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繁 Yuan Ze University, aiming for sustainable development and expanding student sources, has established an Education Collaboration Center in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world. On July 31, 2024, Yuan Ze University and Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia (AJCUI) jointly set up the "YZU X AJCUI Collaboration Center" in Jakarta.
Distinguished guests, including Yuan Ze University President Ching-Jong Liao, AJCUI President Yuda Turana, Deputy Representative from the Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Indonesia Sheng-Peng Chen, Education Division Director Grace Ou, Overseas Community Affairs Council Member Wen-Guang Cheng, Chairman of the Indonesia Federation of Taiwan Alumni Associations Ijoh Dulong, Jakarta Taiwan Alumni Association Director Li Wei-Hua, and other alumni and sister school representatives, gathered to attend the opening ceremony.
President Liao, Ching-Jong expressed that Yuan Ze University aims to become the most internationalized university in Taiwan. Establishing this collaboration center in Indonesia is not only for exporting education but also to strengthen industry-academia-government collaboration across Indonesia, enhancing educational quality and international competitiveness. AJCUI President Yuda Turana stated that the foundation of collaboration lies in the engineering schools of both universities. Establishing this educational collaboration center marks a significant step forward, allowing for deeper collaboration in engineering, medicine, management, and information technology. Representative Sheng-Peng Chen noted that although Taiwan lacks natural resources, it ranks among the top 25 economies in the world, largely due to its excellent higher education system, which nurtures many talents. Indonesian students now form the second-largest group of foreign students in Taiwan. Establishing the YZU X AJCUI Collaboration Center will further enhance exchanges between both parties.
Yuan Ze University Global Affairs Office Chief Yun-Chia Liang emphasized that Indonesia ranks second in terms of the number of international students at Yuan Ze. For the 2023 academic year, the number of degree and non-degree Indonesian students at Yuan Ze increased by 53% compared to the previous year. For three consecutive years, the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology has sent government scholarship students to Yuan Ze for exchange programs, with the number of students sent for the 2024 academic year nearly doubling to 22, indicating recognition of Yuan Ze's educational quality by the Indonesian government and students.
The opening ceremony featured traditional Chinese music and Indonesian Tabuh Gone performances. Two keynote speeches introduced development trends and cultures of Taiwan and Indonesia, followed by a tour of the collaboration center. The center, spanning 60 square meters, serves various functions, including promoting Yuan Ze's enrollment efforts, facilitating academic and cultural exchanges, training international industry-academia talents, offering Chinese language courses and popular field lectures, serving as a base for Yuan Ze's Indonesian alumni, and assisting degree students, exchange students, and interns with visa matters.
Amid Taiwan's declining birth rate, the Ministry of Education is vigorously promoting plans to attract and retain international students. In contrast, about half of Indonesia's population is under 30 years old, indicating a vibrant demographic. By establishing an educational cooperation center in Indonesia, Yuan Ze University strives for sustainable development and aims to help Indonesian students come to Taiwan's "technology island" for their development, creating a shared future.
