Taichung’s Chung Shan Medical University (CSMU) and Universitas Indonesia (UI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today (8th), agreeing to collaborate in five key areas: faculty exchanges, student exchanges, joint curriculum development, collaborative research, and clinical training. This partnership builds upon years of cooperation under the “New Southbound Dental Medical Collaboration Program,” now elevated into a comprehensive strategic alliance. The expansion was prompted by an international medical case involving a cross-border patient referral.

Since 2017, CSMU has actively promoted the “New Southbound Dental Medical Collaboration Program,” establishing long-term academic and clinical exchanges with UI’s Faculty of Dentistry. Recently, a 15-year-old Indonesian girl with severe mandibular prognathism and delayed permanent tooth development—who had seen no improvement after seven years of treatment due to a lack of orthognathic surgical expertise in her home country—was successfully referred to CSMU’s School of Dentistry at the Affiliated Hospital through the coordination of UI’s Vice Rector for International Affairs, Prof. Nia Ayu Ismaniati Noerhadi. This case directly paved the way for the signing of the MOU between the two universities.

The UI delegation, led personally by Rector Prof. Heri Hermansyah, included the Vice Rectors, Vice Rector for International Affairs, and Director of the Affiliated Hospital, totaling 10 senior executives. They were warmly received by CSMU President Prof. Chien-Ning Huang, Vice Presidents Prof. Chun-Che Lin and Prof. Hsien-Ying Sung, Affiliated Hospital Superintendent Dr. Ming-Che Tsai, and Vice Rector for International Affairs Prof. Kan-Jen Tsai.

President Huang noted that UI is a leading institution in Southeast Asia, and that both universities have affiliated hospitals with highly complementary teaching and clinical resources. He emphasized that this collaboration marks a new chapter in bilateral exchanges and will expand into public health, AI-based healthcare, and nursing. Concrete initiatives will include dual-degree programs, short-term exchanges, and COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) courses. He further stated that CSMU’s Affiliated Hospital will serve as a key clinical training base for UI students and referred patients.

Rector Heri Hermansyah praised CSMU’s excellence in integrating clinical practice with academic teaching and expressed his eagerness to use the four-day visit to gain firsthand insight into CSMU’s faculty development, internship training, and interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms, aiming to deepen substantive cooperation between the two institutions.

Prof. Nia Ayu Ismaniati Noerhadi recalled that when faced with this challenging medical case, CSMU immediately came to mind due to years of exchange and her understanding of the university’s expertise in craniofacial correction and orthognathic surgery. Prof. Chia-Tse Kao of CSMU’s School of Dentistry, who was involved in the case referral, noted that healthcare is not only about technical support but also about professional trust and cross-border collaboration. This case exemplified the application of precision medicine and marked a concrete step forward for New Southbound international healthcare.

Upon the patient’s arrival in Taiwan, Dean Chun-Cheng Chen of the School of Dentistry performed crown-lengthening procedures as preparatory work. Prof. Kao developed a comprehensive orthodontic and surgical plan to address malocclusion, dental crowding, and skeletal prognathism, while Prof. Tzu-Yu Peng performed the orthognathic surgery. The goal was to restore masticatory function and facial balance, enabling the patient to regain confidence and return to normal life.

President Huang added that both parties plan to finalize an implementation agreement within six months, launching a series of initiatives to align teaching and clinical practice, and further enhancing Taiwan’s visibility in medical education throughout the New Southbound region. CSMU will continue to advance a sustainable international medical cooperation model through parallel development in education and clinical service.