Appalachian State University representatives visited NCKU to deepen academic ties.

On January 22, 2026, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) welcomed a senior delegation from Appalachian State University (App State), North Carolina, USA, marking a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral academic cooperation between the two institutions.

The delegation was led by Prof. Jeff Cohen, Assistant Vice Provost for International Programs, and Mr. Matthew Scarborough, Executive Assistant of the Office of International Programs. The visit focused on expanding existing collaborations and identifying new opportunities for institutional engagement. Discussions centered on strategic areas including international management education, Mandarin language programs, and interdisciplinary initiatives related to sustainability and climate resilience.

The meeting opened with welcome remarks by Chair Prof. Sun-Yuan Hsieh, Vice President for International Affairs at NCKU. Chair Prof. Hsieh expressed appreciation for the delegation’s visit and reaffirmed NCKU’s strong commitment to global academic excellence. He emphasized the university’s expectation that the partnership will continue to evolve toward a more integrated and comprehensive framework of cooperation.

During the discussions, Prof. Jeff Cohen commended NCKU’s leadership in interdisciplinary sustainability research and the academic strengths of its College of Management. He highlighted the importance of establishing structured mechanisms to support faculty collaboration and joint research, noting that such initiatives would generate meaningful contributions to the global academic community.

The dialogue identified several priority initiatives, including expanding student mobility programs, developing structured opportunities for visiting scholars and graduate researchers, and leveraging NCKU’s Chinese Language Center to enhance linguistic and cultural competence for App State students.

Building on their long-standing university-level exchange agreement, both institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing collaborative research, academic exchange, and global engagement.

Prof. Shin-Mei Kao from NCKU’s College of Liberal Arts noted that the university actively participates in the Fulbright Scholar and Student Exchange Program, with two Fulbright scholars currently engaged in academic exchange at the College. She also highlighted the Chinese Language Center’s customized language programs, which further support academic collaboration in Chinese language and literature.

Both parties expressed confidence that this renewed engagement will foster sustained collaboration and contribute to a resilient global academic network.
 

Vice President for International Affairs, Chair Prof. Sun-Yuan Hsieh, gave a warm welcome remark.