Peking University, April 12, 2013: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) is regarded as the strongest discipline of National Taiwan University (NTU), while the School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) is the largest school of PKU. The two have so much in common that now they are taking a further step in cooperation by joining forces in postgraduate education.

Professor Kuo Sy-Yen, dean of College of EECS, NTU, with several vice deans and other professors of the college, paid their second-time visit to their counterpart at PKU on April 1, after having made acquaintances during the NTU Day held at PKU back in December, 2010.

Dean Kuo Sy-Yen and Dean Mei Hong gave a mutual update of the current situation of teaching, research, academic exchanges and cooperation of EECS at NTU and PKU respectively before signing an agreement of dual master’s degree program. The two parties also held a heated discussion about the details of exchange program and other forms of communication and cooperation, all seen as very promising thanks to the similarities they shared in discipline constructions and others.

Dean Kuo Sy-Yen (right) and Dean Mei Hong (left) signed the agreement

During the second PKU-NTU Forum on EECS that followed, two groups of joint research partners delivered academic reports of their projects. Professor Lin Ching-Fuh from NTU lectured on “Si photonics on non-SOI substrate for optical interconnect applications” and Professor Zhou Zhiping from PKU lectured on “Opportunity and challenge for silicon photonics in multicore processors”, while in the other group, Professor Hung Yi-Ping from NTU gave a speech on “Human computer interaction and its applications in cultural heritage” and Professor Wang Yizhou delivered “Wandering along the River during Ching-Ming Festival.”

Afterwards, the NTU delegation visited several key laboratories and research centers in the school of EECS companied by professors at PKU, during which research progresses were further shared.

In the concluding speech of the event, Dean Mei Hong reflected on the first PKU-NTU Forum on EECS when he visited NTU as a member of PKU delegation back in May, 2011. He emphasized that this form of communication should be kept on as a tradition and expressed his hope that an even closer, more detailed and practically oriented partnership could be built in the near future.

The close relations in EECS between the two universities provide just a snapshot of the grandeur of the ever growing mutual communication and cooperation. The bond between PKU and NTU is deeply rooted and has been more actively maintained in recent years. The highlights are a series of events held to celebrate NTU Day at PKU in 2010 and PKU Day at NTU in 2011.

Extended Reading

The history between PKU and NTU

During Fu’s short presidency in NTU (1949-50), he presided over the foundation of its institutional frame, which was to a great extent based on the traditions of PKU. He also emphasized the internal spirit of NTU mainly as an all-embracing attitude to the freedom of thoughts and the pursuit of truth – "Cultivate virtue, advance intellect; love one's country, love one's people," now motto of the university. After his death, NTU built “Fuyuan Garden” on campus in memory of his pioneering contribution.

Professor Qian Siliang (Chien Szu-liang), a famous chemist and educator who filled Fu’s seat in 1951, was also closely connected with PKU. 

The faculty of Chinese studies is a mirror for PKU scholars in NTU in the 1940s and 50s. Professor Tai Jingnong (Tai Ching-nung) was an example. He studied at PKU Institute of Chinese Learning in the 1920s, went to Taiwan in 1946, and later became dean of NTU Department of Chinese Language and Literature. Another was Professor Mao Zishui (Mao Tzu-shui), former president of PKU Library, who devoted his last years to teaching at the Chinese department of NTU. 

Subjected to the political situation of that time, the two universities suffered and overcame various difficulties, laying a foundation for the following era of frequent communications. 

 
Bilateral exchanges from the 1990s 

After the reform and opening up in the Mainland from 1978, the icy wall between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait gradually melted, as both the Mainland and Taiwan started to seek for reconciliation despite geographical and historical barriers. 

 
In 1994, Professor Chen Wei-jao, president of NTU at the time, started an ice-breaking visit to PKU. The historic tour resulted, just a year later, in a memorandum for academic exchanges between the two universities. Afterwards, they explored and practiced cooperation in various fields, such as an agreement on student exchange in 2007, providing the students with a cross-Strait study experience.

With the advent of the 21st century, more opportunities arose for both sides to stretch out and develop closer relations. The last two presidents of PKU – Professor Xu Zhihong and Professor Zhou Qifeng, visited NTU in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Professor Lee Si-chen, current president of NTU, led a 100-member delegation to visit PKU on December 20, 2010, lifting the curtain on NTU Day at PKU. In return, a 134-member PKU delegation, the largest in PKU’s inter-university communication history, paid a visit to Taiwan from May 8 to 15, 2011 and attended a series of PKU Day events at NTU.

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Written by: Chen Chuke
Edited by: Chen Long
Source: PKU News (Chinese)