Purdue and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) representatives met in July to sign an agreement to offer students a dual degree program. From L-R, standing: Chien-Hsiang Chang, Head of Chemical Engineering at NCKU; Chia-Yuan Chen, Associate VP for International Affairs at NCKU; Sun-Yuan Hsieh, VP for Research and Development at NCKU; William Crossley, J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and George Chiu, assistant dean for Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships at Purdue. From L-R, sitting: Tom Shih, former head of AAE and current professor; and Tian-Shiang Yang, Head of Mechanical Engineering at NCKU.

Purdue University’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics has established a cooperative education program with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan, Taiwan.

The program is a 3+1+1 cooperative bachelor’s and master’s degree program in which students may earn a specified bachelor’s from NCKU and a specified non-thesis master’s from Purdue by completing three years of coursework at NCKU and two years of coursework at Purdue.

The program, which is effective for a five-year period, fosters international cooperation in education and research.

“This is a great opportunity for NCKU’s Department of mechanical engineering and Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics,” said Bill Crossley, J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue. “We’re laying the groundwork for other collaborations across the university, College of Engineering, and also our online program.”

NCKU is a public research university that was ranked as the No. 37 Asia University in 2019 by QS Asia University Rankings. It is renowned for its electronics and engineering programs.

Purdue and NCKU have a "rich history of collaboration."

“As one of the first departments funded with NCKU in 1931, we are excited to be the first again to add a new page to the rich history of collaboration between Purdue and NCKU since the 1950s,” said Tian-Shiang Yang, Head of Mechanical Engineering at NCKU. “Through this cooperative education program, we aim to further promote the internationalization and academic excellence of NCKU, and to help broaden the education and research partnership of Purdue in Asia.”

At NCKU, the participants in the program will be limited to enrollment in existing Bachelor of Science degree programs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Purdue’s degrees will be awarded by the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

A maximum of 10 NCKU students will be admitted to the program in each academic year, and they’ll be encouraged to take Purdue Online, College of Engineering, courses beginning in their third year at NCKU.

On a regular basis, Purdue faculty will visit and teach intensive courses at NCKU as part of the program’s curriculum to enrich the teaching and learning experiences for the teachers and students of the program.

The history between NCKU and Purdue dates to 1952. Funded as part of the U.S. aid program, the Purdue-Formosa Project provided significant financial and technical support that helped propel NCKU’s growth into a major research-led comprehensive university. Prominent Purdue faculty, such as Norris Shreve and Lillian Gilbreth, led or participated through the 1950s.

There are more than 1,000 Purdue Engineering alumni in Taiwan, said George Chiu, assistant dean for Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships at Purdue.