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NCKU Represents Taiwan Top Universities Alliance to Sign MOU with University of Chicago

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Tainan, Taiwan, December 18th, 2010

On behalf of Taiwan Top Universities Alliance, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vice President for Strategic Initiatives David Greene of University of Chicago, United States, on December 18th in Main Museum 2F, Cheng Kung Campus, NCKU, agreeing to send 4 exchange students, 5 postdoctoral fellows and 5 teaching staff to University of Chicago for studies or research for 3 consecutive years.

The University of Chicago, founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890, is a private and coeducational research university in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., with more than 80 Nobel Prizes winners, being the university in the United States with the most Nobel Prize winners as of 2007, ranking 9th in the world by the academic ranking of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and 9th in the U.S. by The 2010 US News and World Report.

“During the past decade, Taiwan has experience a rapid expansion of higher education and more than 80% of the population of age 18 to 21 has gained opportunities to access higher education. The academic background of these students is becoming more diverse and more advance in proceeding with higher education,” said President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai on behalf of National Cheng Kung University in the signing ceremony as he welcomed all the distinguished guests.

Universities in Taiwan all aim to develop into a world-class comprehensive university, implying various degrees of academic intervention, ranging from educating future leaders with humanistic and professional grounding, creativity, global vision and social consciousness to promoting interdisciplinary research which can benefit our society and mankind.

President Lai mentioned, “The Ministry of Education was aware of the goal of consolidating courses and encouraging interdisciplinary studies for strengthening the quality of our university to higher excellence. In 2006, the Ministry of Education has launched ‘The aim for the Top University and Excellent Research’ project to pursue the goal of developing top universities, progressing elite research centers, improving internationalization. For the successful implementation of these aspirations, universities in Taiwan will continue to enhance teaching, researching approaches, and improve infrastructures.”

President Lai also hoped that the signing ceremony will enlighten and pave ways of developing the goals to reach the desired levels of internationalization of the universities.

On behalf of University of Chicago, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives David Greene specially expressed his appreciation for the hospitality provided by National Cheng Kung University, “We have begun discussing the partnership with the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, since this March. Without the hard work and good will of many people, especially the great efforts of NCKU Senior Executive Vice-President Da-Hsuan Feng, a model of persistence and diplomacy from beginning to end, the cooperation would not be possible.”

Vice President for Strategic Initiatives David Greene stated, “University of Chicago is proud to play an important role in the education of some of the great academic, political and business leaders from Taiwan and to have students from Taiwan to study at University of Chicago, allowing them to use their knowledge in the world, such as scientific discovery or public policy. Also, we have many people from Taiwan in the faculties of University of Chicago who have made a difference.”

Vice President for Strategic Initiatives David Greene stressed, “The cooperation program will act as a catalyst for great collaborations between University of Chicago and universities in Taiwan which will continue to expand in the future. I hope it is just the beginning of a strong and important relationship over time.”

Jow-Fei Ho, Director General of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, expressed, “The University of Chicago is an internationally renowned university and a highly prestigious university in the U.S. In fields such as economics and social sciences, it has outstanding alumni in every field, including 85 Nobel Prizes winners, 2 Turing Award winners, 12 National medal of Science winners, and more than 60 fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine as its current professors. In terms of education, research development and nurturing of talents, the University of Chicago has much that universities in Taiwan can learn from, having educated many outstanding talents for Taiwan.”

Director General Jow-Fei Ho also mentioned, “Currently, the University of Chicago has 2 cooperation and exchange agreements with National Taiwan University and academic exchanges with National Cheng Kung University. In order to provide young people in Taiwan with international perspectives and opportunities, and also to elevate the quality and visibility of higher education in Taiwan, the Ministry of Education have initiated the cooperation activity, which combines top universities in Taiwan to select the best talents to carry on plans of talent cultivation and academic cooperation with the University of Chicago in humanities and social sciences.”

Director General Jow-Fei Ho believed, “With this comprehensive cooperation plan, it is estimated that the strongest international research team in ‘humanities and social sciences’ can be assembled through the exchange of educational and cultivation experiences, and the academic cooperation of outstanding researchers on both sides. With this memorandum, the cooperation on both sides can grow more comprehensive to strengthen the research efforts of both sides, thus achieving a win-win situation.”

On behalf of Taiwan Top Universities Alliance, consisting of 15 national top universities, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lao has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Vice-President David Greene of University of Chicago, under the witness of Director General Jow-Fei Ho of Department of Higher Education and Director General Tony W. T. Lin of Bureau of International Cultural and Educational Relations, Ministry of Education, Taiwan.

Representatives from other national universities, including Associate Dean for Research and Development Pei-Zen Chang of National Taiwan University, Executive Director Chih-Pin Huang of ATU Office, National Chiao Tung University, Dean Wei-Chung Wang of Office of International Affairs, National Ching Hua University, Dean Jacob Chih-Ching Huang of Office of Research and Development, National Sun Yat-sen University, Vice President Andrey Chien-Song Chyang of Chung Yuan Christian University, Vice-President Gin-Rong Liu of National Central University, Vice-President Ching-Fong Chang of National Taiwan Ocean University, Vice President Wan-Jr Syu of National Yang Ming University, have also witnessed the signing.

In addition, Senior Executive Vice-President Hwung-Hweng Hwung, Senior Executive Vice-President Da-Hsuan Feng, Vice-President for Academic Affairs Ming-Jer Tang, Vice-President for International Affairs H. Jenny Su, Director of NCKU Museum Hong-Sen Yan, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Chung-Hsiung Lai, Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Yon-Hua Tzeng and Vice Dean of the College of Medicine Jiun-Jong Wu from National Cheng Kung University have attended the ceremony.
Provider: 新聞中心
Date: 99-12-20
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