Vice President Y.H. Frank Ying recently led a delegation, including Dean Jie-Shan Chen of the College of Science and Vice Dean Chiung-Huei Chang of the College of Liberal Arts, on a mid-June visit to several prestigious European universities. The delegation sought to deepen academic exchanges and foster international collaboration through visits to Goethe University Frankfurt, Darmstadt University of Technology, the University of Göttingen, Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Münster, and the University of Vienna.

Goethe University Frankfurt: A Key Partner in Europe

On June 12, the NTNU delegation visited Goethe University Frankfurt, where they were warmly welcomed by the university’s President, Professor Enrico Schleiff, and representatives from the Office of International Affairs. Goethe University has been a significant partner for NTNU in Europe, with academic exchanges dating back to a 2016 agreement between the two universities' Colleges of Liberal Arts. To date, 60 students have participated in exchange programs between the institutions, underscoring the strength of their ongoing collaboration.

Earlier this year, Professor Schleiff visited NTNU and expressed a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, inviting NTNU faculty and students to engage in research at Goethe University. During this return visit, the NTNU team explored various research fields and reached an agreement to enhance cooperation in areas such as astrophysics, intelligent computing, sinology, and environmental humanities. Professor Schleiff proposed a '4x4 Plan,' which received strong support from NTNU, and both institutions committed to promoting researcher exchanges.

In the afternoon, NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts delegation met with their counterparts at Goethe University’s Faculty of Linguistics, Cultures, and Arts. Hosted by Vice Dean Professor Michael Kinski and Chair of the Department of Sinology Professor Iwo Amelung, the discussions focused on the outcomes of ongoing collaborations and plans for continued faculty and student exchanges. They also explored the possibility of launching a joint international course in 'Environmental Humanities,' offering unique learning opportunities for students from both universities.

Expanding Science Collaboration: Visits to Darmstadt and Göttingen

On the same afternoon, NTNU’s College of Science delegation visited Darmstadt University of Technology to explore academic collaboration. Darmstadt, a member of the TU9 alliance of leading technical universities in Germany, is home to the European Union’s next-generation ion accelerator, the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), highlighting its global significance in related research fields.

The NTNU delegation, hosted by Vice President Professor Thomas Walther, engaged with representatives from the biology, chemistry, materials science, and mathematics departments. The visit revealed significant structural and academic similarities between the two institutions, paving the way for future faculty exchanges and student learning opportunities.

At the University of Göttingen, a historic center for research in physics and chemistry, NTNU’s delegation was warmly received and given a comprehensive tour of the university’s facilities. Professors from the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Animal Evolution and Biodiversity met with the NTNU team to discuss departmental structures, research specialties, and potential scholar and student exchange opportunities. Professor Yu-Tzu Lee from NTNU’s Department of Chemistry expressed hope that existing collaborations could expand into more enduring models, such as joint doctoral degree programs.

Strengthening Humanities Ties: Visits to Bochum and Münster

Before visiting Goethe University Frankfurt, NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts delegation visited Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Münster, both sister institutions. Ruhr University Bochum, a post-war public university and a key center for Taiwan studies, has maintained a long-standing academic exchange relationship with NTNU. Professor Kuo-Chi Lee from NTNU’s Department of History lectured at Ruhr University Bochum as early as the 1970s.

In 2015, NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts signed an agreement with Ruhr University Bochum’s Faculty of East Asian Studies, fostering close ties in the fields of history and Taiwan studies. During this visit, Professor Ling-Chun Wu from NTNU’s Department of History was serving as a visiting professor at Ruhr University Bochum. The delegation, warmly received by faculty members including Dean Professor Katja Schmidtpott, discussed specific plans for training doctoral students and researchers.

At the University of Münster, located in a historic German city, NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts and the Faculty of Philology have collaborated closely since becoming sister institutions in 2017, particularly in medieval Chinese history studies. Faculty from both universities have frequently served as visiting lecturers at each other’s institutions. The delegation, hosted by Vice Dean Professor Klaus Stierstorfer and Professor Kristin Schöller from the Department of Sinology, discussed plans for co-hosting international academic conferences and designing joint international courses.

A Model for Talent Cultivation

The visit to Germany’s top research-intensive universities highlighted the collaborative spirit of German scholars, who frequently form cross-university research teams. Director Pei-Chen Lee of NTNU’s Office of Institutional Research noted that German universities often establish 'Research Training Groups' funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). These groups focus on cultivating future professors with funding for up to nine years—an effective strategy Taiwan might consider adopting.

After concluding the visit to Germany, NTNU’s College of Liberal Arts delegation proceeded to the University of Vienna in Austria, where they signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, further expanding NTNU’s global academic partnerships.