Oregon State University and National Taiwan University are deepening a partnership built around forests, climate and the research that connects them.

The partnership picked up real momentum in 2025 when OSU renewed its student exchange agreement with NTU, sparking a series of reciprocal visits and a new addendum that broadened collaboration in natural resources, agriculture, forestry and bio based materials. In March 2026, OSU President Jayathi Y. Murthy visited NTU in person and named it a priority partner in the university's global engagement strategy — a signal of just how seriously both institutions are taking this work.

For the College of Forestry, the partnership is already opening doors. A U.S. Department of Education IDEAS grant is supporting new short-term study abroad programs, and OSU, as a grant recipient, focused on Taiwan. In January 2026, Rachael Fahrenbach, Director of International Program Office at the College of Forestry, and Dave Stone of the College of Agricultural Sciences traveled to Taiwan to meet with faculty, tour NTU and National Chung Hsing University and spend time in national parks and research forests.

One highlight was their visit to Xitou Research Forest, and it's easy to see why. Xitou encompasses natural and plantation forests, bamboo systems, conservation areas and long-term carbon monitoring plots. It draws more than 2 million visitors a year and is home to Taiwan's longest outdoor wooden bridge, built from locally thinned timber. Researchers there study biodiversity, forest health, climate interactions and sustainable timber use across ecosystems that range from tropical to alpine. Few research forests in the world can match this range of ecological complexity.

Fahrenbach came back from the trip with a clear sense of why this partnership works. She found Taiwan to be a place where nature and daily life are genuinely intertwined, where temples sit beside a modern subway system, city parks blend into the urban fabric, and a short hike leads to a sweeping valley view. The faculty she met were enthusiastic and open, eager to share their research both on campus and deep in the forest. 

"All of the faculty were eager to share their research both on campus and once in the experimental forest," Fahrenbach said. "They are interested in harmony with nature, finding ways to make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone."

That shared focus is already translating into real exchanges. This summer, the College of Forestry will host two NTU students through the Branching Borders internship program, with placements in forest management and wood science. In return, NTU will welcome one undergraduate from the College of Agricultural Sciences and one from the College of Forestry into its four-week field course exploring Taiwan's biodiversity, agriculture and culture.

On May 15, an NTU delegation will visit the College of Forestry to expand an already productive faculty-to-faculty relationship. For OSU researchers working at the intersection of forests, climate and global engagement, it is a timely opportunity to discover overlap and what might be possible in the future.

"This partnership is about more than exchanges and agreements," Fahrenbach said. "It's about building the kinds of relationships that lead to research and learning neither institution could do alone."

Faculty interested in connecting with NTU colleagues during the May 15 visit can reach Rachael Fahrenbach at rachael.fahrenbach@oregonstate.edu.