—MOUs on Joint Degree Program with National Taiwan Normal University and Increased Exchange Opportunities with Academia Sinica 

Yonsei President Jeong Kap-yeong visited Taiwan on April 20th following an invitation from the Taiwanese Ministry of Education.  The purpose of the visit was to open discussions on issues related to higher education in Taiwan, while paving the way for future collaboration and exchanges between Taiwanese and South Korean universities.  During his stay, President Jeong met with officials of four major Taiwanese schools: National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTTU), National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), and Academia Sinica (AS). On the first day, President Jeong met with Korean Ambassador to Taiwan Jeong Sang-gi to discuss current social and political issues in Taiwan and collaborative opportunities that might exist there for Yonsei.  The next day, President Jeong visited NTNU with the intent of strengthening networks between Yonsei and the Taiwanese institution.  Welcomed by NTNU President Chang Kuo-en, university officials, and NTNU’s student string orchestra, President Jeong signed an MOU to establish a joint degree program in Chinese Language and Literature for Yonsei and NTNU graduate students. Following the visit to NTNU, President Jeong and the Yonsei delegation were guests at a luncheon hosted by Vice Minister for Education Huang Pi-twan.  At the lunch, Vice Minister Huang expressed his optimism concerning future collaboration between Yonsei and Taiwanese universities, emphasizing his desire to see more exchanges between professors and students. On the third day, the Yonsei group visited NTU, where they met with President Yang Pan-Chyr and other officials, as well as NTU faculty members.  The parties discussed future exchange opportunities and increased academic collaboration. According to the 2013 QS World University Rankings, NTU is ranked 82nd in the world and 15th in Asia. Later that afternoon, the Yonsei delegation paid a visit to Taiwan’s top research center, Academia Sinica.  There, President Jeong and AS Director Wong Chi-huey agreed to an MOU regarding increased exchanges and research collaboration.  The final day, the group visited NTHU, a science and technology focused institution that has produced three Nobel laureates.  There, they met with President Hong Hocheng and discussed possibilities for student exchange programs.