Organized by the Taiwan Technical Textiles Association (TTTA), Tamkang University (TKU), and Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), and sponsored by Nanya Institute of Technology, the full-day event featured presentations on the latest in textile technology.
“We believe that cross-strait exchange and cooperation will be crucial in achieving the government’s goal of reaching NT$580 billion in total textile production and NT$200 billion in technical textile production by the year 2015,” said Jung-Chi Tai, chairman of TTTA. “We must cooperate closely with China so that we can compete better on the world stage.”
Tai said that it took four years to plan the symposium, which TTTA made a priority ever since its establishment in 2004. “Under the guidance and support of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the National Science Council, and the Mainland Affairs Council, we have finally made the much-anticipated first step towards cross-strait industry cooperation,” he added.
“This event no doubt lays the foundation for many more cross-strait collaborations and business opportunities in the years to come,” remarked Tai.
Similar cross-strait exchanges have been held but in a much smaller scale in previous years, noted Kan-Nan Chen, TKU vice president for academic affairs. Chen said that last year, for example, only about five guests from mainland China participated in a small-scale textile technology seminar. By comparison, a 19-member delegation from mainland China attended this year’s event.
“The textile industry in Taiwan is function-oriented and application-oriented, while China’s involves more basic, pioneering research,” said Chen. “This first symposium aims to facilitate mutual discussions and mission-oriented research so that both sides can benefit from research integration.”
Chen said the symposium will be held in Wuhan, China, next year, with tentative plans of holding the event in Qingdao the year after, and bringing it back to Taiwan in 2011.
“The symposium is very well-organized and the presentations are given by speakers with a great deal of expertise in their fields,” said Hubei University professor Gu Haoshuang during his first visit to Taiwan.
Asked about his initial impressions of the island, Gu does not hesitate to reply: “Very pretty! Chinese people have always regarded Taiwan as a “treasured island.”
Other delegates from mainland China hailed from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Textile Academy, Sichuan University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, --ian Polytechnic University, Wuhan University of Science and Engineering, Zhongshan University, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Qingdao University, and Soochow University.
Participants from Taiwan included speakers from National Chiao Tung University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Tsing Hua University, Chinese Culture University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Feng Chia University, and National Taipei University of Technology.
