The Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities (SATU) was established in 2005 by National Cheng Kung University to conquer the critical economic, societal, and political challenges facing the Southeast Asian region. With 92 member universities from 9 countries, namely Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, India, and the Philippines, experts and educators were gathered to exchange ideas and promote international collaboration. The biennial SATU Presidents’ Forum and annual SATU Presidents’ Forum Steering Committee Meeting are the two major assemblies where university presidents and senior international officers convene to strengthen academic collaboration among Taiwan and Southeast and South Asian countries. The leaders of the universities believe that higher education excellence can be achieved through programs that enable and encourage academics, industry partners, researchers, scholars, and students to interact with one another and share their valuable knowledge and experiences, that global regions are facing critical economic, social, and environmental challenges, and that an important key to solving these problems is the excellence of the universities.

The forum reached commitments to Strengthen academic cooperation among Southeast and South Asian countries and Taiwan; Foster internationalization through academic and cultural exchange and collaboration; Enhance the quality of education, research, and community services; Establish exchange programs for our universities’ students, faculty, and administrative staff; Foster partnerships between industry and academia; and Advance sustainability in the economy, society, and the environment.

President Nguyen Quang Linh of Hue University and Executive Vice President Huang Cheng-Hung of National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan