Taiwan–Japan Collaboration To Train Outstanding Young Scientists
A cooperation agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Education’s Youth Development Administration and Kyoto University for the university to train four young science researchers from Taiwan, under the auspices of the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative project. The agreement was signed on September 4, 2026 by Dr. Susumu Kitagawa 北川進, executive vice president for research promotion at Kyoto University and one of the three joint winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and by Deputy Director General Chen Yi-Cong 諶亦聰. Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Liu Kuo-wei 劉國偉 witnessed the signing.
Dr. Kitagawa visited the Ministry of Education in Taiwan to sign the cooperation agreement on behalf of the university. Taiwan’s Minister of Education Dr. Cheng Ying-Yao 鄭英耀 hosted a welcome dinner for Dr. Kitagawa on September 4 and said the Ministry looks forward to working hand in hand with Kyoto University. Supporting two-way cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in fields such as basic research, cutting-edge technology, and the social sciences will provide young students in Taiwan and Japan with more opportunities to help increase academic knowledge.
Dr. Kitagawa expressed his delight to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to jointly train highly skilled professionals. He expressed hope that the insights gained by the young researchers participating in the program’s research activities would be applied to future research, education, and social initiatives on a global scale. He also expressed hope that this collaboration would facilitate joint research and foster long-term mutual trust. Kyoto University will continue working together with Taiwan to contribute to global academic development and training highly skilled people.
The signing of this cooperation agreement will open new pathways for Taiwanese students to pursue advanced studies abroad. It will also provide an opportunity to further strengthen the long-term cooperation and academic ties between Taiwan and Japan related to higher education and cutting-edge scientific research.