The National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) since 1987 has established a partnership with the Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) that now opens a new chapter. TU Darmstadt launched its first Asian liaison office in Taiwan at NCKU on May 21st, 2019.

"This solid partnership between NCKU and TU Darmstadt has been in place for over 30 years, and will continue to grow," said the President of NCKU, Prof. Huey-Jen Jenny Su, in her welcoming address at the opening ceremony of the liaison office. 

"This partnership was initiated in 1987 by our former President, Dr. Xia Han Min, who was also the key founder of the NCKU Medical Center. This center has played a great part of in the history of how NCKU has become a top-tier university in Taiwan. Dr. Xia signed a memorandum of understanding with TU Darmstadt, aiming to develop joint curricula and research collaborations. This has been a glorious path for us." 

"Today we are looking at the past and the future of this partnership, which has created an increasing momentum, and a great opportunity to more fully engage the cooperation path between NCKU and TU Darmstadt," said President Su. 

Following another MoU on academic collaboration and an exchange agreement in 2011, and TCUS & TU9 alliance programs from 2015 onwards, over 50 total students from both universities have taken part in this international exchange program. 

"We are very proud to announce the opening of our first Asian liaison office in Taiwan at NCKU," said Prof. Hans Jürgen Prӧmel, the President of TU Darmstadt. "NCKU has been our first, and the most preferred, international university partner. The opening of our first Asian liaison office in Taiwan at NCKU has achieved a new level of partnership, and also will allow the exploration of new areas of cooperation for TU Darmstadt and NCKU. We are looking forward to the next 30 years of a close and trusting partnership." Prof. Prӧmel also express his gratitude to President Su and the NCKU team.

The ceremony on May 21th was also attended by Dr. Thomas Prinz, the Director General of the German Institute Taipei; Mr. Jan Hollmann, the Managing Director of Bosch Taiwan (an industry partner of NCKU), Dr. Josef Goldberger, Director of the Information Center Taipei of the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service, Mrs. Regina Sonntag-Krupp, Dean of International Affairs of TU Darmstadt, and Prof. Hsiao-Wen Wang, Vice President for International Affairs of NCKU. 

The TU Darmstadt Asian liaison office will be led by Dr. Isabelle Harbrecht, “as a direct link to TU Darmstadt and Germany,” said President Prӧmel. This office is located on the 7th floor of Yun-Ping Administration Building, East Wing of the NCKU Kuang-Fu Campus. 
(End item:Wu Ming Chun)