2023 NTU-UTokyo Joint Conference: Towards a Sustainable Future Challenges and Resilience

On December 7 and 8, 2023, National Taiwan University (NTU) and its strategic partner, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), held the NTU-UTokyo Joint Conference. Titled “Towards a Sustainable Future: Challenges and Resilience,” the conference featured two days of academic discussions on sustainability. UTokyo President Teruo Fujii led a total of 120 faculty and students to join 230 NTU faculty and students from 11 colleges. Both sides shared their research outcomes and learned a lot from one another through cross-cultural and disciplinary dialogues.

On the sustainability topic, NTU President Wen-Chang Chen brought up the NTU’s commitment to achieving 50% carbon neutrality in 2028 and the vision for 100% carbon neutrality by 2048; on the other hand, President Teruo Fujii looked forward to collaboration with NTU in innovative research, education, and societal development.

In the keynote speeches, the Deans of NTU College of Medicine, Prof. Yen-Hsuan Ni, and UTokyo Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Masaomi Nangaku, touched on the shared origin of NTU and UTokyo as branches of the former Imperial Universities. At the backstage of the joint conference, faculty members and students enthusiastically interacted and networked with one another, strengthening this historical and enduring friendship.

NTU and UTokyo have been in collaboration for nearly 20 years. This year’s event marks the 7th NTU-UTokyo Joint Conference since its inauguration in 2015. It created engagement opportunities for both universities and made strides in the East Asian academic landscape. On the foundation of this successful exchange event, we can expect more NTU-UTokyo collaborations to follow.