On November 16, five delegates from the Bejiing Institute of Technology (BIT), including the President, Dr. Hu Haiyan, arrived at Tamkang University’s Tamsui Campus, to attend the 7th Cross-strait Academic Symposium. During their visit, the President of BIT, Dr. Hu Haiyan, signed an agreement with the President of TKU, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, which inaugurated sister school relations between the universities, and took Tamkang’s tally of Mainland Chinese sister universities to thirty. The relationship will involve close academic collaboration and the implementation of student exchange initiatives.

After the formal signing process, President Chang delivered a short speech, in which she welcomed BIT into the vast network of TKU sister universities, and expressed her belief that the agreement will deliver real and practical chances for cooperation and exchange. President Chang explained that at present, most TKU students on exchange in Mainland China are students of arts, commerce, management, or international studies. She stated her hope that academic collaboration with BIT may increase the number of science and technology students going on exchange, and thus produce a more equal distribution of exchange students across TKU’s academic departments.

BIT is one of Mainland China’s 16 key universities; and in 2008 and 2009, the number of national science and technology awards earned by BIT placed it 4th and 6th respectively among universities nationwide.

After President Chang’s address, President Hu gave a brief outline of current developments at BIT, addressing topics such as student training, scientific research, and international cooperation. All TKU faculty and staff in attendance expressed deep praise for BIT’s academic and research based achievements, and voiced their earnest hope for close collaboration with BIT in the near future.