The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Center for Weather and Climate Disaster Research at National Taiwan University recently formalized a long-time research partnership, paving the way for practical solutions to environmental and advanced technology infrastructure challenges.
A leadership delegation held meetings with National Taiwan University counterparts during a visit to Taipei on June 29, and held a ceremony where U. of I. Chancellor Charles L. Isbell, Jr., National Taiwan University President Wen-Chang Chen, PRI Executive Director Praveen Kumar, and WCDR Director Chun-Chieh Wu signed a memorandum of understanding.
The agreement enhances ongoing and future collaborative work, which includes groundwater and geothermal modeling, water-energy interactions with AI development, and connecting climate and hazard research with infrastructure needs, particularly tied to intensive computing and manufacturing.
“This partnership builds on nearly a decade of collaboration in climate and water research,” Kumar said. “It reflects a shared belief: that science should serve society — especially in addressing climate risk, water security, and resilience. This moment is built on trusted relationships developed across the globe.”
The two institutions share aligned missions to conduct applied research that informs decision-making and solutions to current challenges in research areas like water and energy sustainability, data-based modeling, disaster preparedness and risk reduction, and climate adaptation.
The partnership most recently produced a paper refining the estimating and testing for ground-source heat pumps and underground thermal energy storage. This work will help engineers create more efficient designs for thermal energy storage, which is valuable for increasing energy efficiency, reducing cooling water usage, and improving overall energy-grid resilience.
“Our shared goal is clear,” Wu noted. “Across atmospheric, hydrological, and disaster sciences — and in energy and water sustainability — we hope to strengthen efficiency and advance our net-zero ambitions: first on our two campuses, and then at the regional and national levels, for both Taiwan and Illinois.”
Formalizing the relationship between the institutions will support ongoing and continued joint research, as well as workforce development through training for future scientists, engineers, planners, and leaders in tech industries.
“This memorandum is more than a document — it is a promise to work side by side, and to let our science make a real difference,” Wu said.
The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.
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