Dr. Hermenegildo Cohene Velázquez, President of the National University of Itapúa (Universidad Nacional de Itapúa), Paraguay, visited Tamkang University at 3:00 p.m. on November 27 to discuss the deepening of academic exchange and technological cooperation. Discussions focused on key areas including AI, agricultural technology, and water resources engineering, as well as topics such as the development of smart classrooms, promotion of research projects, and student exchange programs.
Accompanied by Yu-Lin Chen, Second Secretary of Education from the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, Dr. Cohene Velázquez was received by the Office of International Affairs and toured the University History Gallery to gain an understanding of the University’s educational philosophy and institutional development. He then visited the AI Reality Field, where he experienced a range of interactive installations integrating AI technologies. He was particularly impressed by faculty members’ use of interactive whiteboards for graphic-based instruction, as well as the advanced equipment and intelligent learning environment of the AI-enabled classrooms. He proactively inquired about the costs of smart classroom construction and system integration, hoping to utilize the experience as a valuable reference for future institutional planning.
The exchange forum was held in Room HC405 and chaired by Vice President for International Affairs Hsiao-Chuan Chen. Participants included Dean of International Affairs Chien-Mu Yeh, Chair of the Department of European Languages and Cultures Ching-Kuo Chang, Chair of the Department of Artificial Intelligence Kuo-Chung Yu, and Assistant Professor Jaesik Jeong. Vice President Chen provided an overview of the University’s recent achievements in globalization, sister-university partnerships, and the learning experiences of international students. Dr. Cohene Velázquez expressed high appreciation for the University’s strengths in language education, technological research and development, and global collaboration, and showed particular interest in its advancements in AI and intelligent control systems, expressing a strong desire to establish formal cooperative agreements.
During the meeting, Kuo-Chung Yu and Jaesik Jeong introduced the Agriculture-Oriented AI Advisory System (Change GBD for Agriculture), which is currently under development. The system is designed to provide intelligent decision-making support for farmers based on soil conditions, irrigation, climate, and pest management data. Given that Paraguay’s Itapúa Department is a central agricultural region with a stable climate and fertile land, and is home to the globally significant Itaipú Dam, both sides reached a shared understanding regarding cooperation in agricultural AI applications. The discussion also reviewed the firm foundation for educational collaboration between Taiwan and Paraguay, including the establishment of the Taiwan–Paraguay Polytechnic University in 2017, with Taiwan’s support. This institution has since produced multiple cohorts of graduates and stands as a key model of bilateral higher education collaboration.
To establish a long-term and stable partnership, both institutions reached a preliminary consensus to draft and sign a sister-university MOU and to initiate student exchange programs. The National University of Itapúa plans to send four students per year, or two students per semester, to study at Tamknag’s AI Department and related colleges. Both sides will also further explore the feasibility of joint degree programs in AI and information engineering, and encourage faculty members to engage in joint research or field studies to support the development of AI and semiconductor infrastructure and curricula at the National University of Itapúa.
