The 2023 Taiwan-Japan University Presidents’ Forum, themed “Fostering Next-gen Talent: The Capacity-building Roadmap for Higher Education,” took place at National Chi Nan University on July 25. Approximately 130 participants from nearly 80 higher education institutions in Taiwan and Japan discussed fostering technology talents and interdisciplinary research collaborations.

This biannual forum has been the premier higher education exchange platform between Taiwan and Japan since 2016, co-organized by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) and the Japan Committee of Universities for International Exchange (JACUIE). The in-person meeting was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic. An online forum was conducted in 2021, and the in-person meeting resumed this year, the third one in the forum’s history. JACUIE Vice President TANIOKA Ichiro led the Japanese delegation that consisted of representatives from renowned universities such as Tokyo Institute of Technology, Osaka University, and the University of Tsukuba. The delegation was given a warm welcome in Taiwan.

Dr. Yen-Yi Lee, Director General of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE), gave an opening speech in the forum. Per MOE statistics, Japan is a favored study destination for Taiwanese students. Similarly, Taiwan also attracts a sizable Japanese student population, with a current count of 6,539. Among these, more than 3,000 Japanese students have chosen to enroll in Mandarin learning programs, reinforcing Japan's status as one of the top three nations for Mandarin studies in Taiwan. Through education and research collaborations, it is believed that the partnership between Taiwan and Japan will continue to grow, leading to more collaboration in higher education. 

Mr. IZUMI Hiroyasu, Chief Representative of the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association, welcomed the attendees from Taiwan and Japan through a pre-recorded address. The relationship between Japan and Taiwan has reached an unprecedented high since the establishment of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association over fifty years ago. The multifaceted exchange between the two countries, active for more than seventy years, has provided over 3,100 Taiwanese students with Japanese scholarships. The outstanding professionals who the two countries have jointly fostered have made significant contributions in various fields, strengthening the bond and friendship between the two countries.

Prof. Huey-Jen Su, Advisor to FICHET, gave a keynote speech, which was followed by four panel discussions. The first session was on “Developing Highly Specialized Talent for Leading Advanced Science and Technology." by Prof. Otani Jun, Executive Vice President of Kumamoto University, and Prof. Jia-Yush Yen, President of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. In the second session, Prof. Ingrid Liu, President of Tzu Chi University, and Prof. NASU Yasutomo, President of Okayama University, talked about " Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Higher Education.” The third session saw Prof. MORISHITA Tetsuro, Vice President of Sophia University, and Prof. Shih-Torng Ding, Executive Vice President of National Taiwan University, in a dialogue about "Global Talent Attractiveness: New Opportunities and Prospects.” In the fourth session, Prof. Tsai-Yen Li, President of National Chengchi University, and Prof. KAWABATA Hiroaki, Vice President of Aichi Prefectural University, exchanged their views on "Cross-disciplinary Research & Academic Collaboration.” 

Through this networking platform, it is expected that more educational collaboration projects will materialize, encouraging increased exchange between Taiwanese and Japanese students and promoting mutual development in higher education.