News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　Founded in 1919, National Chiayi University will celebrate its centennial anniversary next year. In earlier days, the NCYU Agricultural Technical Service Team had been sharing agricultural techniques in different corners of the world despite challenges and barriers. Their indelible contribution to the country’s diplomatic relations was considered a milestone in our diplomatic history. On Dec. 11th, Bruce Fuh and Jian Hongsheng, Director and Secretary of the Southwestern Taiwan Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited NCYU to gain deeper insight into the contributions the NCYU Agricultural Technical Service Team had made.

　　According to Director Fuh, the history of our foreign assistance service stretches back far. Our first agricultural technical service team, who went to Vietnam, can be traced back to as early as 1959. Next year, the “Vanguard Project” targeting the needs of African countries was given birth and had helped laid the foundation for friendly terms with African countries. Afterwards, under invitation from countries in the Central and South America, Asia-Pacific, West Asia and other regions in the world, Taiwan has since established agricultural cooperation relations with different countries. Throughout the years, thanks to multilateral collaboration efforts made by, for example, our overseas technical teams and the international organization Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, we have been sharing our agricultural development experience and results with places around the globe. The sharing of our agricultural experience and techniques has greatly helped facilitate friendship and economic and trade cooperation.

　　NCYU President Chyung Ay indicated that the Agricultural Technical Service Team was an integral part of the long and glorious history of the university. To celebrate the upcoming centennial anniversary, last year he commissioned Li Ming Jen, Dean of the College of Humanities and Arts, to carry out an mission to collect oral statements about the history of the NCYU Agricultural Technical Service Team. By now, interviews with 16 alumni have been done and will be included in a publication next year as part of the anniversary celebrations. To express gratitude to the alumni who had been sacrificing their youth in overseas countries to contribute to Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with other countries, NCYU and the Southwestern Taiwan Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, planned to co-organize a retrospective exhibition of the NCYU Agricultural Technical Service Team next year. The alumni of the NCYU Agricultural Technical Service Team will be specially invited to go back to the campus of their alma mater and share their memories about the magnificent past. The exhibition will also feature a display of historical photos, and a sharing session on the aforementioned publication, to mention just a few. Teachers and students of NCYU and the public will be welcomed to join the grand event.