NTU Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Jia-Yang Juang (left) and Yonsei University Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Woochul Kim (right), co-hosts of the forum, engaging in lively discussions with faculty from both universities.
On January 16, Prof. Woochul Kim, Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Yonsei University (연세대학교), led a delegation of 10 professors to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Taiwan University (NTU). Their visit marked the launch of a bilateral academic forum held at NTU’s newly inaugurated Mechanical Engineering Building. Aimed to stir academic exchange and lay the foundation for future collaboration, the event demonstrated Yonsei University’s strong commitment to the partnership, with visiting professors representing fully one-third of the entire department’s faculty.
Prof. Woochul Kim spotlighted NTU’s outstanding international reputation in mechanical engineering and emphasized the strong alignment between the research fields of the two institutions. Recognizing their potential synergy, Yonsei University organized this visit to occasion in-depth academic discussions and collaboration.
The forum commenced with a welcome speech by Prof. Mao-Hsiung Chiang, Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering. While welcoming the distinguished guests, Dean Chiang emphasized the significance of international academic cooperation in spurring and driving innovative research. He voiced the hope that this forum would inaugurate a long-term partnership between the two institutions. During the forum, professors from the two universities gave talks on their respective research fields, deepening mutual understanding and opening the way for future collaboration.
Notably, Prof. Woochul Kim and NTU’s Prof. Ming-Chang Lu had been colleagues in the same research lab at the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, three of the visiting professors—including both the current Chair, Woochul Kim, and the former Chair, Jongbaeg Kim—have been longtime associates of NTU’s Department Chair, Prof. Jia-Yang Juang, ever since they were conducting their doctoral studies at Berkeley. Prof. Juang expressed delight at reuniting with these old friends at NTU to brainstorm and work together to advance academic collaboration. Noting the strong complementarity between the research strengths of the two universities, Prof. Woochul Kim stressed that the forum was the starting point for future joint projects aimed at driving innovation in mechanical engineering.
The NTU-Yonsei University Joint Workshop showcased 10-minute presentations by faculty from both institutions, covering a broad spectrum of current topics in mechanical engineering. Throughout the event, the participants engaged in lively discussions on industry trends, technological challenges, as well as future trends and developments in the field. The participants from all agreed that this forum not only strengthened the academic ties between the two universities but also sparked new ideas for collaborative research. The Workshop participants from both NTU and Yonsei University are eager to join forces in advancing global research and innovation in mechanical engineering.
Yonsei University’s Mechanical Engineering Department visit NTU’s Mechanical Engineering Department, fostering academic exchange and camaraderie.
