A three-member delegation of NTU administrators joined a major delegation of Taiwanese educators in venturing to New Zealand to attend the Taiwan-New Zealand Higher Education Forum 2017 from October 2-6. The event was jointly organized by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) and Universities New Zealand to provide an opportunity for high-level university administrators and scholars from various disciplines in the two countries to discuss cooperation and exchanges.

In all, 38 people from 24 universities and educational organizations participated in the event. This year's forum was expanded by the participation of16 New Zealand science and engineering universities, which succeeded in opening up exchanges between Taiwanese universities and the science and engineering universities in New Zealand.

The members of the NTU delegation included Vice President for International Affairs Luisa Shu-Ying Chang, Director for Global Alliances Linda Chang, as well as Dean of the College of Bioresources and Agriculture Huu-Sheng Lur. During the forum, Dean Lur delivered a presentation on the development of Taiwan's agricultural sector as well as international resources and plans.

In addition to seeking to promote joint programs between Taiwan and New Zealand as well as the commercialization of research, the forum also focused on three major issues vital to the future development of both countries: research collaboration in indigenous studies, earthquake resilience research, and agricultural research. The three topics were not only the main focus of the forum discussions and presentations, they also provided the focus of the visiting delegation's itinerary in New Zealand.

The Taiwanese delegation was made up of 20 members from 14 universities and educational organizations. Compared withthe previous Taiwan-New Zealand Higher Education Forums, this year's forum stood out for drawing not only the largest number of participants but also more administrators holding high-level positions.

While in New Zealand, the delegation visited the campuses of five universities: Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, Lincoln University, University of Canterbury, and University of Otago. Each of the universities hosted a symposium at which scholars from the two countries enthusiastically discussed cooperation and exchanges. Moreover, the president or vice president of each of the universities personally received the Taiwanese delegation, which is a sign of the value that the New Zealand universities place on strengthening connections with their counterparts in Taiwan.

New Zealand is one of the countries targeted in the government's New Southbound Policy, and the indigenous peoples of the two countries share deep ancestral ties. NTU is grateful to FICHET for organizing and arranging the Taiwanese delegation's highly successful trip to New Zealand.