Three professors from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) visited TNUA on December 8, with both sides exploring possibilities of mutual exchanges in various areas.
The ZHdK visitors were: Prof. Ranko Markovic, head of the BA Music program; Prof. Patrick Müller, head of the MA Transdisciplinary Studies program; and Prof. Daniel Späti.
They met with TNUA President Prof. Yang Chyi Wen, as well as administrators of different departments in separate meetings during their visit.
Prof. Yang noted that ZHdK runs programs in music, design, film, media and art, theatre, and art education, and its faculties and numbers of teachers and students are very similar to those of TNUA. He said TNUA would be very happy to establish partnerships with ZHdK.
Prof. Yang further pointed out that he was elected as president of the Asian League of Institutes of the Arts (ALIA) in October 2014 when the university hosted the group's conference.
ZHdK President Prof. Thomas D. Meier was also elected recently as president of the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), Prof. Markovic said. Therefore, TNUA and ZHdK can talk about cooperation between the two universities, as well as broader issues concerning the developments of arts in both Asia and Europe, Prof. Yang said.
The visitors were here to get a better understanding of TNUA's various programs, particularly its cross-disciplinary studies, and its traditional Taiwanese music studies.
Prof. Markovic, who was visiting TNUA for the second time, also mentioned that ZHdK's Connecting Space Hong Kong-Zurich – a transdisciplinary and transcultural project – was launched earlier in 2014 and plans to open a center in the third quarter of 2015 offering performing art courses.