2024 HAWtech Study Visit to Taiwan

The "HAWtech Alliance of Germany" was formed in 2009 by six universities of applied sciences, including Hochschule Esslingen, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden, Hochschule Darmstadt , Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, Fachhochschule Aachen, Hochschule Karlsruhe.

In 2017, they joined with six Taiwanese universities of science and technology to form the TAItech Alliance, which includes Taiwan Tech, Taipei Tech, NCUT, YunTech, NFU, NKUST. The alliance aims to promote bilateral exchange programs, summer schools, and other initiatives between Taiwan and Germany.

President Yang Neng-Shu of YunTech, who served as the chair of the TAItech, stated that many exchange and collaboration programs were hindered in recent years due to the pandemic. He expressed his honor in being the host school on behalf of Taiwan after the pandemic, helping to restart suspended programs. Additionally, President Yang highlighted the goal of expanding the alliance's future collaboration from student exchanges to include academic research collaborations between professors, joint publications, and laboratory partnerships. 

The "2024 HAWtech Study Visit" event, organized by the TAItech Alliance, takes place from September 4th to September 12th, with labs tour, Mandarin language courses, and cultural experiences at six TAItech alliance schools in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. President Yang mentioned that through regular exchange visits, German students could gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan, attracting them to participate in exchange programs. Moreover, Taiwan's Ministry of Education offers the TEEP program (Taiwan Experience Education Program) to provide German students with internship opportunities in Taiwan. He also noted that face-to-face discussions enable both sides to communicate and adjust future cooperation goals in real-time, further deepening bilateral higher education cooperation. 

During the German delegation's visit to YunTech, they learned about Taiwan's geographic position and its relationship with the global trade market. Through a detailed introduction by Ms. Luo Yu-Han, International Coordinator of the Office of International Affairs, the German students gained in-depth knowledge about the university's exchange programs and plan to apply for exchange next year. In addition, the Office of International Affairs invited Ms. Yen Chia-Ling from the Chinese Language Center to teach two courses: Basic Mandarin and Common Shopping Phrases. The students actively participated in the classes, practicing pronunciation through dialogue exercises. Afterward, they visited various teaching facilities, such as the Design and Media Promotion Center, Creative Workshop, and Polymer Materials Lab, yielding fruitful results.