President Susumu Satomi and President Mau-Chung Frank Chang unveil the commemorative plaque
Tohoku University has established its 13th Overseas Liaison Office at one of Taiwan’s leading universities, National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), which is based in Hsinchu City. The Liaison Office will encourage further exchange between the two universities. Underlining the importance of the agreement, the ten-member party from Tohoku University included President Susumu Satomi, Executive Vice President Toshiya Ueki, Director of the Institute of Fluid Science Shigeru Obayashi, and Motoko Kotani, Director of the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR).
Tohoku University and NCTU already have a shared history of outstanding research achievements in microelectronics and advanced devices stemming from the establishment of an Academic Exchange Agreement between the two universities in December 2005. Recent collaborative work between Professor Yiming Li of NCTU and Professor Seiji Samukawa of Tohoku University’s Institute of Fluid Science has produced remarkable results in the development of quantum dot devices and the most advanced transistors. The Liaison Office will naturally act to strengthen collaboration in this field, but will also initiate cooperation in other research fields and in student exchange.
The signing ceremony was held on the morning of May 4, where Tohoku University President Susumu Satomi and NCTU President Mau-Chung Frank Chang expressed their delight at the opening of the liaison office. The representatives of both universities then received the congratulations of Guan-Chau Huang, Deputy Educational Counselor, Department of International and Cross-strait Education, Ministry of Education, Taiwan and of Masayo Shiozawa, Director, Cultural Affairs, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Taipei Office. The ceremony was followed by a fruitful exchange of opinions on the possibilities offered by the Liaison Office, such as the implementation of double degree programs, joint laboratories, and collaboration in biomedical engineering. That afternoon, a workshop was held in the fields of nanotechnology and semiconductors with ten researchers from both schools engaging in presentations and discussion on their work.
President Satomi and Executive Vice President Ueki also visited the neighboring Science Park, where they observed the goings on at the National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) and the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC). At the NDL they learned about how NCTU works closely with its industrial partners and then at the NSRRC, its director Shangjr Gwo explained the background of how the center was established and how it currently operates. Tohoku University is committed to greater industry-academic cooperation, and President Satomi and EVP Ueki were suitably enthused by how the university and science park work to each other’s mutual benefit.
