Kumamoto Delegation Visits Tainan City Government to Discuss Higher Education and Cultural Exchange

(CNA, Tainan, May 21) A delegation from Kumamoto, Japan, led by Endo Hiroji, Superintendent of the Kumamoto City Board of Education, visited the Tainan City Government today. Tainan City Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan expressed hope that the two sides would have the opportunity to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and initiate school and student exchanges, as well as higher education cooperation between the two localities. The visit by Endo Hiroji and his group was arranged by Kuo Chen-hui, Honorary Chairperson of the Tainan City Taiwan-Japan Cultural and Friendship Exchange Foundation. They visited the Tainan City Government today to exchange ideas with Yeh and heads of relevant departments, discussing topics such as transnational education, cultural exchange, and the development of high-level administrative talent. During the meeting, delegation member Professor Sawano Koji from Hyogo University of Teacher Education stated that his university promotes a 'Higher Education Program for Administrative Officials,' which requires participating officials to hold a master's degree from a university. This program has already seen successful cross-national collaboration with Finland, and he expressed hope for an opportunity to launch a similar experimental collaboration in Tainan in the future, injecting new momentum into the development of higher education in both Taiwan and Japan. Yeh Tse-shan remarked that this model for cultivating high-level administrative talent sounds very forward-looking. He stated that the Tainan City Taiwan-Japan Cultural and Friendship Exchange Foundation will be appointed as the contact window to advance related exchange matters. He hopes that the two sides can sign an MOU in the future and plan substantive cooperation projects such as school and student exchanges and higher education. The delegation later visited the Tainan City Taiwan-Japan Cultural and Friendship Exchange Foundation. Kuo Chen-hui told the delegation members that the foundation, upholding its mission to deepen民間 friendship between Taiwan and Japan, has long been dedicated to connecting the cultural, artistic, and academic resources of Tainan and various Japanese cities. It not only promotes numerous substantive bilateral visits but also serves as an important bridge for Tainan's citizen diplomacy and cultural identity construction with Japan. Kuo emphasized that the foundation hopes to upgrade into a platform for promoting transnational education and talent cultivation, fully assisting schools at all levels in Tainan to establish long-term connections with Kumamoto and Hyogo. It will also help introduce experimental cooperation in high-level administrative research from Japan, thereby internationalizing Tainan's education and opening a new, diverse, and long-term chapter in Taiwan-Japan exchanges.