The college partnerships, which build upon institution-level memorandums of understanding with the same universities signed last year, are specific to agriculture and agriculture technology, with the parties agreeing to exchange faculty, students, research and extension publications, and instructional materials and to engage in joint research projects. 

“The key to growth between Guam and Taiwan is to have student exchange programs, to have your professors [come here] and our professors go to Taiwan,” CNAS Dean Lee S. Yudin said, in part, at a summit with all the partners on Monday at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex in Adelup. “I extend an open invitation to please come to the College of Natural and Applied Sciences to visit what we have.”  

The deans of each college formalized the new partnerships at the virtual 2022 Taiwan-Guam Virtual Agriculture, Technology, and Sustainability Summit before Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam; the directors general of Taiwan’s Department of North American Affairs and Department of International Cross-Strait Education Douglas Ys-tien Hsu and Yen-Yi Lee, respectively; and Mayor Wen-tsan Cheng of Taoyuan City. 

The governor expressed the importance of agricultural partnerships, especially with the supply chain issues experienced during the pandemic. 

“Regional partnerships are key to creating a more diverse economy for Guam and a more prosperous future for the Pacific,” she said, adding later, in part: “This island-to-island collaboration paves the way for expanded agricultural exchange and educational opportunities in the region.” 

Tuning into the summit virtually along with the other partners in Taiwan, the Guam affairs director for the Guam Taiwan Office, Felix Shu-fen Yen, said, “Taiwan’s high-tech agriculture and achievements have been in a leading position in the world, and this field is also one of the main investment projects for Guam.” 

He said employment opportunities are one benefit that Guam could see from developing high-quality and large-scale agriculture productions. 

During the ceremony, the Farmers’ Cooperative Association of Guam and the Taoyuan City Farmers Association also agreed to collaborations to mutually enhance agricultural quality in terms of crops, livestock, forestry, aquaculture, and environmental sustainability. It is a first-time international agreement for both organizations. 

The new partnerships for the UOG College of Natural & Applied Sciences are with:

• College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University*†
• College of Science, National Taiwan Normal University*
• College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University*
• College of Engineering, Yuan Ze University*
• College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
• College of Science and Engineering, National Taitung University

*Rated a Best Global University in Taiwan by U.S. News & World Report
† Rated a Best Global University for Agricultural Sciences by U.S. News & World Report