Kyoto University - National Taiwan University 2nd Symposium Takes Place in Japan

NTU President Yang looks forward to the scientific breakthroughs that the meeting may inspire.

The 2nd Kyoto University and National Taiwan University Symposium was held in the Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall between Sept. 1 and 2, 2014 with the objective to promote international research between the two schools. Under the witness of the more than one hundred academic and administrative representatives, the two schools officially signed the agreements to implement faculty exchange and dual degree projects.

The NTU delegation was represented by over 100 members from our faculty and staff.

The two-day KU-NTU annual symposium kicked off with KU President Hiroshi Matsumoto and NTU President Pan-Chyr Yang (楊泮池) expressing their high hopes and expectations for the collaboration. During his address, KU President Matsumoto thanked NTU for the hospitality extended to their delegation during the 1st symposium that was held in Taiwan last year. NTU President Yang, meanwhile, looked forward to the scientific breakthroughs that the meeting may inspire.

Introductions of the two universities was presented by KU Executive Vice-President for International Affairs and Hospital Administration Michiaki Mishima and NTU Dean for International Affairs Shu-Ying Chang (張淑英) respectively. The opening ceremony was then followed by a parallel sessions focusing on topics related to academic, student, research, and international affairs.

The sessions covered 14 academic research fields, including the fields of science and technology, agriculture, global health, law, medicine, and social sciences. The two schools also exchanged views on topics such as moral education, suicide prevention, and the establishment of internship programs. Meanwhile, NTU took the opportunity to learn from KU’s experience in promoting such research projects as the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences and the Hakubi Project.

During the closing ceremony, NTU Vice President for Academic Affairs Liang-Gee Chen (陳良基) echoed President Yang’s opening remarks in stating that the two-day event had indeed inspired a multitude of diverse and interesting ideas for future collaboration. Chen noted that he looked forward to the thoughts becoming tangible projects that both KU and NTU can not only thrive in the face of future challenges, but also make substantial contribution to the society.

The relationship between National Taiwan University and Kyoto University began in 2006 when the two institutes launched a joint distance education project in biology. The project was extended into a student exchange project among the school and three NTU colleges that same year. This became the basis of the close ties between the two universities. Having the largest amount of research centers in Japan, KU is also one of the most esteemed universities in the country. NTU is excited to roll out the next phase of collaborations with KU, which include a faculty exchange program and a joint-dual master’s program in business management.