Chang Gung University Welcomed the Western Sydney University Delegation Led by President Barney Glover and Signed International Exchange MOU

Office of International Affairs

Chang Gung University (CGU) welcomed the delegation from Western Sydney University (WSU), led by the Vice-Chancellor and President Barney Glover AO, on Friday October 21, 2022. CGU President Ming-Je Tang and WSU Vice-Chancellor Glover marked the occasion by signing international exchange MOU between the two universities. They discussed the details of global collaborations and student exchange programs in Chinese Medicine, Nursing, Sports Science, and TESOL. Twenty two CGU faculty members from various research areas participated in the meeting and discussion. The WSU delegation was the first international delegation invited by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia to visit Taiwan after the pandemic border entry regulations to Taiwan were alleviated in mid-October.  The signing ceremony between CGU and WSU was witnessed by the MOE representatives.

According to the Office of International Affairs in CGU, Western Sydney University has 13 schools, which match all research areas of CGU. Both CGU and Western Sydney University are ranked approximately 500 in the QS University World Rankings in 2023. Western Sydney University has 36,033 students, whereas Chang Gung University has a finer student-faculty ratio of 11:1. By signing the MOU, two universities will embark on research collaborations and student exchange as well as the faculty exchange programs.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by distinguished guests from the Department of International and Cross-strait Education of the Ministry of Education. President Ming-Je Tang and Vice-Chancellor Glover represented their respective universities to sign the international exchange MOU. Apart from discussing future collaborations, the Western Sydney University delegation also visited the CGU Gallery of Traditional Chinese Medicine, accompanied by CGU Professor Chih-Wei Yang, vice president and dean of College of Medicine, Professor Thomas KF Lei, dean of International Affairs, and Professor Hsien-Hong Yang, chair of CGU School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Inside the gallery displayed numerous precious collections of books and various Chinese herbal medicines. The gallery introduced Virtual Reality (VR) to assist with acupuncture teaching, which fascinated the guests. The WSU delegates experienced the VR acupuncture and had an impressive tour in the gallery.

Despite the global border control due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Chang Gung University still managed to send 90 students abroad for internship and student exchange. In response to the unavailability of foreign exchange students, Chang Gung University introduced its very first 2022 Virtual Exchange Program, attracting nearly a hundred students from foreign sister schools. This enabled foreign exchange students to participate in online international learning. As such, the pandemic did not stop foreign students from communicating with Chang Gung University’s teachers and students. Teachers and students from Chang Gung University also had meaningful interactions with foreign students.

Chang Gung University has made new global partnerships in 2022, including the Sorbonne University in France, Indian Institutes of Technology, University of New York in Prague, University of Malaya in Malaysia, Thammasat University in Thailand, Chiang Mai University in Thailand, and the latest partnership was with the Western Sydney University. With the gradual opening of country borders, here comes the arrival of a post-pandemic era. Chang Gung University will uphold its original goals and actively build a high-quality university centered on students, providing high levels of international mobility for both teachers and students.

Chang Gung University President, Professor Ming-Je Tang (left) and Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO (right) after the signing of the MOU	Group photograph of the Chang Gung University and the Western Sydney University representatives
Western Sydney University delegation visited the CGU Gallery of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with Chang Gung University representatives	Western Sydney University delegation experienced the VR acupuncture at the Gallery of Traditional Chinese Medicine.