New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy yesterday led a delegation to visit Taipei and witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), Rutgers University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).
The agreement is intended to promote academic and cultural ties between Taiwan and the US state, cultivate international talent and forge a close academic partnership, the two sides said.
Murphy said he is the first sitting New Jersey governor to visit Taiwan, a move that demonstrates his commitment to the advancement of bilateral ties.
Photo: Yang Chin-chieh, Taipei Times
New Jersey is a global leader in life sciences, fintech and infrastructure, key areas of investments for Taiwan, Murphy said, adding that the state also has the fourth-highest per capita Asian-American population of US states, or nearly 1 million people.
“By deepening our cultural and academic ties, the two sides would help generate good-paying jobs for people on both sides of the Pacific,” the governor said prior to the ceremony. “I am proud to highlight New Jersey as the best place for Taiwanese innovators and entrepreneurs to expand, grow and reach new consumers.”
The agreement would not only help New Jersey to boost its partnership with Taipei Tech, but also paves the way for technological innovations and research breakthroughs, Murphy added.
Photo: Yang Chin-chieh, Taipei Times
Taipei Tech president Wang Sea-fue (王錫福) said that his institution and the New Jersey Institute of Technology also have an alliance and the two sides yesterday inked an agreement to support exchanges of researchers.
Taipei Tech signed an agreement with Rutgers University to show that it is serious about working with US institutes of higher education, Wang said.
As Taiwan’s oldest tech institute, Taipei Tech has produced many entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), chairman of smartphone and personal computer assembler Pegatron Corp (和碩); Paul Peng (彭双浪), chairman of flat-panel maker AUO Corp (友達); and Robert Yeh (葉寅夫), chairman of LED product maker Everlight Electronics Co (億光), Wang said.
Its record means Taipei Tech can help in the pursuit of a better life and is an important bridge between the academic and industrial communities, he said.
New Jersey Institute of Technology president Teik Lim said that his institution is a top polytechnic in the US whose alumni enjoy the highest annual salary, accoding to a New York Times survey this year.
Lim has promoted academic cooperation between Taipei Tech and US universities, including joint degree programs and joint graduate programs during his time as president of the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at other US universities.
Lim said he is delighted that cooperation with Taipei Tech has expanded into fields such as biology, material sciences, sustainable energy, robotics, as well as smart machinery, smart transportation and supply chain management.
Taipei Tech and the New Jersey Institute of Technology would take on three joint research projects every year, with the US institute to provide assistance to deepen bilateral academic links aimed at improving society and the economy, Lim said.
Antonio Calcado, vice president and chief operating officer of Rutgers University, said that the agreement would allow Rutgers’ school of engineering to build academic cooperation and international education links, as well as develop innovative technology.
That would benefit students in their academic and professional careers, Calcado said.
Rutgers University is the largest public research university in New Jersey and its New Brunswick campus ranks as one of the top 15 public universities in the US.
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
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The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
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