TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and Australia’s Macquarie University signed a dual doctoral degree cooperation plan on Monday (March 11).

As long as students complete their studies and meet the thesis standards of both schools, students can obtain a Ph.D. from either university, reported CNA.

NTHU professor Yen Ta-jen (嚴大任) said Taiwan’s higher education cooperation in recent years has focused on nearby Australia. “In March last year, Macquarie University and the mayor of Ryde in Sydney visited NTHU. The interaction between the two was positive, leading to a second visit in October,” he said.

Yen said he was optimistic about the relationship between the two schools, saying they share similar values. “Taiwan's manufacturing industry is quite mature, while Australia’s innovative spirit is worth learning from, making it a strong partnership,” Yen said.

Macquarie University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Sakkie Pretorius said he was impressed by Taiwan’s rapid progress in semiconductor and chip technology over the past decade.

“However, Taiwan has not made equivalent high investments in other areas such as biotechnology, and if chip technology becomes outdated due to other disruptive innovations, Taiwan’s economy may be affected,” he said.

Pretorius said that Macquarie University is strong in biotechnology and is one of six universities in the world capable of synthesizing chromosomes.

“This is where the two universities can complement each other technologically,” he said. “We hope that Taiwan and Australia can establish a solid connection through the teaching of chip technology and biotechnology at the two universities, and find opportunities for innovation by combining these two,” he added.