Tag: National Taiwan University

Universities are increasingly expected to create environments where local campus life and global engagement intersect, giving students opportunities to experience international collaboration as part of their everyday academic journey.

At National Taiwan University, the annual Azalea Festival provides one such setting. As spring arrives, the blooming azaleas mark a period when academic exchange, institutional partnerships and student activity converge across campus. The 2026 festival, themed “Echoes of Ancient Waterways, Azaleas in Youthful Bloom,” reflects both NTU’s heritage and the energy of its student community.

This year’s event also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the National Taiwan University System. Joint exhibitions with National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology highlight ongoing efforts to strengthen cross-campus collaboration and resource integration within the system.

Alongside the festival, NTU hosted a Fulbright International Education Administrators delegation in March, welcoming representatives from 16 U.S. institutions, including Rice University and Pennsylvania State University. Through a series of discussions, participants explored opportunities for collaboration in global research, as well as programmes such as the International Mentorship Program and the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program.

Together, these activities demonstrate how campus-based events can support both community engagement and international dialogue. By bringing local traditions and global partnerships into the same space, initiatives such as the Azalea Festival illustrate how universities are creating more connected academic environments that link student experience with global collaboration.

NTU Spotlight: https://www.ntu.edu.tw/spotlight/2026/2463_20260319.html

As global challenges such as migration, inequality and sustainable development become more complex, universities are increasingly exploring how students can engage directly with real-world issues through international and cross-sector collaboration.

At National Taiwan University, the NTU iNGO Academy brings together students, non-governmental organisations and external partners to create a platform for applied learning in the social impact sector. Now in its fourth year, the programme has welcomed 30 students from nine countries, working alongside 22 partner organisations in a 13-week training and internship experience.

The Academy has expanded to include a wider network of collaborators, including igoodpoint, TÜV Rheinland Taiwan, Impact Hub Taipei, the Taipei City Government Department for Youth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Taiwan), and Taiwan Plus. Through these partnerships, the programme connects academic learning with diverse professional contexts, supporting engagement with public issues across sectors.

The curriculum combines structured training with practical experience. Participants complete more than 150 internship hours while developing skills in issue research, communication, impact measurement and strategy. The opening session featured remarks from Associate Vice President for International Affairs Professor Jiun-Haw Lee, who emphasised that global engagement carries responsibility. Jessie Chan, Special Appointed Consultant to the iNGO Academy and former Asia-Pacific Brand General Manager of L’Oréal, encouraged students to approach the programme with professionalism and resilience.

The first training course, “Issue Research and Communication,” led by Chunyuan Hu of Refugee 101 Taiwan, introduced students to case studies on asylum systems and refugee experiences. Through these discussions, participants examined the relationship between policy and lived experience, and how research and communication shape public understanding.

The programme also includes regional study visits in Taichung and Hsinchu, as well as opportunities to join the NTU Overseas Traineeship in Awaji Island, Japan, and Kathmandu, Nepal. These experiences allow students to engage with local revitalisation and social innovation initiatives across different cultural contexts.

Together, these elements illustrate how universities can integrate academic study with international NGO engagement and cross-sector collaboration. By bringing students, organisations and partners into a shared framework, the NTU iNGO Academy demonstrates how higher education can support the development of skills and perspectives needed to contribute to global challenges

As the global job market evolves, universities are increasingly expected to help students navigate the transition from academic study to professional practice. At National Taiwan University, new approaches to career development are focusing on how students build the skills needed for an unpredictable and internationally connected workplace.

In 2025, NTU’s Career Center received a Bronze Award for Best Competencies and Skill Development at the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards for its “Empowering Future Talent” program. The initiative focuses on strengthening the link between university education and employment through closer collaboration with industry partners.

Rather than relying solely on traditional career counselling, the programme connects students with global enterprises through an integrated ecosystem of industry–academia partnerships. Through interdisciplinary workshops, participants develop core competencies such as problem-solving and cross-cultural leadership—skills increasingly seen as essential for navigating complex and diverse professional environments.

The program reflects a broader shift in how universities support students’ long-term professional development. By integrating industry engagement with skills training, initiatives like “Empowering Future Talent” illustrate how higher education institutions are exploring new ways to prepare students for global careers.

https://ntubeats.ntu.edu.tw/enews/013/04.html

National Taiwan University (NTU) hosted 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate Prof. James E. Rothman and renowned neuroscientist Prof. Joy Hirsch from Yale University on November 5 as part of the “NTU Raymond Soong Chair Professorship of Distinguished Research” They delivered keynote lectures and joined a panel discussion, engaging NTU faculty and students in an enriching day of scientific exchange.

Prof. Rothman, known for uncovering the molecular mechanism of intracellular vesicle transport—often called the “logistics of life”—shared new findings on how synaptic vesicle fusion enables extremely rapid neurotransmission. Prof. Hirsch presented her pioneering hyperscanning research that reveals how the human brain behaves differently during real social interaction, aiming to build neuro-inspired models for human–machine communication.

During the dialogue session, both scholars encouraged young researchers to embrace challenges, maintain passion, and pursue curiosity-driven inquiry. Their visit highlights NTU’s commitment to fostering global academic connections and advancing scientific excellence through interactions with world-leading researchers.

https://www.ntu.edu.tw/spotlight/2025/2434_20251126.html

National Taiwan University (NTU) Biomedical Engineering distinguished professor Dr. Yang Tai-Hung, also Director of the Life Sciences Development Division at the National Science and Technology Council, received the 32nd TECO Award in the Biomedical/Agricultural field. The award recognizes his innovative work on polycaprolactone membranes for reparable pneumothorax, which are both effective and safe for high-risk medical applications, as well as his development of a simple and efficient system for capturing circulating tumor cells, advancing precision medicine technologies.

Dr. Yang expressed deep gratitude to his family, especially his parents, whose unwavering support and love gave him the courage to pursue his research ambitions. He emphasized that their encouragement has been a constant source of motivation throughout his solitary research journey.

He also acknowledged his mentors and over 80 graduate students, highlighting that their guidance and teamwork have been essential to his achievements. Dr. Yang noted that facing challenges with dedication and a commitment to truth allowed him to advance in his field and reach new academic heights.

https://sec.ntu.edu.tw/epaper/article.asp?num=1670&sn=39639

Researchers at National Taiwan University (NTU) have developed a new perovskite photocatalyst that integrates molecular chirality and electron spin effects to drive artificial photosynthesis. The material efficiently converts carbon dioxide into useful fuels using sunlight, offering a promising route for clean energy technologies.

The team successfully engineered left- and right-handed chiral structures within perovskite crystals, discovering that chirality induces spin polarization and enhances charge separation. This leads to higher reaction selectivity and efficiency, opening a new direction in the design of chiral optoelectronic and green catalytic materials. The breakthrough highlights the critical role of spin-controlled chemistry in solar-energy conversion.

Led by NTU Distinguished Professor Chun-Wei Chen from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the NTU-MST program, the collaboration included National Taiwan Normal University, the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, National Pingtung University, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The findings were published on the cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS):

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.5c11357

https://sec.ntu.edu.tw/epaper/article.asp?num=1668&sn=39618

National Taiwan University (NTU) has long prioritized building a resilient campus as part of its social responsibility, aiming to ensure a safe and sustainable environment for learning and research while strengthening its capacity to respond to extreme weather, earthquakes, and other emergencies. Through the multi-year Resilient Campus Project, NTU has progressively enhanced disaster preparedness and institutional response capabilities.

To strengthen campus-wide skills, NTU launched a Disaster Prevention Specialist Training Program, inviting professional instructors to equip faculty, staff, and students with practical disaster-response knowledge. This initiative improves readiness and will be expanded in the coming years to further enhance institutional resilience.

To foster leadership awareness of disaster risks, NTU invited Secretary General Li Wei-Sen of the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction to deliver a keynote at the December 31 administrative meeting. His talk, titled “Campus Disaster Preparedness from a Business Continuity Perspective,” provided insights into both domestic and international risk management practices, enabling university leaders to refine response strategies and further strengthen overall campus resilience.

https://sustainable.ntu.edu.tw/uploads/files/shares/USR-Report/NTU%202024%20USR%20Report%20(EN).pdf

The National Taiwan University (NTU) plant and animal medical team, spanning multiple departments in the College of Bioresources and Agriculture, has long partnered with Yunlin County to support local farms. By providing on-site diagnosis and consultation across 20 townships, the plant hospital helped farmers manage approximately 111 hectares of farmland, which led to an estimated NT$12.59 million in added value according to agricultural data and Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis.

The veterinary team’s interventions—including lectures, workshops, mobile diagnoses, and economic animal dissections—improved pig growth and health, thereby enhancing food safety and increasing economic benefits for local farmers. Over the year, the team completed 8,836 cases of serology, molecular biology, and pathological diagnoses, directly strengthening farm productivity and livestock welfare.

Because NTU’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Center in Yunlin provided free precision diagnostics, biosecurity guidance, and vaccination planning, farmers were able to adopt better practices. Collaborating with young farmers and the county’s only HACCP-compliant slaughterhouse enabled full cold-chain processing, which reduced transport costs and greenhouse gas emissions, stabilized pork supply and quality, and fostered a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem in Yunlin.

https://sustainable.ntu.edu.tw/uploads/files/shares/USR-Report/NTU%202024%20USR%20Report%20(EN).pdf

Professor Chen-Hao Kuo of National Taiwan University (NTU) ’s Center for Carbon Exploration Technologies collaborated with Professor Ken Tsuji from the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering to study supercritical geothermal systems in Japan’s Kyushu volcanic region. Their findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment, mark a milestone in Taiwan–Japan collaboration. The team used advanced seismic reflection imaging and AI-powered data analysis developed in Taiwan to visualize the three-dimensional structure beneath volcanoes, revealing how supercritical fluids are trapped, migrate, and trigger microseismic activity.

The study identified impermeable rock layers that seal supercritical fluids at depths of 2–3 km, while fault zones act as “permeable windows” for fluid escape. Professor Kuo emphasized that monitoring is crucial for early warning systems. This breakthrough demonstrates how integrating AI with seismic exploration can overcome traditional limitations, offering new possibilities for geothermal development, disaster prevention, and renewable energy innovation.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02774-4