Advancing Taiwan–Belgium Higher Education Ties
Dr. Lee Yu-Jiuan 李毓娟, Director General of the Ministry of Education’s Department of International and Cross-strait Education, and Prof. Wu Cheng-Chih吳正己, then Chair of FICHET – the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan, led a delegation of 27 representatives of 17 universities in Taiwan to Europe in June, 2025 to enhance academic exchange and bilateral cooperation in higher education and research. On June 19 the delegation took part in a Taiwan–Belgium Roundtable on Higher Education and Research. This was jointly organized by FICHET, the Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur (ARES) of the General Education Administration of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and the Education Division at the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium and held in Brussels.
It was attended by 33 Belgian officials representing the Wallonia-Brussels Federation government and 14 institutions of higher education. Prof. Laurence Ris, Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Mons and Chair of the ARES International Relations Committee, Dr. Roy Chun Lee 李淳, Taiwan’s Representative in the EU and Belgium, Prof. Wu Cheng-Chih, and Dominique Denis, Director of International Relations at the Wallonia-Brussels General Education Administration, each gave opening remarks. Dr. Lee spoke about the strong foundations of the higher education and research sector in Taiwan and its counterpart in Belgium, their complementary respective strengths, and Taiwan’s commitment to maintaining and increasing its academic and research collaborations with Belgium.
Presentations on higher education and research in Taiwan and in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and current related developments were followed by two roundtable discussion sessions that addressed a range of collaboration possibilities. The focus of the first session was on strengthening collaboration between institutions, and student and academic staff mobility, joint research projects, the setting up of dual degree programs, international internships, and short-term study visits were all discussed. The second session was divided into two parallel roundtable discussions: one was on the key areas of the humanities, the social sciences, management, and the arts, and the other was on biotechnology and nanotechnology. Leading officials from universities in Taiwan and Belgium moderated discussion of proposals of models to boost practical cooperation between several universities, conduct joint research centers, train highly skilled workers, and share research infrastructure and resources.
The roundtable concluded with remarks given by Charline Cauwe, Director for International Relations at ARES, and by Dr. Lee Yu-Jiuan, Director General of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education. They both reaffirmed the importance of continuing to engage in dialogue and maintain the current policies that support long-term academic interaction and collaboration between institutions in Taiwan and Belgium, and between those in Taiwan and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The delegation also had discussions with participating officials from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture about the latest developments in the Erasmus+ Programme, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and Taiwan’s participation in these programs.
After the roundtable the delegation visited KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and met with the university’s newly elected rector, Professor Severine Vermeire, who was going to officially assume office on August 1, and three vice rectors and had enthusiastic discussions about prospects for ongoing bilateral academic exchanges and collaboration. They also conducted a briefing session on the Ministry of Education’s Yushan Scholar Program—designed to attract outstanding Taiwanese scholars to return to Taiwan—and the range of teaching and research positions available in institutions of higher education. It was attended by approximately 30 doctoral students and young scholars.
The delegation’s final official visit in Belgium was to imec (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre), where they discussed current and potential collaborations related to bilateral research, student and staff exchanges, and the application of emerging technologies.
The roundtable and visits are examples of Taiwan’s continued efforts to foster inclusive academic partnerships, and enhance the international visibility and competitiveness of its higher education sector.
