To strengthen inter-university academic exchange and promote collaboration in teaching and research within the life sciences field, the Department of Biotechnology at Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), together with the academic leadership team of KMU’s College of Life Sciences, visited Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology on May 5 for a formal academic exchange. The visit focused on cooperation in teaching, research, and student recruitment, with the aim of leveraging the complementary strengths of higher education and technical-vocational education systems to jointly cultivate future talent in biomedical and life science fields.
The delegation was led by Dean Shih-Neng Hsu of the College of Life Sciences, KMU. Members included Chair Wei-Yu Lin of the Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Chair Wei-Ting Liao of the Department of Biotechnology, Chair Pei-Fen Liu of the Department of Biomedical and Environmental Biology, and Director Jun-Ying Huang of the undergraduate and graduate programs of the College of Life Sciences. The delegation arrived in the morning and engaged in in-depth exchanges with faculty members of Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
The host institution was led by President Pi-Eh Lee, who personally welcomed the delegation together with senior academic administrators. President Lee, who was seconded from KMU to serve as president of Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology last year, noted that although KMU and Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology belong to different educational systems—higher education and technical-vocational education respectively—their missions in training healthcare-related professionals are closely aligned. She emphasized that KMU’s Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry and Central Taiwan University’s Department of Pharmacy demonstrate strong complementarity in curriculum design, research focus, and talent cultivation, offering significant potential for collaboration. In addition, KMU’s Department of Biotechnology and Department of Biomedical and Environmental Biology could form effective synergies with Central Taiwan University’s Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology and Department of Food and Nutrition, thereby creating greater opportunities for inter-institutional cooperation in both teaching and research.
During the exchange, both sides introduced their institutional strengths and departmental development features, and engaged in extensive discussions on teaching innovation and research capacity in medical sciences, life sciences, pharmaceutical chemistry, and biotechnology. They also exchanged views on potential future collaboration, demonstrating strong mutual consensus for partnership.
Dean Shih-Neng Hsu of the College of Life Sciences, KMU, highly commended Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology for its 58-year history and its solid foundation in professional talent cultivation, specialized academic programs, and teaching facilities. He noted that the university’s achievements in medical and technical-vocational education could further enhance cross-university collaboration within the higher education system, thereby strengthening overall teaching and research capacity.
During the visit, Chair Wei-Ting Liao of the Department of Biotechnology, KMU, emphasized that this exchange facilitates the integration of teaching and research resources between higher education and technical-vocational systems, thereby strengthening both biotechnology talent development and practical application capabilities.
In addition, Chair Liao and Dean Yu-Lin Yang of the College of Medical and Health Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, reached a consensus to promote future cooperation in curriculum sharing, student internships, and joint research projects. In particular, both parties will focus on collaborative research and resource integration in stem cells, telomere biology, and age-related degenerative diseases. They aim to gradually establish an institutionalized cooperation mechanism, deepen strategic inter-university alliances, and enhance overall research, teaching capacity, and industry linkage.
This visit not only signifies the further deepening of collaboration between KMU’s College of Life Sciences and Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, but also lays a solid foundation for future strategic alliances between KMU’s Department of Biotechnology and its counterpart institutions. Both sides expressed their expectation to enhance competitiveness in higher education through resource sharing and complementary strengths, jointly ushering in a new era in life sciences and medical education.
(May 5, 2026)
