On the morning of November 10, a cooperative exchange forum on civil engineering was held between Fuzhou University and National University of Kaohsiung in the meeting room on the 6th floor of Tunan Building, College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University. Experts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait conducted in-depth discussions focusing on academic cooperation, joint talent cultivation, and the integration of education between Fujian and Taiwan, establishing a practical cooperation platform and injecting momentum into the sharing of higher education resources and disciplinary innovation across the Strait.
The delegation from National University of Kaohsiung was led by Professor Chi-chi Lin, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, and consisted of 6 members including Professor Jing Yuan, former Vice President for Academic Affairs. The delegation from Fuzhou University included 6 members, such as Professor Tangfeng Wu, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Civil Engineering, and Researcher Huihui Yuan, Assistant to the Dean in charge of the college’s internationalization.
At the outset of the meeting, Secretary Tangfeng Wu delivered a welcome speech, emphasizing that universities in Fujian and Taiwan are geographically close and culturally connected. He stressed that they should leverage disciplinary co-construction and joint talent training to serve regional development and outline the vision for cooperation in the field of civil engineering. Subsequently, Professor Chi-chi Lin from National University of Kaohsiung first introduced an overview of his university. Then, Professor Hsing-chih Tsai, former Director of Student Affairs, presented the educational characteristics of the university’s Department of Civil Engineering, focusing on sharing achievements in green buildings and smart infrastructure. Researcher Lu Zheng, Assistant to the Dean of Fuzhou University, elaborated on the college’s disciplinary advantages, highlighting breakthroughs in rail transit and underground engineering to demonstrate its academic strength.
During the free discussion session, both sides exchanged views on “collaborative innovation in civil engineering,” “joint student cultivation,” and “cooperation on scientific research projects”: they proposed taking short-term student research visits and joint graduation design as entry points to expand faculty exchanges and scientific research cooperation.
After the meeting, the college and the delegation from National University of Kaohsiung exchanged gifts, conveying the sincere aspiration for joint progress between universities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Subsequently, the delegation visited the college’s Experimental Center and the Fujian Provincial University Analysis and Testing Center, and highly recognized Fuzhou University’s scientific research strength and hardware facilities.
This forum represents an in-depth dialogue between the two universities in the field of civil engineering, marking a substantive step forward in their cooperation. Both parties agreed to establish a regular exchange mechanism to promote knowledge sharing and technological innovation, and broaden the paths for cultivating high-quality talents. Secretary Tangfeng Wu expressed his expectation that, taking this as a starting point, it will set a benchmark for higher education cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan and contribute “civil engineering wisdom” to cross-Strait integration. Professor Jing Yuan emphasized that universities on both sides of the Strait should uphold the principle of “complementary advantages and mutual benefit” to jointly promote the development of the civil engineering discipline.
It is reported that during the visit of the professor team from National University of Kaohsiung from November 7 to 11, in addition to conducting academic exchanges with scholars from Fuzhou University, they also visited enterprises such as Fujian Academy of Building Research and Fujian Yongqiang Marine Technology to understand industry needs and lay the foundation for industry-university-research cooperation. This exchange not only builds a bridge for cooperation between the two universities but also empowers the integration of engineering education between Fujian and Taiwan. It will promote the construction of a cross-Strait academic community and the improvement of talent training quality, writing a practical chapter for cross-Strait integration.
