Peking University, May 17, 2011: One top university alone creates academic achievements while two top universities together prompt academic excellence.
On May 13, a delegation of 21 representatives led by President Zhou Qifeng of Peking University (PKU) visited Cheng Kung University (NCKU) to celebrate the signed agreement between the Engineering Colleges of the two universities and to envision the prospect of future collaborations.
In the meeting, NCKU President Hwung Hwung-hweng praised PKU for its remarkable academic achievements and for its cultivation of talents and notables who have brought about transformations. NCKU, as a top university in Taiwan, has excelled especially in the field of engineering, which according to ESI now ranks the 14th place in the world. Substantial collaborations between NCKU and PKU will benefit both universities. President Hwung also invited the PKU delegation for a longer return visit so as to better appreciate the elite culture of NCKU.
President Hwung and President Zhou (File photo)
In response, President Zhou Qifeng promised that PKU’s next visit to Taiwan shall begin with the stop at NCKU. “I have been to NCKU twice for academic interests. This is the first time that I paid an official visit with my administrative delegation,” said President Zhou. “PKU has been renowned for its accomplishments in the humanities and social sciences education, but we now aim to develop engineering and medical fields, both being the strength of NCKU. Cooperation can be established on these grounds.”
The meeting also acknowledged the agreements signed by the engineering colleges of NCKU and PKU on May 12, which adds five engineering students to the number of exchange students between the two universities. Feasible projects also include summer and winter exchange visits, graduate students workshops, as well as faculty exchange. The first event in sight is the biomedical workshop scheduled to be held at NCKU in August 2011. In the future, the two engineering colleges will take turns to host an annual cross-strait resource engineering conference.
“I believe the cooperation will make a landmark in terms of the educational and academic cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan,” commented President Hwung.
Noteworthy to mention, NCKU has been funded the second time for the “5 Year, 50 Billion” project, while PKU has been funded for the "Project 985" since its centennial. As both projects aim to uplift the universities’ global influence, the two presidents have good faith in the future outlook that the two universities will realize.
After the meeting, the PKU delegation visited the NCKU Museum, which NCKU Vice President Yan Hong-sen introduced as comprised of 32 archives of different scales on campus. Current exhibitions include that of Su Xue-lin, a pioneer woman writer of the May Fourth Movement, and that of Wang Zhu, the first-generation engineer of Boeing, who initiated the aircraft technology transfer to China in 1929.
Extended Reading:
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Edited by: Arthars
Source: Centredaily.com