Kyushu University

History

Kyushu University (abbreviated as Kyudai) is one of the top research-oriented national universities in Japan. Founded in 1903, Kyudai has also been selected as a Top Type university of Top Global University Project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan (MEXT). Home to nearly 18,000 students, 2,000 academic faculty members and 2,300 international students, Kyudai consists of 12 undergraduate schools, 18 graduate schools and 5 research institutes. It is the fourth Imperial University to have been established on Japanese soil. Throughout the past century, the university has steadily maintained its status as the highest ranked university in the Kyushu region. In the 2020 QS World University Rankings, Kyudai ranked 132nd in the world and 7th in Japan.

The partnership between National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and Kyudai began in early 2015 when the NTNU Department of Chemistry appointed the Department of Chemistry of Kyushu University as one of their benchmark academic institutions. This opened the door to frequent visits between teachers from both universities, and as exchange between the two deepened year after year, the NTNU Department of Education signed a memorandum of academic cooperation and a student exchange agreement with Kyudai’s Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies and School of Education in September 2017. The same agreements were established between the NTNU College of Science and Kyudai’s School of Engineering, School of Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering the following December. As the scale of bilateral academic research and educational collaboration gradually increased, NTNU and Kyudai upgraded their status as partners by establishing a sister-school relationship in October 2018, in which memorandums of academic cooperation and student exchange agreements for university-level collaboration were signed.

Key Activities and Opportunities

NTNU Department of Chemistry and Economics selects the Department of Chemistry of Kyudai as their benchmark academic institution in a department conference at the beginning of 2015. Dr. Cheng-Huang Lin of NTNU serves as the liaison between NTNU and Kyudai to discuss possible future cooperation and exchange models.

Dr. Hisaeda Yoshio, Vice Dean of the School of Engineering of Kyudai, visits NTNU.
Dr. Adachi Chihaya, a professor of Kyudai Department of Applied Chemistry and organic light-emitting diodes specialist, visits NTNU.

NTNU signs a memorandum of academic cooperation and a student exchange agreement with the Kyudai School of Science, School of Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering in December. Five exchange students from each university are selected each semester, and both universities take turns in hosting academic seminars every year.
The NTNU College of Education collaborates with Kyudai to launch “Issue in Research into Comparative Education: Constructing Identity and Otherness in Education,” a course taught fully in English. Dr. Edward Vickers of Kyudai teaches an intensive one-week course for graduate students at NTNU in December.
Led by President Cheng-Chih Wu (then Vice President), NTNU Office of International Affairs (OIA) Dean Dr. Kuang-Chao Yu, College of Science Dean Dr. Kwunmin Chen and Dr. Cheng-Huang Lin visit Kyudai on December 21. Memorandums of academic cooperation and student exchange agreements are signed with the Kyudai School of Science, School of Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering.

Kyudai President Kubo visits NTNU on January 7 with a team to discuss academic collaborations such as joint English-taught courses with the NTNU College of Education and the Taiwan Studies Project launched by the NTNU College of Liberal Arts. Transnational channels of research and learning for faculty members and students alike are established between the two universities, thus improving the results of bilateral research efforts.
In continuation of the joint English-taught course “Issue in Research into Comparative Education: Constructing Identity and Otherness in Education" presented by Dr. Edward Vickers of Kyudai in the December of 2017, NTNU Department of Education Professor Dr. Tzu-Bin Lin is appointed to teach at Kyushu University in February.
Totaro Imasaka of the Kyusdai Department of Chemistry and Tomoko Imasaka of the Department of Environmental Design visit NTNU on June 11. They meet with President Cheng-Chih Wu, NTNU OIA Dean Kuang-Chao Yu, College of Science Dean Kwunmin Chen, and Department of Chemistry Professor Cheng-Huang Lin and have a pleasant exchange Dr. Totaro Imasaka invites President Wu to visit Kyudai in October to discuss possible opportunities for cooperation in depth with President Kubo.
The NTNU College of Liberal Arts launches the Taiwan Studies Project, a three-year research initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE) with a focus in modern Taiwanese politics, ideology and popular culture. Director Nikky Lin of the NTNU Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature is appointed to teach at Kyudai in September.
President Cheng-Chih Wu leads a team of 30 NTNU faculty members - including Vice President Frank Yung-hsiang Ying, OIA Dean Hsiang-Lin Liu , Office of Research and Development (ORD) Vice President Ying-Shao Hsu, College of Science Dean Kwunmin Chen, College of Technology and Engineering Dean Chin-Pao Cheng, department directors from the aforementioned colleges and Division of Preparatory Programs for Overseas Chinese Students faculty - and embarks for the Kyushu University Ito Campus on October 22 to meet with President Kubo and attends academic exchange seminars. Memorandums of academic cooperation and student exchange agreements are signed.
Ms. Matono Ayaka visits NTNU on December 3 for discussions regarding international affairs between NTNU and Kyudai on behalf of the Internationalization Support Section, International Student Exchange Division, and International Affairs Department of Kyushu University. Led by Dr. Cheng-Huang Lin of the Department of Chemistry, NTNU is able to respond to questions raised by Ms. Matono regarding the execution of international affairs while learning about the approaches taken by Kyushu University.

Kyudai President Kubo visits NTNU with a team of 43 faculty members and students from May 27 to May 28 in attendance of the 2019 National Taiwan Normal University-Kyushu University Joint Forum on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research and Education organized by the NTNU College of Liberal Arts, College of Education, College of Science, College of Technology and Engineering, and College Of Management with over one hundred faculty members and students. Talks were given by the presidents, vice presidents and directors of academic affairs from both universities regarding interdisciplinary studies and international development.
Students from the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) of the NTNU College of Management visit the Kyudai Business School (QBS) for a collaborative short-term program as the first exchange between the two institutions.
NTNU Vice President Greg Lee leads an 14-person administrative delegation consisting of Office of General Affairs Dean Horng-Sheng Mii, OIA Dean Hsiang-Lin Liu, College of Education Vice Dean Jong-Long Guo, College of Science Dean Hsiu-Mei Hsieh, College of Liberal Arts Dean Shyue-Cherng Liaw, Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature Director Nikky Lin, and Center Public Affairs Center Director Min-Ping Kang to visit Kyushu University from October 28 to October 29. This is the first administrative exchange between the two universities. During the two-day exchange, both universities are able to learn about their respective approaches toward international cooperation, alumni management, centennial anniversary commemoration planning and student affairs. The NTNU delegates visit facilities such as the I2CNER(International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research), libraries, Innovation Center for Educational Resource, Self-Access Learning Center, Ito guest house, student dormitories, student dining halls, Shiiki Hall, the Kyushu University Museum and Kyushu University Archives.
On December 17, a team of 17 students from the Kyudai Business School (QBS) led by Dr. Isao Murafuji of the Kyudai Graduate School of Economic visit NTNU.

Professor Christine W. Lai, director of The Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Investment and Asset Management, was recommended by the College of Management of NTNU to give lectures in Kyushu University Business School (QBS) for about 15 weeks in the fall of 2020. The subject of the course focuses on Asian Business Strategy, and provides students with diversified case studies from the companies in Asian countries.

On September 26, the College of Management of NTNU and Kyushu University School of Business held an online forum on management practices, to exchange information and experience with the topic "How is COVID-19 re-shaping the business strategy?" Franz Chen (Chen Li-Heng), the founder of Franz Collection was invited to give a keynote speech on “the Integrated Marketing Strategy in the Post-Pandemic Era”, and 32 GF-EMBA graduate students from NTNU and 20 MBA graduate students from Kyushu University Business School delivered ten industry presentations as well in the forum.
NTNU held an online joint forum with Kyushu University on December 3. Besides the theme of sustainable development which structured the forum, results of research collaborations by the two universities were also presented along with group discussions in various fields such as science, online education, mathematics for industry. The online forum served to expand the research capabilities of both universities as well as promote and advance their relationship of bilateral collaboration.

NTNU invited Distinguished Professor and Special Advisor to the President of Kyushu University, Masahiro Okamoto, to the centennial celebration and to give a talk at the Collaborative Online International Learning forum on September 27, which further deepen the cooperation between the two universities in academics.

President Cheng-Chih Wu leads a team of 6 NTNU faculty members - including Vice President for International Affairs Yi-de Liu, Dean of the Faculty of Science Jein-shan Chen, Dean of the College of Technology and Engineering Ching-min Cheng, Professor Cheng-huang Lin of the Department of Fine Arts and Professor Hsiang-lin Liu of the Department of Physics to meet with President Ishibashi of Kyushu University and his administrative team of three executive vice presidents and Vice President for International Affairs during January 17-20. The two universities expect to continue mutual visits in the future and carry out exchanges and academic cooperation in terms of administrative benchmarking, bilateral academic forums, joint research projects, joint degrees, student exchanges and COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) etc.
On March 7th, the College of Science and the College of Technology and Engineering at NTNU signed a Master's Double Degree Agreement with Kyushu University. The signing ceremony was held at NTNU and was attended by representatives from both universities, including Kyushu University's Dean of the faculty of Engineering Sciences, Hideharu Nakashima, and NTNU's Dean of the College of Science, Jein-Shan Chen, Dean of the College of Technology and Engineering, Ching-Min Cheng, Vice Dean of the College of Science, Tsu-Yi Fu, Chair of the Department of Physics, Wen-Chin Lin, and Professor Hsiang-Lin Liu, Vice Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Hsueh-Liang Wu, Professor of the Department of Fine Arts, Cheng-Huang Lin, Associate Professor of the Department of Earth Sciences, En-Chao Yeh, Vice Deans of the College of Science and Engineering, Li-Xing Liu and Kun-Yi Lin, Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Shun-Tong Chen, and Director of the Bachelor Program in Vehicle and Energy Engineering, Yi-Xuan Hong.
On March 30th, a visiting delegation led by Dr. Tatsuro Ishibashi, President of Kyushu University, including Dr. Kenji Iwata, Executive Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Natalie Konomi, Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, Mr. Takaya Ito, Head of Secretarial Section, and Ms. Saori Suenaga, Senior Project Manager of International Affairs Department, visited National Taiwan Normal University. They met with NTNU's President, Prof. Cheng-Chih Wu, Executive Vice President, Prof. Frank Yung Hsiang Ying, Dean of College of Technology and Engineering, Prof. Cheng, Ching Min, Dean of College of Science, Prof. Jein-Shan Chen, Dean of College of Education, Prof. Hsiu-Lan Tien, Vice President for International Affairs, Prof. Yi-De Liu, and other officials, aiming to strengthen the relationship between the two universities.
On December 8th, a distinguished delegation led by Professor Johan Lauwereyns, Vice Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation at Kyushu University, paid a visit to NTNU. The meeting brought together key figures, including NTNU's Vice President for International Affairs, Prof. Yi-De Liu, the Dean of the College of International Studies and Social Sciences, Prof. Chih-Chien Steven Lai, Vice Dean Prof. Jia-Fei Hong, and Professor Hsiang-Lin Liu from the Department of Physics, to engage in discussions about potential collaboration. Plans were made to jointly offer two courses in the summer of 2024, with Associate Professor Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak from the Department of Geography and Assistant Professor Wang Chao from the Department of Computer Science at NTNU, along with faculty from Kyushu University.

2020-2021 JOINT RESEARCH

NTNU and Kyudai have launched the "2020 Collaboration Development Fund Request for Proposals" program to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote cooperation in academic research and teaching. Faculty members from both schools have submitted research proposals and those who have been selected for funding are listed below.

S/N	NTNU	Kyushu University	Project title
1	Lin Cheng-Huang Department of Chemistry	Tomoko Imasaka Department of Environmental Design	Development of an analytical instrument for determination of acetone in human breath
2	Lee Way-Zen Department of Chemistry	Hisashi Shimakoshi Department of Applied Chemistry	Synthesis of bio-inspired catalyst and material for energy production and green molecular transformation
3	Lin Chung-Ping Department of Life Science	Munetoshi Maruyama The Kyushu University Museum	Taxonomy of treehoppers and ant-associated scarab beetles
4	Chang Chun-yen Department of Earth Sciences/Graduate Institute of Science Education	Yoshihiro Okada Innovation Center for Educational Resource (ICER)/Kyushu University Library	NTNU-KU collaboration on e-Learning research and development
5	Lan Yann-Wen Department of Physics	Takashi Kimura Department of Physics	Spin-valleytronic switch by using twisted light coupled with Co-MoS₂ heterostructure
6	Ann Heylen International Taiwan Studies Center	Vickers Edward Anthony Department of Education	Identity politics in East Asian popular culture: Taiwan, Japan and China
7	Liaw Shyue-Cherng Department of Geography	Satō Noriko Department of Agro-environmental Sciences	Research on the integration of forest therapy into regional revitalization: case studies in Japan and Taiwan

2019-2020 JOINT RESEARCH

NTNU and Kyudai have launched the "2019 Collaboration Development Fund Request for Proposals" program to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote cooperation in academic research and teaching. Faculty members from both schools have submitted research proposals and those who have been selected for funding are listed below.

National Taiwan Normal University	KYUSHU UNIVERSITY	Project Name
Way-Zen Lee Department Of Chemistry	Yoshio Hisaeda Chemistry and Biochemistry	Synthesis and Characterization of metal Superoxo Complexes supported by a meso-Substituted Isocorrole
Dr. Shyue-Cherng Liaw College of Liberal Arts	Noriko SATO Forest Environmental Sciences	Forest Therapy and Regional Revitalization: Comparative Study in Japan and Taiwan
Ann Heylen Department Of Taiwan Culture,Languages and Literature	Vickers, Edward Anthon Department of Education	Heritage, Public Culture and Identity Politics in Contemporary Asia
Chun-Chieh Chang Graduate Institute and Undergraduate Program of Electro-Optical Engineering	Kaoru Tamada Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering (IMCE)	Meta-photonics Enabled by Multi-Dimensional Self-Assembled Perovskite Nanoparticle Architectures
Jen-Jie Chieh Graduate Institute and Undergraduate Program of Electro-Optical Engineering	Takashi Yoshida Department of Electrical Engineering	Magnetic Types of Imaging and Thermotherapy for the Automatic Surgery Application -The Pilot Study
Lin,Wen-Chin Department Of Physics	Takashi Kimura Physics	Magnetic coupling, ferromagnetic resonance, and spin pumping in YIG/CoOx hetero-structure
Meng-Wan Yeh General Education Center	Watanabe, Koichiro Department of Earth Resources Engineering	Geo-chronological approach to Cenozoic Au-Cu mineralization in Asia
Kuen-yi Lin Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development	Wei Leong, Leon Loh Department of Environmental Design	Development of a STEM-based Sustainable Development Environment Project and Effects in Developing Preservice Teachers’ Professional Teaching Competence