From March 1 – 4, a delegation from Tamkang University traveled to Malaysia to promote academic relations between TKU and institutions of higher education in Malaysia. The delegation consisted of the President of Tamkang University, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, the Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Wan-chin Tai, the Executive Director of the Office of Alumni Services and Resource Development, Dr. Chun-young Perng, and the Section Chief of the International and Mainland Chinese Student Guidance Section, Chen Pei-fen.

The first stop on their schedule was a visit to the Deputy Minister of Higher Education in Malaysia, Dr. Hou Kok Chung, on March 2. Deputy Minister Hou described to the Tamkang delegation the current status of educational development in Malaysia. The visit provided TKU with a clearer insight into current trends in Malaysian education, which will help in the planning of future TKU recruitment strategies for SE Asia.

The delegation then took part in a ‘Signing Ceremony of Academic Cooperation Agreement’ with the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), one of the premier universities in Malaysia. Established in its current form in 2002, UTAR now has an enrollment of around 20,000 students and provides instruction exclusively in English. The signing agreement sees UTAR become Tamkang University’s 115th partner university, and will involve faculty and student exchange opportunities in the hope of enhancing the nature of globalization at both TKU and UTAR.

On the afternoon of March 2, President Chang visited the University of Malaya (UM), where she received a warm welcome from the university vice president, Dr. Rohana Bt Yusof . UM is one of Malaysia’s largest and most prestigious universities. The system of instruction and research found at UM, as well as its mechanism for international exchange left a marked impression on the TKU delegates, who hope to increase the frequency and depth of interaction between TKU and UM.

Subsequently, on the evening of March 3, the group took part in a banquet held by the Tamkang University Alumni Association of Malaysia. Held at the Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, the banquet not only celebrated the association’s 16th anniversary, but was also a lead-up event to the TKU World Alumni Association Biennial Conference, to be held in Kuala Lumpur this year. The event featured a range of entertaining performances, including a magic show and song performances from various eras.

The Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Wan-chin Tai, commented: “last year, when I took part in the association’s 15th anniversary celebrations, I was very impressed by the motivation and teamwork displayed by alumni members”.

SDGs

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