National Yang-Ming University (NYMU) in Taipei and National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Hsinchu yesterday agreed a plan to merge the two universities, whereby they would operate as National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University (YMCTU) from August next year.
At separate meetings, the councils of NYMU and NCTU voted 65-20 and 59-15 respectively in favor of the merger, the universities’ merger committee said in a statement.
Both universities met the two-thirds threshold needed to approve the plan, it said.
Photo courtesy of National Yang-Ming University
The plan is to be sent to the Ministry of Education for review, NYMU secretary-general Chen I-ju (陳怡如) said, adding that it would also need to be approved by the Executive Yuan.
If all goes to plan, the two universities would operate as one from August next year, she said.
Through the merger, the universities hope to provide students and professors with more interdisciplinary courses and opportunities, and to invest more in bioelectronics, bioinformatics and digital biomedicine, she said.
The merger committee has met several times since the two universities signed a letter of intent to merge in March, NCTU secretary-general Wang Niann-shiah (王念夏) said, adding that both schools’ faculty and students’ associations had also been involved in the process.
The first president of the merged universities is to be selected by a 21-member committee that would include two student representatives, according to the merger plan, which was finalized last month.
A new university council consisting of 120 members, 60 from each of the campuses, would also be formed, the plan says.
NYMU on Sept. 26 last year announced that it had decided to begin the process of merging with another university.
On Dec. 26 last year it agreed to negotiate a merger contract with NCTU.
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it