The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) successfully hosted a vibrant Eid al-Fitr celebration on March 31, 2025, bringing together students, faculty, and local community members for a joyous occasion. Supported by NCKU Vice President for International Affairs, Chair Professor Sun-Yuan Hsieh, the Office of International Affairs (OIA), the Association of Taiwan People’s Social Welfare, and the Tainan Labor Department, the event emphasized inclusivity, cultural appreciation, and unity.

Following his receipt of the Raymond D. Mindlin Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) last year, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Yushan Scholar Professor Jiun-Shyan Chen of the Department of Civil Engineering has been awarded the John von Neumann Medal, the highest honor from the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM), in recognition of his contributions to computational mechanics. While maintaining long-term collaborations with the domestic academic community, he expressed that Taiwan places great emphasis on hardware development, but there is still room for growth in software and scientific computing.

From March 24 to 29, a delegation from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) visited Auburn University (AU) in Alabama and Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) in New Orleans to deepen academic collaboration, particularly through the Huayu BEST program, an initiative dedicated to promoting Mandarin Chinese education and cultural exchange. The delegation also met with city officials in New Orleans to explore broader partnerships between NCKU and local institutions. The growth of NCKU’s collaboration with U.S. institutions has been made possible through initiatives and financial support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with special support from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (TECO) in Atlanta and Houston.

The delegation of 44 participants from Thailand’s Mahidol University (MU) Executive Development Program (MU-EDP), led by Ms. Nara Pao-in, Vice President for People Management and Organization Development, visited National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) on March 21. This visit aims to facilitate an in-depth exchange between the two universities, focusing on key areas such as end-to-end research, technology transfer and commercialization strategies, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as innovative planning and design research for societal well-being. Additionally, the application of artificial intelligence in higher education and research, as well as talent management and development in future scenarios, are also topics for discussion.