【Text and Photos: Yuan-Ju Hsu, Office of International Affairs; Edited by: Public Affairs Section】

【Translated with the assistance of Google Gemini】

【United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Promotion Series】
 

2026-07-07 Deepening Taiwan-Japan cooperation, National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) partnered with the Kaohsiung City Government on a delegation led by President Chen Chi-Ren to visit Kumamoto, Japan. Together with Kumamoto University and local government authorities, NUK advocated the organization of the Kaohsiung–Kumamoto Twin Cities Forum. The initiative aims to expand inter-university exchanges into broader collaboration across education, technology, industry, and city governance, establishing a forward-looking mechanism for Taiwan-Japan cooperation.

The visit took place from June 28 to July 1, with Vice President Wu Hsing-Hao, Dean of International Affairs Lin Hsing-Ru, and Library and Information Center Director Wang Cheng-Hong accompanying President Chen. Representatives from the Kaohsiung City Government's Secretariat, Office of International Affairs, and Education Bureau also participated, demonstrating a new model of university-local government collaboration in promoting international partnership. President Chen stated that higher education today carries the responsibility not only of nurturing talent, but also serving as a vital force connecting local communities, industries, and international networks. In recent years, NUK has continuously deepened its international partnerships, leveraging the university's public role to connect educational, urban, and industrial resources. This approach aims to extend international exchange beyond institutional boundaries into cross-domain collaboration, addressing global challenges such as talent cultivation, technological development, and sustainable governance.

This visit built upon the foundation laid during the Kumamoto City Board of Education's visit to NUK in May this year, further deepening dialogue on educational cooperation, talent cultivation, and urban development to broaden the scope of collaboration.

Educational technology was a key focus of this exchange. Under the Ministry of Education's "Immersive Technology Literacy-Oriented Project," Director Wang Cheng-Hong's team independently developed the "EWova Immersive Educational Platform." Integrating VR and real-time AI translation technologies, the platform promotes cross-border co-learning and digital education. By partnering with the Kaohsiung Education Bureau, Kumamoto City Board of Education, and primary and secondary schools in both Taiwan and Japan, the program connects students with local cultures from Qishan, Kaohsiung, and Kumamoto. In immersive learning environments, students cultivate cross-cultural understanding, technological literacy, and international perspectives—delivering tangible achievements in Taiwan-Japan educational collaboration.

The delegation visited Kumamoto City ICT Education Center and Kumamoto Municipal Johoku Elementary School to study Japan's experience in smart campuses and digital learning initiatives. They also met with Hiroji Endo, Superintendent of the Kumamoto City Board of Education, and visited Hitsuyukan High School to exchange views on smart education, international recruitment, teacher professional development, and student-teacher exchange programs.

In addition to reviewing years of sister-university achievements, NUK and Kumamoto University jointly planned to host the "Kaohsiung–Kumamoto Twin Cities Forum" in 2027. The forum plans to bring together representatives from Kaohsiung City, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and industry, government, academic, and research sectors. It will focus on topics such as semiconductors and high-tech industries, artificial intelligence, disaster resilience, and sustainable urban governance. By leveraging universities as bridges for cross-domain collaboration, the forum aims to foster knowledge exchange, talent cultivation, and shared urban governance experience, establishing a new model for Taiwan-Japan local cooperation.

During the trip, the delegation also met with Kumamoto Deputy Mayor Yoshikazu Okada and officials from the Kumamoto Prefectural Government's International and Kumamon Bureau to exchange views on forum planning and future cooperation. Based on the framework of "Two Universities, Two Cities," the initiative aims to progressively expand exchanges across education, culture, technology, and industry, advancing the partnership between Kaohsiung and Kumamoto from university level to city level and injecting new momentum into Taiwan-Japan local collaboration.

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