December 29, 2008: The Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan and the College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences of University College Dublin (UCD) – National University of Ireland, Dublin, have finalized a partnership agreement and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), covering student and faculty exchange and research collaboration on cultural, technological and scientific cooperation. An area of special interest is the collaboration in the field of renewable energy and nanotechnology.

The MOU was signed on Friday, December 26th, 2008, by Professor Hweng-Hwung Hwung, the NCKU senior executive vice president and Professor Chen-Ching Liu, associate dean of the UCD College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

Professor Hweng-Hwung Hwung said that Ireland and Taiwan have in common geography, oceanic resource, technology advancement and economic development. “It is expected that the academic research, industry development and global reputation could be promoted through the communication and collaboration between both sides,” added Professor Hwung, the SEVP of NCKU.

Professor Chen-Ching Liu of UCD expected more university-scale academic activities undergoing in the future after inking the MOU, instead of currently limited topics on energy and hydraulics. “UCD is interested in not only energy, but also in biology, medicine and nanotechnology,” added Professor Liu from UCD.

Professor Hwung stressed that after singing the MOU, more communications and substantial collaborations should be taken into practice. “The NCKU Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory could be activated as the onset point of collaboration, such as to co-organize conferences, and professors should be encouraged to seek long-term substantial collaboration,” said Professor Hwung. In addition, Professor Hwung, the NCKU SEVP, also promised to financially support the collaboration between both sides.