Student exchanges between National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and Goethe University Frankfurt will become even more comprehensive following the signing of an agreement between both universities during the visit of a high-ranking NTNU delegation from Taiwan.
The four-member delegation consisted of National Taiwan Normal University’s president and its three vice presidents, none of whom are strangers to Goethe University: Last year, the two universities signed a joint memorandum of understanding, expressing their interest in a university-wide partnership. Yet, the roots of the relationship extend deeper in time, and are based on the contacts maintained between Goethe University’s Sinology department and Taiwanese colleagues over the course of many years. The agreement calls for developing this long-standing partnership, which includes an intensive student exchange, into a cooperation encompassing all faculties. Laying the foundation for this was today’s signing of the “Student Exchange Agreement” in the presence of NTNU President Prof. Cheng-Chih Wu, Vice President Prof. Frank Yung-Hsian Ying, Vice President for International Affairs Prof. Yi-De Liu, and Vice President for Academic Affairs Prof. Mei-Hui Liu. Representing Goethe University Frankfurt were Prof. Michael Huth, Vice President Strategic Organizational and Quality Development, sinologist Prof. Zhiyi Yang, educational psychologist Prof. Dr. Holger Horz, as well as Cathrin Rieger, Head of International Partnerships at the Global Office.
In addition to signing the student exchange agreement, the meeting also was a great way of getting to know each other better – the basis of any partnership. Discussions focused on multilingual course offerings, especially with regard to English-language teaching, student support and service offerings, research and transfer strategies, sustainability, as well as the educational sciences.
Founded in 1922 as a teacher training college, NTNU today is one of Taiwan’s leading universities. While educational sciences continue to constitute a focus, the university has long since started offering the broad range of subjects characteristic of a comprehensive university. Students can choose from among 62 academic degrees in nine degree-granting colleges (Education, Liberal Arts, Science, Technology and Engineering, International Studies and Social Sciences, Sports and Recreation, Arts, Music, and Management), which are spread out over three campuses in Taipei and New Taipei City. NTNU operates an internationally renowned Mandarin Training Center, which provides language instruction to some 1,800 international students annually.
