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

【Translated with the assistance of Google Gemini】

【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) series】 

2025-12-09 National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) held the "2025 Asia Virtual Academy (AVA) International Conference" on the 8th. Themed "STEM & the Social Sciences: Bridging Diverse Disciplines for a Sustainable Future," the conference brought together scholars from partner universities in South Korea, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, alongside industry representatives from ASE Technology Holding. The discussions spanned semiconductors, artificial intelligence, smart cities, and agricultural net-zero emissions, demonstrating NUK’s continuous deepening of interdisciplinary education and international cooperation.

NUK President Chen Chi-Jen stated in his opening remarks that the "Asia Virtual Academy (AVA)," driven by the Office of International Affairs (OIA), has connected numerous partner universities in India, Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan since its establishment in 2021. Through lectures and seminars, it has gradually evolved into a vital international exchange platform in the Asia-Pacific region. This year's forum invited speakers from various countries to share research results in technology and social sciences, highlighting the criticality of interdisciplinary knowledge in sustainability issues. He expressed gratitude to ASE Technology Holding and all speakers for their participation, affirming the value of industry-academia collaboration, and thanked the OIA team for their coordination.

Dean of International Affairs Lin Hsing-Ju noted that the AVA aims to establish a cross-border learning network for knowledge flow through joint courses, international lectures, and research collaboration. With sustainability and interdisciplinary integration at its core, this forum allowed scholars and industry representatives to provide diverse perspectives from technology, social sciences, and industrial practice. She pointed out that the OIA will continue to deepen connections with partner universities and promote transnational curricula and joint research to expand NUK’s influence in internationalization and sustainable education.

Furthermore, Vice President Wu Hsing-Hao served as the moderator for the panel discussions. As a key promoter and founding planner of the Asia Virtual Academy during his tenure as Dean of International Affairs, Vice President Wu helped build the transnational network that laid the foundation for the AVA platform. His moderation facilitated interdisciplinary exchange among speakers on topics ranging from technology to sustainable governance, making the forum discussions more focused and comprehensive.

This year's AVA gathered partner institutions including Hanbat National University (Korea), Institute of Aeronautical Engineering (India), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and Nong Lam University – Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), as well as representatives from ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.

During the keynote sessions, NUK Dean of Research and Development Wu Song-Mao used Taiwan's semiconductor industry as an example to analyze how a complete supply chain—from wafer fabrication and packaging/testing to system integration—shapes Taiwan's key position in the global industry. He noted that advanced processes will integrate more deeply with AI and smart systems, making interdisciplinary capability an essential foundation for promoting sustainable technology. Director Tsay Gwo-Tsong and Manager Lin Meng-Hui from the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer at ASE Technology Holding shared corporate practices in sustainable semiconductor manufacturing and ESG initiatives, demonstrating the industry's crucial role in integrating sustainability with technology.

Speakers from partner universities also shared interdisciplinary research from various perspectives:

• Dr. Ki-Seok Kwon (Vice President, Hanbat National University, Korea) discussed technology governance and the University-Industry-Government (U-I-G) collaboration model.
• Dr. B. Padmaja (Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, India) spoke on the social applications and ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
• Director Fernando F. Estingor (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) focused on smart cities and public services.
• Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy (Nong Lam University – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) shared insights on agricultural net-zero emissions and climate adaptation technologies.

These diverse contributions showcased the forum's transnational and interdisciplinary outlook on sustainability issues.

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