Dr. Cheng-Chih Wu, leading the Taiwanese delegation, represented the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) conference held in Perth, Australia, from March 4 to 8. The delegation included 64 members from 29 Higher Education Institutions. This year's theme at the Study in Taiwan Pavilion at APAIE was 'Taiwan, the Technology Hub', highlighting Taiwan's educational excellence in semiconductors, circular economy, biotechnology, healthcare, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Wu highlighted the 20-year history of APAIE, noting that this year's conference is the 17th annual event. With a theme centered on "Collaborating for sustainable impact: partnerships across the Asia Pacific," the conference drew over 2,500 delegates from diverse nations. Dr. Wu emphasized FICHET's pivotal role in nurturing academic collaboration between Taiwanese and international higher education institutions. Additionally, he underscored the Taiwan Ministry of Education's (MOE) recent efforts in talent development, particularly for countries encompassed in Taiwan's New Southbound Policy. These endeavors involve specialized programs and active engagement with international students.
Douglas Yu-tien Hsu, Taiwan's Chief Representative to Australia, along with other prominent officials from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Australia, paid a visit to the Study in Taiwan booth at APAIE. They participated in discussions with school representatives. In the evening, Hsu hosted a banquet at the Taiwanese restaurant Formosa Garden to commemorate the delegation's contributions to the advancement of international education cooperation.
Furthermore, FICHET organized its renowned event, Taiwan Night, at DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Waterfront. This networking occasion aimed to promote international academic collaboration. It gathered representatives from Taiwanese universities participating in APAIE, along with a substantial number of delegates from educational institutions across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. Dr. Wu, in his welcome address, urged the nearly one hundred attendees to capitalize on the chance to forge stronger partnerships.
Organized by TECO Australia, delegates from FICHET and five Taiwanese universities embarked on a visit to the University of Western Australia (UWA) on March 7th for the Taiwan-UWA Collaboration and Exchanges Meeting. UWA, renowned as one of the world's top 100 universities, hosted discussions encompassing technology, engineering, health technologies, biomedicine, and financial technologies. These conversations set the stage for prospective academic and research collaborations.
