2025 Taiwan-Belgium (FR) Roundtable on Higher Education and Research

To deepen exchanges and collaboration between Taiwan and Europe in higher education, the Taiwan higher education delegation, after participating in the 2025 France-Taiwan Higher Education Leaders Forum, continued its efforts by attending the 2025 Taiwan–Belgium (FR) Roundtable on Higher Education and Research in Brussels on June 19. Both parties focused on fostering innovative cooperation opportunities.

The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET), the Taipei Representative Office to the EU and Belgium, and the Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur (ARES) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. It attracted 26 representatives from 13 Belgian higher education institutions.

Chairperson Cheng-Chih Wu of FICHET stated that Taiwan and Belgium’s higher education institutions have signed over 100 academic cooperation agreements, maintaining close interactions. Currently, approximately 270 Taiwanese students are studying in Belgium, while 155 Belgian students are studying in Taiwan. These solid academic ties not only lay a strong foundation for collaboration but also demonstrate great potential to launch new initiatives and deepen partnerships.

Laurence Ris, President of the International Relations Committee at ARES, shared that she recently visited Taiwan and signed cooperation agreements on behalf of the University of Mons with Taiwan’s higher education representatives. She expressed hope to further strengthen substantive academic and research collaborations between the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Taiwan.

The Taiwan-Belgium Roundtable focused on exploring bilateral cooperation opportunities in higher education and research. In-depth discussions covered topics such as cooperation in specialized fields, promotion of research projects, and talent exchanges. Both sides demonstrated strong willingness to collaborate and proposed concrete action plans, paving the way for deeper future partnerships.

Following the roundtable, the Taiwanese delegation also visited institutions including KU Leuven and the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) to explore more collaborations in scientific research, student and faculty exchange programs, and the application of emerging technologies, broadening and deepening academic and research ties between Taiwan and Belgium.

The delegation also participated in the overseas talent recruitment event in Belgium. MOE representative introduced the Ministry’s Yushan Scholar Program and the talent recruitment needs of Taiwan’s universities to Taiwanese doctoral students and young scholars studying at Belgium. Through presentations and on-site exchanges, the delegation showcased Taiwan’s diverse and forward-looking research environment and development potential, hoping to attract outstanding talent back to Taiwan for teaching or research, thereby expanding Taiwan’s international talent network and global influence in higher education.