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Collaboration has become increasingly important to higher education. The sector has embraced globalisation wholeheartedly, with institutions frequently sharing research, students and academics across borders. This is the case with the partnership between Taipei Medical University (TMU) in Taiwan and the University of Cagliari (UniCa) in Italy.

“The collaboration began as purely a research-focused one between myself and UniCa professor Enzo Tramontano,” explains Liang-Tzung Lin, professor at TMU’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology and vice-dean of the TMU Office of Global Engagement. “Initially, professor Tramontano visited TMU and mentioned his interest in collaborating on antivirals and projects relating to viral genomics. Building on our similar interests – we are both virologists – we then applied for and obtained a grant to further the partnership and began exchanging students and conducting visits between the two institutions.”

After both TMU and UniCa began their research collaboration, the institutions started considering whether it might be beneficial to train students together. With that in mind, Lin and his Italian collaborator began discussing the possibility of offering dual degree programmes, and the universities were immediately on board.

“We decided to construct a curriculum that would satisfy both universities,” Lin says. “We started at the PhD level, with students quickly expressing an interest, and have since expanded the offering to master’s students.”

At the master’s level, the dual degree programme lasts four semesters, split equally between TMU and UniCa. Students enrolling in the dual master’s degree programme are recruited separately by each institution, with English being the primary language of both degrees.

Dual degree programmes, like those offered by TMU and UniCa, allow students to enhance and diversify their research experience, immerse themselves in different cultures and environments, and conduct research under the co-supervision of professors from both institutions. As a result, students obtain two diplomas – one from their home institution and another from the partner institution.

“The partnership between TMU and UniCa provides advantages in two clear areas: for academia and research,” Lin says. “On the academic side, it has created mechanisms that benefit faculty and students alike. There are synergies created from the expertise you can access on both sides. Students also gain first-hand experience of the scientific advancements being pursued at each institution. The programme can be quite demanding in terms of time management, but I feel students are more engaged and focused as a result.”

There are challenges to facilitating dual degree programmes, of course. Lin notes that “there has been a lot of communication” between the two institutions to ensure university policies are adhered to, compliance issues are ironed out, and administrative hurdles are overcome. There are cross-cultural challenges too. “We both want what’s best for students,” Lin says. “But it is our ways of achieving that may differ.”

Since TMU and UniCa first signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015, the two institutions have been committed to growing their partnership through research grants from the National Science and Technology Council, an Erasmus+ mobility project, and a research consortium with annual symposiums. Recently, Stefano Giunta became the first student to participate in the dual master’s degree programme offered by the institutions. He was also the first TMU-UniCa dual-degree student to defend his thesis, earning a master’s degree in the international graduate programme in medicine from TMU and a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology from UniCa.

“What started as a one-to-one research collaboration between myself and professor Tramontano now involves internships, co-teaching, research networking events and more,” Lin says. “The dual degrees took a lot of work to set up but with a graduation achieved, it shows this kind of collaboration between universities is possible. We look forward to expanding it.”