On August 28, Tamkang University’s Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering signed the MOU on the 4+1 Integrated Curricula Collaboration with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The signing took place under the joint certification of Prof. Chien-Mu Yeh, Dean of International Affairs at Tamkang, and Prof. Yaowen Yang, Associate Vice President for Lifelong Learning at NTU. The agreement was formally signed by Prof. Chih-Hsin Chen, Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Cheng-Lan Lin, Chair of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, and Prof. Chiba Shunsuke, Chair of NTU’s School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB). This collaboration aims to strengthen international education in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology, while providing students with a more competitive platform for study and development.
According to the agreement, undergraduate students from the two departments at Tamkang will be eligible, upon graduation, to seamlessly continue their studies at NTU in one of 4 master’s programs: MSc in Chemical Sciences and Instrumentation, MSc in Chemical Engineering, MSc in Biomedical Engineering, and MSc in Chemical Modelling. Students may earn a master’s degree in as little as one year, or alternatively, they may directly pursue doctoral studies upon graduation.
Prof. Chen emphasized that the signing of this MOU represents an important opportunity for students: “Our graduates can now directly enter top master’s programs at a world-class university without going through individual application processes. For students aspiring to pursue advanced studies abroad and engage in international exchange, this is undoubtedly a valuable opportunity. It will not only enhance their academic competitiveness but also deepen educational collaboration between the two institutions, providing Tamkang students with richer learning resources and future development opportunities.”
Prof. Lin expressed gratitude for Prof. Chen’s active efforts in bringing this partnership to fruition. He stated that this collaboration not only opens a smoother pathway for Tamkang students to pursue further studies, allowing them to directly enter master’s programs at a world-class university once they meet the language and academic requirements, but also provides a rare opportunity to broaden their international horizons and cultivate cross-disciplinary skills. He expressed hope that students will make full use of these resources, embrace challenges, and accumulate international experience to lay a solid foundation for future research and career development.
Ranked 15th globally and 3rd in Asia in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, NTU is recognized as one of the world’s leading institutions. The collaboration originated when Prof. Chen visited Singapore in July 2024 to attend the 10th International Conference on Technological Advances of Thin Films and Surface Coatings (ThinFilms2024), during which he visited NTU and met with Prof. Kanyi Pu, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, and Prof. Yanli Zhao, Associate Chair of Chemistry, to discuss student exchanges, dual-degree programs, and joint research. In January 2025, Prof. Chen invited Prof. Han Sen Soo from NTU’s CCEB to Tamkang for a lecture, where they finalized the direction and details of cooperation, culminating in the signing of this formal MOU.
