Yo-jen Chen and Professor Ming-Jen Hsu of the Department of Horticulture, Professor Hong Cheng Chen of the Department of Life Science, and Professor Suan-Tang Han of the Department of Bio-environmental Systems Engineering gave reports on the cultivation of Noni fruit, the restoration of fish, and the research conducted in the greenhouse to the guests. In addition, Dr. Tung Shen, together with Professor Yang Wing Leung, introduced the development of international affairs at NTU while they expressed welcome for students from Palau to come to study at NTU. As Palau abounds in natural resources, NTU welcomes all types of research projects in collaboration with Palau, and does not rule out the possibility of sending volunteer corps during summertime to Palau to enhance NTU students' understanding of Palau. Looking out from the greenhouse, the experiment farm was covered with verdant grass, the breathtaking bucolic scene coupled with the fresh milk and biscuits prepared by the NTU experimental farm left an indelible impression on the visitors from afar. The briefings and bilateral talks on future cooperation ended on a harmonious note.

Led by a motorcade, President Toribiong and his entourage proceeded to Gallery of University History to participate in a formal reception tea party. NTU President Dr. Si-chen Lee delivered his welcome speech, in which he said he cherished the friendship between Taiwan and the Republic of Palau, and he hoped that the two parties could have more academic cooperation in the future for the sustained development of Earth. In return, President Toribiong gave a speech in which he expressed thanks to NTU for providing such a wonderful learning environment for the Queen's daughter, and he looked forward to bilateral exchanges in the future. Both parties exchanged souvenirs, and the staff of the Gallery of University History provided a guided tour for the visiting guests, introducing the history and development of NTU. Although the whole agenda lasted for only two hours, it was action packed and very rewarding. In sum, President Toribiong's visit to NTU not only consolidated the friendship between Taiwan and Palau, but also opened up new initiatives for NTU's future cooperation with Oceania countries.