The 2025 Annual Conference of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from September 9 to 12, with 48 representatives from 21 universities and colleges in Taiwan participating. Representing National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) were Vice President Ching-Peng Chu, Director of the Office of International Affairs Ming-Chien Su, and Administrative Secretary and Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Division Li-Chi Liu.

During the conference, Vice President Chu, on behalf of NDHU, formally presented to the University of Lille, France, a Memorandum of Understanding and a Student Exchange Agreement previously signed by President Hui-Ming Hsu. Both parties are expected to complete the signing process within this year, officially establishing an exchange student partnership.

Located in northern France, the University of Lille is one of the largest universities in the country, with over 80,000 students across diverse fields including science and technology, law and politics, and the humanities and social sciences, with strong research capacity. The university is highly committed to internationalization, offering a wide range of courses taught in both English and French, while also providing exchange students with language training and comprehensive living support services. Geographically, Lille is adjacent to Belgium, and has convenient access to Paris, Brussels, and London, making it an important transportation and cultural hub in Europe. This new partnership will offer NDHU students greater opportunities and resources for study in Europe, while also encouraging French students to study in Taiwan.

In addition to establishing cooperation with the University of Lille, the NDHU delegation also met with representatives from 27 universities across four continents. With long-term partner institutions—such as the University of Barcelona (Spain), the University of Rostock (Germany), and Konkuk University (Korea)—discussions focused on reviewing past collaborations, exploring new areas of cooperation, and strengthening ties through practical exchange initiatives. Meanwhile, talks with non-partner institutions, such as Linköping University (Sweden), aimed at forming new partnerships, promoting NDHU’s short-term programs, co-teaching initiatives, and visiting scholar opportunities. These efforts will enhance NDHU students’ international mobility and help connect NDHU’s colleges with potential global partners.

The visit also brought two positive outcomes: First, NDHU and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences (Germany) are continuing to deepen cooperation in the dual-degree program, with the first NDHU dual-degree student soon to graduate—marking a milestone in the partnership. Second, NDHU and the University of Mannheim (Germany) reached an agreement to expand their exchange program, which was originally limited to psychology, into the humanities, offering students greater opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange.

Internationalization has long been one of NDHU’s core priorities. The university hosts nearly 1,000 international students and maintains partnerships with over 500 sister institutions worldwide, offering more than 500 exchange opportunities annually. Through these efforts, NDHU actively promotes global engagement for both faculty and students, fostering broader perspectives and building a high-quality international learning environment. This year, NDHU ranked 7th in Taiwan for the “International Outlook” indicator in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, demonstrating its excellence in internationalization. Looking forward, NDHU will continue advancing and deepening its internationalization initiatives.