To mark the first anniversary of signing the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Shishu University (situated in Nagano Prefecture) and National Chi Nan University, an online roundtable exchange between the two sister-schools was held on the 23th of September, 2020. Our president, Professor Yuhlong Oliver Su, and president of Shinshu University, Dr Kunihiro Hamada, led respective vice-presidents, faculty and administrative staff in attending the event. During the session, past exchange events were reviewed, materials and topics for online exchange under the COVID-19 pandemic were proposed, and exchange programs for adaptable intelligent humanities to develop problem-solving talents were discussed.
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 Online roundtable exchange on 23.09.2020 |
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Exchange between NCNU and Shinshu University began in 2018. Through the introduction of Professor Wu-Hsun Yang from the Department of International and Comparative Education, Vice-president Ta-Shu Chiang led faculty and administrative members of the Research Center for Humanities Innovation and Social Practice, College of Management, College of Science and Technology, College of Education, College of Humanities and Center for General Education on a visit to Shinshu University, expressing the intention of establishing international exchange.
Taken in front of Shinshu University library in 2018
In 2019, during the Taiwan-Japan University Alliance of Local Revitalization and Social Practice (Taiwan-Japan Alliance) jointly organized by the Humanity Innovation and Social Practice (HISP) and Minister of Education University Social Responsibility (USR) program head office, the president of Shinshu University, Dr Hamada appointed special assistant, Professor Yasuto Hayashi, as representative. During relevant research forums, education workshops, alliance preparation conferences and other events, he shared Shishu University’s processes and experiences in promoting the COC+ project. He was received by our university during his visit to Taiwan.
From 25th – 29th August, 2019, the convener of Taiwan-Japan Alliance, Professor Dung-Sheng Chen (representing HISP) and Professor Wen-Hong Liu (representing USR) visited Japan. During the trip, they illustrated the significance of forming the Taiwan-Japan Alliance to the presidents of Shinshu University and Kochi University. They also established a foundation for the Taiwan-Japan Alliance by developing the organization of a many-to-many teaching and research network on the basis of school-to-school MoU.
After more than a year’s collaboration, exchange visits and discussion of visions for the future, the two universities signed an MoU at the end of September, 2019. Following that, Shinshu University Vice-president Soichiro Nakamura and Professor Yasuto Hayashi visited NCNU on 29th of November. After discussion with members from the Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs, Research Center for Humanities Innovation and Social Practice, Center for General Education, College of Science and Technology USR and College of Management USR, the topics of exchange were preliminary set as “Science, technology and education on disaster prevention” and “local branding.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, although research and social group exchange activities were unable to be carried out, this has given the two universities ample time in consolidating internal resources for exchange. In addition, during the first anniversary of the two sister-schools’ roundtable exchange, five major topics of collaboration for classes were proposed. These include: “Local branding and rural tourism,” “Nutrition and care for the elderly,” “River basin disaster prevention education,” “Nurturing innovation talents” and “Adaptable research and planning proposals for the discovery and resolution of socio-economic resource problems in society.” It has been established that the last topic will be conducted by Associate Professor Lieu-Hen Chen of the Department of Information Engineering and his research team, who will hold initial online student exchange sessions. A brief description of the discussion content will be presented later.
The first preparation meeting for Taiwan-Japan Alliance in May, 2019
Professor Yasuto Hayashi played a crucial bridging role in the collaboration between NCNU and Shinshu University
Meeting in Shinshu University on 26.08.2019
The International Affair Office plays an important role in the signing of sister schools
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 Vice-president Soichiro Nakamura visited NCNU on 29.11.2019 |
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Professor. Shotaro Maruhashi, Director of Research for the Center for Social Systems at Shinshu University, mentioned that the center’s program took economic data from the local residents of the Karuizawa area in Nagano Prefecture as its basis, to develop an AI industrial park of international quality. Therefore, he hopes that with a certain foundation in place, the two universities can in the future attempt to together utilize AI techniques to discover socio-economic problems that have arisen in areas with decreasing local populations, in addition to designing methods to resolve these problems and business models that can be industrialized.
Professor Shotaro Maruhashi, Director of Research for the Center for Social Systems at Shinshu University
Corresponding to this discussion, Professor Chien-Liang Chen, Dean of the College of Management at National Chi Nan University, pointed out that in Taiwan’s National Development Council policy for local innovation, attempts are being made to build a foundational database similar to Japan’s Regional Economic Society Analyzing System (RESAS), and there are plans for a Taiwanese system of analysis for economic societies named the Taiwan Economic Society Analysis System (TESAS). He hopes that under this kind of framework, through both parties collaborating and sending students on learning exchanges, progress can be made in the completion of the database, and applied data resources that aid in the deepening of local innovation can be developed.
Following the increasing focus of the discussions, Director Maruhashi suggested that in the future a monthly research meeting should be held. Pioneered by the team at the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Chi Nan University, an online exchange between Taiwanese and Japanese students in English could take place in October or November.
Discussion on five major collaboration in classes on 23.9.2020 |
Details of the inter-disciplinary collaboration discussed at National Chi Nan University |
Roundtable list of attendees:
Shinshu University (9 attendees): President Dr Kunihiro Hamada, Vice-president Yoshinao Hirano (Academic and Student Affairs), Vice-president Soichiro Nakamura (Student Affairs and Industry Liaison office), vice-president Kiyoshi Tanaka (Intonation exchange), Director Shotaro Maruhashi (Research for the Center for Social Systems), Professor Yasuto Hayashi (Manager of Industry Liaison office), Assistant Professor Tatsuo Katsumata (Career Center), Lecturer Po-Tsang Wu (Faculty of Economics and Law), Toa Fukase (student at Faculty of Economics and Law)
National Chi Nan University (16 attendees): President Yuhlong Oliver Su, Academic Vice-president Ta-Shu Chiang (Dean of Academic Affairs), Administrative Vice-president Tung-Wen Sun (Dean of International Affairs), Lieu-Hen Chen (Office of International Affairs unit leader), Ying-Chieh Chen (Office of International Affairs), Yi-Chen Lin (Office of International Affairs), Wen-Yu Tseng (Office of International Affairs). Professor Chien-Liang Chen (Dean of the College of Management), Assistant Professor Li-Ya Jhang (Center for General Education), Assistant Professor Bobson Tsai (Department of Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management), Assistant Professor Ching-Ying Tung (Department of Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management). En-Xin Li (Department of Economics), Ying-Ju Chen (Department of Economics), Chia-Yi Lin (Department of Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management), Bo-Ju Chen (Department of International Business Studies), Ayuka Katayama (Department of International and Comparative Education).
