(Reported from Malaysia) President Chao Han-Chien of Fo Guang University led a delegation of professors, including Ma Yuan-Rong, Chao Tai-Shun, and Zhu Jia-Wen, on a six-day academic visit to universities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia starting on November 24. During their visit to Southern University College in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the two universities held in-depth discussions on future academic collaborations, faculty and student exchanges, and other international exchange programs.
Fo Guang University and Southern University College reached a consensus to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for future cooperation. The two institutions also planned a series of collaborative initiatives, including short-term joint programs, student and faculty exchange schemes, and Taiwan's TEEP internship program. President Chao expressed enthusiasm about the future collaboration and warmly invited Southern University College's faculty and students to visit Taiwan for a cultural and academic exchange tour around the island.
Southern University College highly valued this dialogue. Vice Chairman He Shun-Cheng, Board Member Lin Wen-Xian, Senior Professor Wang Run-Hua, and Public Relations Director Chen Jin-Yuan attended the meeting. Chairman Mo Ze-Hao emphasized that the two universities share similar educational philosophies and looked forward to broad collaborations in the future.
Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at Southern University College, Zhao Pei-Juan, highlighted the potential for innovative cooperation in the fields of art and design. She shared her memorable experience visiting Fo Guang Shan in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the integration of tradition and technology reshaped her perception of religious sites.
Venerable Ru Bin, the abbot of Fo Guang Shan Singapore-Malaysia Temple, remarked on the global trend of plant-based culture, which has attracted many Malaysian youth to Fo Guang University’s Department of Health and Creative Vegetarian Cuisine. Venerable He Feng from the same temple, along with President Lin Jin-Han, Vice Presidents Zhou Zhen-Wen and Li Li-Fang, and committee members Zhong Xiu-Feng and Huang San-Mei from the International Fo Guang Association of Malaysia’s Southern Region, also attended to witness the progress of this collaboration.
This exchange demonstrated a shared vision between Fo Guang University and Southern University College for international academic cooperation and laid a solid foundation for diverse future collaborations. President Chao’s commitment to expanding Fo Guang University’s global learning network and creating an internationalized campus underscores efforts to provide enriched learning opportunities for faculty and students.
