Dr. Pham Tiet Khanh, Chairman of the University Council at Tra Vinh University (TVU), Vietnam, led a delegation on a visit National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) on December 24 (2025). At the NPUST campus, they were received by Dr. Yi-Hsien Lin, Dean of the College of Agriculture. Faculty members from relevant departments and Vietnamese students were also invited to participate in the exchange and discussions.
During his address, Dr. Pham Tiet Khanh expressed his gratitude to NPUST for its long-term care for TVU students and for the warm reception provided by the school. He noted that through this visit, they aimed to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the connection and cooperative relationship between the two universities. Dr. Chau Thi Hoang Hoa, Director of the International Education Institute at TVU, stated that TVU highly values international exchange and innovative development. With multiple research and teaching centers, the university looks forward to promoting diverse cooperation projects such as student exchanges and joint research. She also expressed hope for the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen substantive collaboration.
Dean Yi-Hsien Lin extended a warm welcome on behalf of the College of Agriculture and Prof. Ho-Hsien Chen from the Department of Food Science introduced the participating faculty members to the visitors. Both universities played introductory videos to provide a better understanding of their respective features of developmental. Dr. Chan-Chiung Liu, Chair of the Department of Food Science; Dr. Jyh Jian Chen, Chair of the Department of Biomechatronics Engineering; and Dr. Doan Thi Thu Dung from the International Degree Program in Animal Vaccine Technology discussed potential directions for future collaboration. Both parties share similar academic foundations in fields such as engineering, agriculture, aquaculture, animal science, and veterinary medicine, and agreed that signing an MOU would further promote joint research and faculty-student exchanges.
Following the meeting, the delegation visited the NPUST Simulated GMP Food Production Line. Dr. Shyang-Chwen Sheu, Director of the Center for Innovative Food Technology, and technician Chi-Hung Lin led a tour of the coffee and chocolate production lines, explaining the production processes and quality control standards. The guests were also invited to taste products developed by students. Subsequently, at the Center for Agricultural and Aquacultural Products Inspection and Certification, Director Sheu explained the Traceable Agricultural Product (TAP) system and introduced relevant inspection instruments and research equipment. The visitors expressed high praise for NPUST’s practical achievements in food safety and quality management.
Afterwards, the delegation visited the Advanced Agricultural Phenotyping Laboratory, supervised by Dr. Hsing-Ying Chung, Director of the NPUST Green Energy Bio-Factory. Students from the Agriculture Environmental Control Lab demonstrated multispectral and hyperspectral imaging technologies and Dr. Chung explained how the lab integrates high-throughput sensing with Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis to analyze changes in crop appearance, physiology, and other traits, and how they apply these things to plant disease detection and growth monitoring. Finally, the group visited the Sustainable Farm to view the green energy greenhouse facilities. This greenhouse combines photovoltaic monitoring systems with recirculating nutrient solution cultivation technology to improve crop productivity and light utilization efficiency.
Located in Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta, Tra Vinh University was established in 2006 as a significant local public comprehensive university. It is committed to applied talent cultivation and industry-academia cooperation, offering diverse master’s and doctoral programs while actively promoting international quality certification. This visit has deepened the mutual understanding of educational and research characteristics between the two institutions, laying a solid foundation for future exchanges and joint research in smart agriculture.
