UWB aims to expand cooperation with universities in Taiwan

International Cooperation Science and research

Representatives of eleven Taiwanese universities met in Pilsen to discuss new opportunities for scientific and research projects, as well as expanding exchange programs — not only in technical fields but also in linguistics, the arts, and other areas.

From semiconductors and new propulsion technologies to Czech-language courses and art residencies, representatives of Asian universities within the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan (UAAT) presented key areas for potential collaboration during their visit to Pilsen on Thursday, December 11. They also learned about the opportunities offered by the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, meeting with its leadership as well as representatives of individual faculties and research centers.

“Partnership with the UWB is very important to us; its portfolio is closely aligned with ours. The Czech Republic is also a key strategic partner for us — in fact, our only partner in Europe,” emphasized Chung-Chih Wu, Vice President for Research and Development at National Taiwan University (NTU), highlighting the importance of cooperation for the UAAT alliance. According to him, the alliance would especially welcome more exchange programs for both students and faculty.

The UWB is also interested in expanding exchange opportunities. “I hope these discussions will lead to new partnerships and collaborations,” said UWB Rector Miroslav Lávička during the meeting with the 27-member delegation. He also praised the current cooperation with Taiwan and expressed gratitude for the strong relations.

The University of West Bohemia currently cooperates with 13 Taiwanese universities, four of which are members of the UAAT alliance: National Central University (NCU), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) and National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech). So far, joint projects have focused mainly on collaboration with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in areas such as power electronics, chip design and electromobility. One of the ongoing projects is the development of a hybrid hydrogen propulsion system. According to Jan Michalík, Vice Dean for International Relations and Communication, the faculty intends to continue working with Taiwanese experts.

The Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art also already collaborate with Taipei Tech. Sutnar Faculty currently exchanges students with the Taiwanese partner only occasionally, but Vice Dean for External and International Relations Andrea Sloupová aims to expand this collaboration and involve more universities in the future. In addition to Taipei Tech, FAV also has joint projects with NTUST, including materials research and studies of the Earth’s gravitational field.

The presentations by Taiwanese universities also attracted interest from other UWB faculties. For example, Tereza Havránková, Vice Dean for Internationalization at the Faculty of Education, already has a clear vision: she wants to collaborate with National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in the field of linguistics, focusing not only on student and faculty exchanges but also on research. Stanislav Balík, Dean of the Faculty of Law, did not rule out the possibility of inviting Taiwanese lecturers to teach international law.

The delegation of 26 academics and researchers from UAAT universities was accompanied to Pilsen by Ting-Fu Hong, Director for Science and Technology at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague. Together, they visited laboratories at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences and the studios at the Faculty of Design and Art. They also visited research centers RICE, RTI, NTIS, and NTC.

Taiwan is a global leader in information and communication technologies and is home to a top-tier semiconductor and IT hardware industry. The Taiwanese economy is also actively involved in developing cloud technologies, AI products and software services. For the University of West Bohemia, Taiwan offers both academic and commercial opportunities. In the field of semiconductor chips, UWB already collaborates with the Taiwanese giant TSMC.