National Cheng Kung University and University of Southern California Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement to Target Industries with Forward-looking Development Prospects
In response to the post-pandemic era, Taiwan has actively engaged in developing “Six Core Strategic Industries.” One of the core industries is the “Taiwan precision health industry” which aims to create systems covering precise prevention, diagnosis, and nursing treatment, as well as expanding international biomedical business opportunities. In line with this goal, it is crucial to cultivate talents in the related fields. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO-LA) is pleased to share the good news about two top-notch higher education institutions in the US and Taiwan that are working together to cultivate talents in the precision health industry.
On May 24th, 2022 the University of Southern California (USC) and the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) virtually signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC), kicking off the partnership between the two universities, including jointly offering “dual degrees” programs. NCKU students will have access to enroll in the 3-year "Master's degree program" or 5-year "BS plus Master's degree program" and will obtain degrees from the two universities. This innovative partnership will see NCKU students coming to the USC campus as early as the Fall 2022 semester. In addition, the MOC also provides opportunities for researchers of the NCKU Medical Device Innovation Center and USC International Regulatory Science Center to conduct research and exchange visits.
According to a USC news release, regulatory science and biomedical engineering are rapidly growing and are high demand fields. The partnership leverages the expertise of the USC School of Pharmacy and NCKU’s College of Engineering creating two new interdisciplinary degree program options for NCKU students in regulatory science and biomedical engineering, in addition to providing numerous opportunities for international education and research exchange between the two institutions.
A press release from NCKU also points out that regulatory science plays a key role in the research and development of new drug products and testing and is indispensable for the launch of medical devices and materials. Through the MOC, students majoring in biomedical engineering at NCKU, which is a leader in Taiwan’s biomedical engineering, will have opportunities to study at the USC Department of Regulatory and Quality Sciences, which is the one and only institution that confers a doctorate in regulatory science, and participate in the annual summer programs or workshops hosted by USC. Likewise, NCKU welcomes students and teachers from USC to visit and jointly hold micro-courses related to regulatory science. The partnership does not only substantially enhance the interactions of students and teachers between the two universities but also expands their visions and international links.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles is pleased to witness the substantive cooperation between Taiwan-US higher institutions in areas with forward-looking development prospects. TECO-LA hopes to create unique educational opportunities for students and teachers of both institutions and to continuously deepen the bilateral educational relations while jointly cultivating talents for mutual benefits and formulating a win-win situation.