2026-04-20

National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) and the SOAS University of London (SOAS) formally signed the "Joint Master Degree Award Agreement" via a Kaohsiung–London video conference led by their respective presidents. This agreement establishes the first joint master degree program between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, marking a new milestone in Taiwan's higher education partnerships and signifying a major step toward deeper international collaboration in integrated academic program delivery. Following one year of cross-border planning and coordination, the program will begin enrollment in the 2026 academic year. Through dedicated scholarships aimed at lowering barriers to higher education, students will pay only half of the standard tuition for studying in the UK while earning a prestigious degree and expanding their global perspectives. Students interested in the social sciences, anthropology, and gender studies are encouraged to apply.

Since signing a university-level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 10, 2025, followed by the formal signing of the degree award agreement in December, NSYSU and SOAS have engaged in intensive discussions and cross-national collaboration to complete the overall design of the Global Citizenship Joint Master Degree Programme. The program will commence enrollment in the 2026 academic year, accompanied by dedicated information sessions, officially launching a new phase of in-depth academic cooperation. As the first Taiwan–UK joint degree initiative of its kind, the program integrates the academic strengths of two leading institutions in Asia and Europe, introducing an innovative model for global higher education collaboration.

NSYSU President Chih-Peng Li noted in his remarks that the university has experienced rapid growth in teaching and research performance in recent years, with both domestic and international rankings steadily rising. He expressed his honor in partnering with SOAS, an institution internationally renowned for its strengths in the humanities, politics, and global development studies. To advance a more equitable and inclusive vision of higher education, NSYSU will offer six full scholarships and multiple partial scholarships to outstanding students worldwide. President Li also extended his gratitude to Mei-Hua Chen, Dean of the College of Social Sciences, and Professor Jieyu Liu of SOAS for their joint efforts in bringing the program to fruition, expressing his expectation that both institutions will work together to build a more globally competitive educational vision.

SOAS Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib expressed appreciation for the longstanding support of Taiwan's Ministry of Education and conveyed his enthusiasm for collaborating with NSYSU in Kaohsiung. Centered on the theme of global citizenship, the master's program showcases SOAS's longstanding expertise in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern studies. He emphasized the importance of academic exchange in connecting diverse communities worldwide and expressed hope that this partnership will serve as a model for future Taiwan–UK joint academic initiatives.

Representative to the United Kingdom Vincent Chin-Hsiang Yao, attending in London, remarked that Taiwan and the UK have long maintained close engagement in the field of education, with the UK serving as a key destination for Taiwanese students pursuing advanced studies abroad. The signing of the degree award agreement represents not merely an institutional document, but a new chapter in Taiwan–UK higher education collaboration, laying a foundation for broader and deeper academic partnerships.

Joyce Yu-Jiuan Lee, Director General of the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education at Taiwan's Ministry of Education, delivered remarks online, stating that the UK has long been a key partner in Taiwan's international educational exchanges and that SOAS is among the British institutions with the deepest ties to Taiwan. As a core member of the Taiwan-UK University Consortium, NSYSU's joint establishment of a master's program featuring "joint design, joint teaching, and joint supervision" marks the beginning of a promising and exemplary collaborative journey.

At the program briefing session, Mei-Hua Chen, Dean of the College of Social Sciences at NSYSU, explained that the program adopts an intensive "one year, two countries" model. Students are required to complete two required courses and two electives at each university in Taiwan and the UK. The curriculum is structured around the core themes of equality, citizenship, and social change, guiding students to critically re-examine the concept of citizenship centered on the "nation-state" and explore key contemporary issues such as transnational migration and multiculturalism, as well as sustainable development and social justice. The program will adopt a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach, incorporating extensive case studies and comparative methods to cultivate students' ability to develop innovative solutions to increasingly complex global challenges.

The program is designed to be completed within one year. To ensure that students can balance coursework with the production of high-quality theses, the program offers a distinctive academic support structure in which each student is jointly supervised by faculty members from both NSYSU and SOAS under a dual-mentor system. Pre-thesis workshops will also be held to help students refine their research questions and complete literature reviews, thereby enhancing research quality and ensuring rigorous academic outcomes.

As global higher education costs continue to rise, with master's degree tuition in the UK averaging around £25,000 per year, the Global Citizenship Joint Master Degree Programme demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing educational equity and international mobility. With tuition set at £13,000 (approximately TWD 530,000), outstanding students may receive 100% or 50% tuition fee waivers, enabling them to significantly reduce costs while gaining access to world-class research and teaching resources in London. Applications are now open, with 9 places for domestic students and 6 for international students, aiming to cultivate key talents with a global outlook.