For Immediate Release

T3 Alliance, an alliance of 3 research intensive universities in the central and southern , will kickoff a “Public Policy Forum”

Date: May 12, 2008

Venue: National Cheng Kung University

Tainan, Taiwan. (April 2, 2008) – In recent years, with Asia Pacific’s significant intellectual and economic rapid growth, the study of “public policy” has emerged as one of the important subjects in universities in this region. For example, one such intense interests was manifested by Mr. Li Ka-Shing, one of Asia’s most renowned philantropists, who donated $100 million Singapore dollars ($ ~66 million US) for National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan-Yew School of Public Policy.

Very recently, learning from lesson of “power of 3,” such as Duke University, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University in North Carolina created the Research Triangle Park to become one of the most robust IT and Bio-economies in the world, three universities in central and south Taiwan, National Chung-Hsing University (NCHU), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU), initiated a T3 alliance, whose aim is to jointly be the engine for economic and intellectual developments for this part of Taiwan.

Besides developing the economic and intellectual landscapes, which will be long range, T3 also recognizes and ready to immediately assumes its social responsibilities. One such responsibility is to create the awareness across the region the importance of “public policies.”

There are two reasons for this awareness. z First, the members universities in T3 have complementary strengths in this arena. Although all three have multiple strengths, NSYSU is exceptionally strong in ocean policy, NCHU in agriculture policy, and NCKU in science and technology policy. z Second, one of NCKU’s former presidents, who also was former Minister of Education of Taiwan, the late Wu Jin, was deeply interested in “public policy” issues, where he regarded that modern 21st century universities must play a significant role in this area. In his words before his death, Wu Jin had emphatically emphasized that modern research universities should and must have a role in policies making in all arena of human endeavors.

Therefore, building on such underpinnings, for T3 as one of its first activity, it is natural on May 12, 2008 is to kick-off a Public Policy Forum, which is a platform to discuss some of the crucial policies of Taiwan. Specialists and scholars throughout Taiwan, from academia and government, especially those from T3 institutions, are invited to deliver lectures on their insights in their respective fields.

Topics to be discussed in this conference will include

z general public policy, this area will be discussed by the Minister of the RDEC (Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission), education policy by former Minister of Education,

z transportation policy by the Associate Dean of the College of Management in NCKU, environmental policy by former Minister of Environmental Protection Agency and at present the Chair of NCKU’s Sustainable Environment Research Center,

z marine policy by Director of NSYSU’s Center for Marine Policy Studies,

z agricultural policy by the staff member of NCHU’s Agricultural Extension Center, and

z public security policy by the Commissioner of National Police Agency.

This Forum is Sponsored by NCKU, and co-sponsored by NSYSU and NCHU. Also, all local organizing efforts are the responsibilities of the College of Social Science of NCKU. Plans for future T3 Public Policy Forums, which should be rotated among the three T3 members institutions, are already underway and details will be announced after the first Forum.

About T3 Alliance

T3 alliance is a consortium of three of middle of southern strong research universities, NCKU, NSYSU and NCHU. All three universities are recipients of the so-called “Five Year 50 Billion NTD” excellence program of the Ministry of Education. The alliance has a combined student population of around 48 thousands, and over 2400 faculty members in nearly every disciplines in modern higher education. In addition, all three universities stress to greatly enhance interdisciplinary studies to benefit society not only in Taiwan, but Asia Pacific region in particular and the world in general. Such an alliance could render the three universities to become a combined intellectual force to be reckoned with in Asia Pacific.