Former TMU President appointed Taiwan's new Minister of Health(1)

Former Taipei Medical University President becomes Taiwan's new Minister of Health

Dr Wen-ta Chiu, most recently President of Taipei Medical University (TMU), was appointed Taiwan's new Minister of Health in February. Dr Chiu is a highly distinguished neurosurgeon, medical researcher, academic leader and public health advocate. He served as TMU President from 2008 to 2011. 

He is best known to the public for promoting legislation on motorcycle helmets, which prevented an estimated 30,000 deaths since its enactment in the 1990s. As President of TMU, he led the successful growth of a world-class medical university and hospital, including doubling the size of the hospital to 3,000 beds.

HKBU introduces professional development series for faculty(2)

HKBU launches Hong Kong's first internationally recognized professional development series for faculty

Upon completion of the series, teaching staff will be able to adopt practical pedagogies that will help them provide students with HKBU graduate attributes. They will also be able to make use of electronic platforms and technologies in teaching and the design of assessment strategies. 

The FPDS will lead to an internationally recognized pathway for further study in education. Participants who have successfully completed eight workshops out of 10 and the final assessment will be eligible for exemption from six credits of the Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies or the Master in Education offered by the University of Western Australia (UWA).

HKBU introduces professional development series for faculty(1)

HKBU launches Hong Kong's first internationally recognized professional development series for faculty

To upgrade teaching and learning quality and to enhance Hong Kong Baptist University's (HKBU) quality assurance mechanism, its Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning (CHTL) launched the Faculty Professional Development Series (FPDS), Hong Kong's first internationally recognized professional development series for the university's teaching staff, in February 2011. 

The FPDS is open to full-time and part-time faculty members, teaching assistants, postgraduate students with teaching responsibilities and academic administrators. It will comprise 10 workshops, covering a wide range of areas, including outcome-based teaching and learning, using electronic platforms in teaching and assessment, learning theories and motivating student learning.

PolyU received Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant(2)

PolyU awarded South East Asia’s first Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

PolyU is expected to send a total of 13 postgraduate students and staff for an exchange programme lasting one to 12 months. The grant will cover their travel costs, monthly allowances and tuition fees for study at partner universities in Europe and South East Asia.

 

The nine universities in the consortium are Université de Provence (France), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong), City University London (UK), Università di Pisa (Italy), Universität des Saarlandes (Germany), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), National Taiwan University (Taiwan), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and University of Macau (Macau). 

EM is a flagship European Commission programme promoting international education. Its objective is to enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world.

PolyU received Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant(1)

PolyU awarded South East Asia’s first Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was awarded South East Asia's first Erasmus Mundus (EM) Mobility Grant of nearly €1.4 million (US$1.9 million) by the European Commission in December 2010. The grant will support a large-scale scholarly exchange involving faculty and postgraduate students of nine universities in Europe and South East Asia. 

The EM Mobility Grant is the joint effort of a consortium consisting of nine higher education institutions across Europe and South East Asian countries, with PolyU's Faculty of Humanities as the initiating institution and coordinator in South East Asia, and Université de Provence as the overall and Europe coordinator. 

The grant will be allocated to successful applicants of the nine consortium partners in a project called "MULTI – Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Linguistic Approaches to Transition and Identity". This project, lasting three years, aims to address the linguistic, cultural and technological aspects of multilingualism, and to understand the impact of multilingualism in both European Union and South East Asian societies.

NTU starts Asia's first solar fuels laboratory(2)

NTU opens Asia's first solar fuels laboratory to develop new energy sources

"Nature has lots of wonderful ways to renew itself. We can learn a lot from nature, if we look hard enough, to find sustainable solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems. Inspired by the way leaves use sunlight to produce energy, we can mimic nature and perfect water-splitting technology. 

This will allow for the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen. We can then convert solar energy into hydrogen in large quantities in a clean and sustainable manner," explained Prof Bertil Andersson, NTU's President-Designate and an internationally-renowned biochemist. 

"The Solar Fuels Lab is an initiative in support of Sustainable Earth, one of NTU's Five Peaks of Excellence," said Prof Freddy Boey, NTU's Provost-Designate, who was the previous Chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. The laboratory will be jointly managed by NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering and the Energy Research Institute at NTU.

NTU starts Asia's first solar fuels laboratory(1)

NTU opens Asia's first solar fuels laboratory to develop new energy sources

Asia's first solar fuels laboratory at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), set up in February 2011, aims to create efficient and sustainable sources of solar fuel by developing a device that can extract large amounts of hydrogen from water using sunlight.

When perfected, this "artificial leaf" technology can reduce dependence on crude oil and help to ease problems caused by global warming and climate change. 

To develop solar-driven technology that is commercially viable, the researchers need to find suitable combinations of chemical catalysts that can speed up the artificial photosynthesis process using minimal energy. That will enable the large-scale production of fuel to be carried out in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Hiroshima University's spirit encourages internationalization pursuit(2)

Hiroshima University's peace-seeking spirit has driven the school's internationalization pursuit

Since then, International Center has been accelerating the school's initiatives of making various intellectual contributions to the international community. Activities for international cooperation are striking examples. 

The center addresses global issues by conducting projects such as the 'African-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development Project', a UNESCO's UNITWIN (University Education Twining and Network Scheme) program and the 'Practical Research on Sustainable Development in Central American and Caribbean Countries'. 

International Center also encourages global collaboration based upon cooperative agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Needless to say, the center provides abundant administrative support for these activities.

Hiroshima University's spirit encourages internationalization pursuit(1)

Hiroshima University's peace-seeking spirit has driven the school's internationalization pursuit

As a school located in Hiroshima where the world's first atomic bombing occurred back in 1945, Hiroshima University has been fully committed to peace. Relying on its peace-seeking spirit from the history, Hiroshima University is striving to become a center for education and research that contributes to the global community. 

In doing so, the school truly hopes the message of 'peace', an unforgettable lesson from the past, can be delivered to the world. Hiroshima University's International Center is the firm proof of the school's ceaseless devotion to the peace of the world. Hiroshima University established the International Center last year to promote university-wide international exchange activities.

Doshisha University introduced degree programs for international students(2)

Doshisha University newly launched two degree programs for international students as part of its globalization pursuit

The B.A. Liberal Arts Program at the Institute for International Education represents a coming together of world-class approaches to university Liberal Arts education. The institute combines private American liberal arts college atmosphere with an emphasis on building partnerships between students and professors in small classes. 

Depending upon personal preference, students can also select their own study cluster such as the 'Japanese Society and Global Cluster'. The ISTC provides students with an opportunity to learn Japanese industry's ethics and management practices as well as leading-edge technologies. 

It is important because international business communities still highly trust Japanese technology companies. There is little doubt that these companies have generated series of quality products through efficient R&D management accompanied by profound business moral.

Doshisha University introduced degree programs for international students(1)

Doshisha University newly launched two degree programs for international students as part of its globalization pursuit

Doshisha University in Kyoto has been gathering pace for its ongoing journey to globalization. Upholding 'Internationalism' as its educational principle throughout the 136-year-long history, the school has been credited to play an important role in promoting the globalization of higher education in Japan. 

As a result, Doshisha University was chosen one of the 13 core universities for Japanese government's 'Global 30 International Education and Research Initiative' in 2009. Professor Nobuhiro Tabata, Vice President of Doshisha University disclosed: 

"Today in nearly every aspect of society we face issues that are global in scale. As citizens of the world, Doshisha University is committed to providing as high a standard of education as possible relevant to the challenges of future generations and prepares citizens to act with greater awareness and understanding of these challenges."

Catholic University's endeavors to revitalize the DMZ(2)

Foreign students become aware of how significant peace and co-existence is from Catholic University's efforts to revitalize the DMZ

In addition, Catholic University has been arranging DMZ camps on a regular basis from last year. These camps deliver unusual and meaningful memories to students as they can feel the area by heart through special lectures and hands on experience such as a site tour. 

For students from overseas, camps particularly serve a rare chance to reflect peace and co-existence deep in their mind. Erin Marie Koch from Alverno College in America who joined the last year's summer camp confessed: "My idea of Korea was a country with the state-of-the-art technology. However tunnels in the DMZ gave me a mixed feeling of how sorrowful it is to remain a divided nation for more than half a century."

Depicted as the most fortified barrier in the world since the end of the Korean War in 1953, DMZ is a 4km-wide and 250km-long buffer zone between South and North Korea.

Catholic University's endeavors to revitalize the DMZ(1)

Foreign students become aware of how significant peace and co-existence is from Catholic University's efforts to revitalize the DMZ

Catholic University has been taking colorful initiatives to revitalize the 'DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)' as a place of peace and life. With a mission of presenting not just competent but also ethical and trustworthy leaders with genuine concern for humanity, Catholic university has been a one of the few and the most notable South Korean school which has shown ongoing interest to this area. 

Such a move especially helps foreign students realize the importance of co-existence and life in this era of chaos and conflict. Catholic University introduced a DMZ course on its curriculum last year. Named 'DMZ Peace-Ecology', this unique program focuses on subjects such as environment, ecology and history of the DMZ. Started with curiosity at first, students soon mull over the past and the present and the future of the DMZ.

SKKU proud of Asia's oldest university(2)

SKKU boasts of Asia's oldest university with over 600-year-long history

It would be misleading, however, to view the school merely in the context of its pre-modern history. SKKU also takes pride in the school's innovative spirit. 

As a result of the never-ending efforts to place natural sciences on an equal footing with its strong foundation in humanities, SKKU now operates two campuses: the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus and the Natural Sciences Campus. 

Relying upon a highly successful partnership with Samsung, a Korea-based leading global IT giant, which has generously funded several core initiatives, the school has been alleged to be rapidly developing and prospering since 1996. 

Mr. Kim Junyoung, President of SKKU stressed: "Under the catch-phrase 'Unique Origin Unique Future,' SKKU continuously pursues to integrate its foundation philosophy with the modern technology with a vision of cultivating global talents who will lead the 21st century."