On March 14, Tamkang University concluded a formal partnership agreement with one of Japan’s more prestigious universities, the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS).

The move to form ties with TUFS was instigated by The Department of Japanese and the agreement was signed by the President of TKU, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, and the President of TUFS, Prof. Ikuo Kameyama. The partnership will involve exchange between students, faculty, and researchers, and mutual sharing of academic information, journals, and publications. In signing the agreement, TUFS becomes Tamkang University’s 116th sister university.

The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies is a well-known Japanese university that enjoys a prestigious reputation throughout Japan. Its strength lies in its diverse range of language programs that offer instruction in 26 languages from seven separate language families.

It has also established a pioneering Graduate School of Area and Culture Studies and a Research Institute of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa.

Tamkang University’s Department of Japanese has already enjoyed many years of close cooperation with TUFS. Such cooperation has taken the form of joint research programs, jointly held international conferences and long-distance education programs. The Section Chief of the International and Cross-Straight Exchange Section, Martha Kuo, explained that “signing the agreement will enable more extensive opportunities for academic interaction and exchange”.