Introduction

_________________

Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to address complex global challenges. The UCSD-NCHU Joint Symposium, established in 2019, fosters partnerships between the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and National Chung Hsing University (NCHU). This annual event brings together researchers from diverse fields, including optics, photonics, communications, and emerging technologies, to drive innovation, share groundbreaking research, and build lasting collaborations. By integrating science, technology, and agriculture, the symposium addresses critical global issues.

The origins of this collaboration trace back to 2018 with the establishment of the ENgineering in Agriculture and Biotech Leadership (ENABLE) Center at NCHU, under the leadership of Prof. Charles W. Tu, a Yushan Scholar. The ENABLE Center was created to bridge the gap between science, technology, and agricultural biotechnology, fostering interdisciplinary research projects that address real-world problems. Beyond supervising and supporting cross-field research teams, the ENABLE Center provides a vital platform for collaborations, offering initial funding to promote interdisciplinary and cross-industry partnerships to create impactful and practical outcomes.

To scale up this vision, the ENABLE/IDCSA/SMARTer Annual Meeting was integrated with the UCSD-NCHU Joint Symposium, expanding its scope and fostering deeper academic exchanges. The event enhances researcher mobility, broadens participation, and strengthens institutional ties. Together, these initiatives aspire to establish a globally recognized platform for cross-disciplinary innovation, addressing critical global issues while setting a benchmark for sustainable and impactful academic collaboration.