"Approximately 120 members from university presidents on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao visited Taiwan July 20th to 26th for the 9th Cross-Strait, Hong Kong and Macao University President Conference. University System of Taiwan President Ovid Tzeng oversaw the event, which was hosted by Taiwan University and Chiao Tung University, with another fifteen people from Tamkang University and Chin Men University helping to organize the forum. On July 21st, the first stage of the Forum for University Presidents from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Macao was held in the Clement Chang International Conference Hall on the Lanyang campus with President Flora Chia-I Chang presiding, and with speeches given by Ministry of Education Minister Chiang Wei-ling, former Taiwan University President Chen Wei-Chao, former Beijing University President Zhou Qifeng, Ovid Tzeng and other dignitaries. In the afternoon an exchange of ideas touched on “The State Higher Education Development in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Macao" and “The Chinese Joint Online Teaching Platform and the Promotion of Integrated Cooperation between Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Macao."Tamkang University arranged for a delegation to visit Kinmen on the 25th. In a visit on August 4th, a cooperation agreement was signed between Kinmen University, Kinmen Kaoliang Co. and the Guningtou War Museum. A commemorative bottle of Kaoliang was presented at the conference to ensure fond memories of the event.
The school admissions team visited Malaysia from June 21 to 27 to attend the 2013 Malaysian Higher Education Expo held in Sabah State’s Kota Kinabula, Batu Pahat and Kuala Lumpur by the Malaysia Alumni Association of Taiwan in order to enroll new students. Many students and their parents were drawn to the event to make enquiries, with local alumni providing support and assistance. Chen Wan-Ling with the enrollment team said that the Departments of Mass Communication, State-Owned Enterprises, Business Administration, Architecture, Aerospace Engineering and Japanese received the most inquiries from local senior high school students. On the 27th President Flora Chang led Academic Vice President Yu Gwo-hsing, Dean of International and Cross-Strait Affairs Dr. Pei Wha Chi Lee, Alumni Services and Resources Development Executive Director Peng Chun-young and others to the site to gain a better understanding of admission circumstances.
In addition to visiting sister school Sunway University from the 27th to the 29th during this trip to Malaysia in order to deepen scholastic cooperation and exchange between Tamkang and Sunway, President Chang, along with Ministry of Education Minister Chiang Wei-ling and the ROC’s Overseas Community Affairs Council Chairman Wu Ying-yih, joined in the Malaysia Alumni Association of Taiwan’s Chinese Night Anniversary activities. They enjoyed Tamkang Night on the evening of the 28th with the warm hospitality of local alumni, who actively passed on feedback to their alma mater with the enthusiastic increase then and there of donations from NT$600,000 to NT$1.7 million. The TKU Malaysia Alumni Association decided to pledge up to NT$3 million, and a medium-sized conference room at the Shou Chien International Conference Center is to be named after the alumni association. Peng Chun-young stated that as a result of last year’s biennial World Alumni Association, even more friendship has been expressed by alumni for their alma mater, making fundraising more fruitful.
During the visit, President Chang agreed to an interview with Malaysia’s Oriental Daily News, during which she spoke freely about the unique local internationalized holistic education that Tamkang is building at the Lanyang campus, with more than 90% of the courses being taught in English. Moreover, a cordial welcome has been extended to students from Malaysia to study at Tamkang University. Peng Chun-young said that this trip reaped a rich harvest, and that the enthusiasm of the local alumni as well as their alma mater team spirit could really be felt.
