Representing NTHU, President Wen-Tsuen Chen along with Secretary General Professor Mao-Jiun Wang recently attended the 15^th Annual General Meeting and the 25^th Board of Directors Meeting of Association of East Asian Research Universities (AEARU) which was held from December 2^nd to the 4^th at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. AEARU is a regional organization founded in 1996 to promote academic exchange and cooperation among major research universities in the region. While at the meetings, President Chen and Professor Mao helped design activities and conferences for the coming two years. Also at this past meeting President Chen was elected vice president of the AEARU. Past history suggests that very often the vice president will be elected to the role of president of the organization upon the incumbent stepping down.

A major highlight of this past visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between President Chen and President Inoue of Tohoku University to launch an exchange and cooperation program. Founded in 1907, Tohoku University is the third oldest imperial university in Japan. Since its establishment the university has become well known as an institution ceremony emphasizing research as well as inter-university cooperatives. During the signing President Chen remarked, "I am very happy to sign this agreement between our two universities. Our schools have much in common and just as much to share. I believe that the partnership we have formalized today will be a long and fruitful one for both institutions." This exchange agreement will enable the two universities to further develop cooperative research projects involving faculty and advanced graduate students as well as the exchange of faculty and students between the two universities.