The establishment of “Taiwan and Tuvalu Center on Marine Science and Engineering (TTCMSE)”

A 7-member expert team of College of Marine Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University of Taiwan (NSYSU) led by Dr. Chih-Wen Kuo, Senior Vice President of NSYSU arrived in Funafuti on 31 August for the purpose of fulfilling the MOU signed between the Government of Tuvalu and NSYSU, including the establishment of “Taiwan and Tuvalu Center on Marine Science and Engineering (TTCMSE)” in Tuvalu.

At noon of 31 August , a ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling ceremony of the establishment of “Taiwan and Tuvalu Center on Marine Science and Engineering (TTCMSE)” in Tuvalu was successfully completed among the warm applause of all attending participants including H.E. Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Hon. Ampelosa Tehulu, Minister of Public Work , Amb. Andrew Lin, Dr. Kuo, and Chair Research Prof. Chen-Tung Chen of NSYSU.

The setup of TTCMSE will boost the academic cooperation, capacity development and data availability in Marine Biodiversity, Marine Geochemistry and Marine Engineering between Tuvalu and Taiwan. Especially it will help Tuvalu to get a clear picture on the scale of Blue Carbon, which is the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, and help Tuvalu to conserve and restore the coastal ecosystems to reduce the impact of climate change, as well as contribute to the goal of sustainable development.