- Taiwan and Kumamoto have signed an education MOU to expand student, teacher and school exchange programs.
- The partnership focuses on global learning and future-ready skills to support international careers.
- Semiconductor education and sustainability studies will play a key role in industry-linked learning.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) has signed a new cooperative memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education, strengthening cross-border learning and skill development for students and teachers. The agreement was signed in December 2025 in Japan.
The MOU brings together the MOE’s Primary and Secondary School International Educational Exchange Alliance and the Kumamoto education authority. Alliance CEO Chen Yuen-ju and Kumamoto Superintendent of Education Hiroki Ooi signed the pact, with senior education officials from Taiwan present.
The agreement aims to develop students with global outlooks while keeping strong local roots. It promotes student and teacher exchanges, sister-school partnerships, and flexible cooperation between K-12 schools in both regions. These programs are designed to prepare young learners for international careers and evolving job markets.
During the visit, Taiwan’s education delegation toured several schools in Kumamoto. Local schools have recently introduced semiconductor-related courses following the establishment of a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plant in the prefecture. This has also opened doors for joint research and learning in semiconductors and sustainable development, key skills for future industries.
MOE data shows strong momentum in Taiwan-Japan school exchanges. In 2024 and 2025, around 25,000 teachers and students from 450 K-12 schools took part in physical exchange programs, while 15,000 participants from 200 schools joined online exchanges. In Kumamoto alone, 12 schools hosted in-person exchanges and seven conducted virtual programs.
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Kumamoto becomes the fourth Japanese prefecture to sign an MOU with the alliance, after Chiba, Miyagi and Shizuoka. Taiwan now has 290 sister schools in Japan, reflecting a deep and growing education partnership.
The MOE said it will continue linking global resources to help schools nurture skilled, globally competitive students ready for future jobs.
