NUK President Chi-Jen Chen Visits South Korea to Expand Academic Ties and Speak at Global Education Innovation Symposium
【Text and Photos by: Yuan-Ju Hsu , Office of International Affairs】
【Translator：Siou-Yao Han】
【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) series】
2025-12-23 President Chi-Jen Chen of National University of Kaohsiung (NUK), accompanied by Director of International Affairs Hsing Ju Lin, led a delegation to South Korea from December 14 to 18, 2025. The delegation attended the 3rd Global Education Innovation Symposium, hosted by NUK’s sister university, Hanbat National University, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international academic collaboration.
Invited as a keynote speaker, President Chen delivered a featured address entitled “Building a Semiconductor Talent Ecosystem in Southern Taiwan: How Universities Can Lead Innovation and Industry Collaboration.” In his speech, he shared Kaohsiung City’s strategic approach and NUK’s practical experience in supporting the development of the semiconductor industry, with a particular focus on higher education’s role in cultivating industry-ready talent.
President Chen emphasized that universities play a pivotal role within the high-tech industrial ecosystem—not only by educating skilled professionals, but also by serving as critical platforms that connect government policy, academic research, and industrial innovation.
During the visit, the NUK delegation also held meetings with the president and senior administrators of Hanbat National University. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on future collaboration and reached a preliminary consensus on co-hosting “Twin City Forums,” an international symposium series. The forums are expected to focus on semiconductor-driven and high-tech-led urban transformation, linking the governance and industrial development experiences of Daejeon and Kaohsiung, with the goal of fostering long-term collaboration between Taiwanese and Korean cities and academic institutions.
In addition, the delegation visited Ewha Womans University, where Director Hsing Ju Lin formally invited the university to join the Asia Virtual Academy (AVA). The initiative aims to jointly promote diverse international academic exchange and cooperation programs. The two institutions also arranged meetings with the Department of Architecture at Ewha Womans University to discuss potential collaborations, including joint international workshops, faculty and student exchanges, and cross-institutional teaching models. Through practice-oriented teaching and research activities, both sides hope to deepen cooperation on architectural and urban studies.
President Chen noted that the visit not only strengthened substantive partnerships with Korean sister and partner universities, but also demonstrated NUK’s proactive engagement in semiconductor talent development, industry–academia collaboration, and global networking. Looking ahead, NUK will continue to advance cross-border academic exchanges and city-level cooperation, further enhancing Kaohsiung’s visibility within global networks of high-tech innovation and education.
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