National Sun Yat-sen University announces collaboration with Xpark to accelerate immersive marine research

National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) has announced future collaboration with Taiwan Yokohama Hakkeijima (Xpark) by signing memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 8th, World Oceans Day. Based on mutual vision to accelerate the development of marine technology industry in Kaohsiung through academia-industry oceanology projects.

NSYSU President Ying-Yao Cheng emphasized, that NSYSU’s College of Marine Sciences will collaborate with Xpark integrating its educational resources in fields of marine resources, marine sciences, ocean environmental engineering and ecological conservation to implement academia-industry projects, such as raising marine sciences talents, conducting research in marine biology population and pursuing evolutionary application techniques.

The collaboration has started with the MOU, signed by President Cheng and Jun Arakawa, Chairman of Taiwan Yokohama Hakkeijima. NSYSU faculties spent nearly one year to build camaraderie with the Xpark team by frequent visits and discussion sessions before the MOU signing. With NSYSU’s research facilities and talents, and Xpark’s experiences to organize marine showcase events, the collaboration will include propagation of rare species, marine pharmaceuticals and marine circulation economy, to accelerate varied marine science research and raise awareness of ocean environmental protection, says President Cheng.

In addition, NSYSU’s Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources will work with Xpark on development of species propagation environment, organism sampling and intern projects. Through these practical experiences, NSYSU could raise more preeminent marine technology researchers.

“Xpark wants to create an original and immersive experience with mystery.” Says Jun Arakawa. He emphasized that the collaboration will optimize the resources from both Xpark and NSYSU, to accelerate the marine technology industry in both Taiwan and Japan. The concept of Xpark is to mimic different living environments of all kinds of species. Through the panoramic immersive experience in Xpark, customers could realize how resilient those species are to survive in evolutionary adaptation. Xpark’s collection also includes species from temperate climate zone like Japan, which are not Taiwan’s indigenous species. Thus, customers in Taiwan could get to know these species from different countries.

Since1980, NSYSU has planned to establish its marine sciences school, and founded Institute of Marine Ecology and Conservation in 1981. In 1983, Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources was established, and College of Marine Sciences had been launched since 1986. With integration of facilities, faculties and researchers, College of Marine Science is now evidently a leading school in marine sciences, marine biotechnology, environmental engineering and ecology conservation to raise talents in both academic and practical areas.

Another evident strength of this collaboration is that the professors of Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, Lee-Shing Fang and Wei-Hsien Wang both worked for National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium as Director General. Prof. Fang, as the first Director General of National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, had participated in varied initial stage projects like hardware facilities planning, species propagation and conservation, collection & sampling and human resources management. There is no doubt that the practical experiences provided by Prof. Fang and Prof. Wang will create an effective synergy with Xpark.