AU held a forum on “NFT and the Metaverse,” inviting eight specialists from industries, both domestic and international, to share their new ideas and findings in this field on February 15. Professor Jeffrey Tsai, the chair of the forum and President of Asia University, expressed his strong intention to boost the teaching and research of the metaverse by integrating academic research and industrial resources, in the hopes of cultivating future young talents in this cutting-edge technological development.

Eight specialists spoke from with different foci to discuss the future of the metaverse in the forum, organized by the Cloud Innovation School and the Center for Precision Health Research at Asia University. There were more than 300 participants attending the forum either on line or in person. The topics and the speakers include:

(1) Mr. Che Yu Wu, Founder and Developer of Monoame Design, who spoke on “NFT Revolution of Generative Art”; (2) Mr. Aluan Wang, Art Director, on the Aka Swap in NFT Art Market; (3) Mr. Huang Hsing from the Mix Mix Club on the power revolution of NFT and cryptocurrency; (4) Mr. Yu-Ren Wang, the founder of MemeForTaiwan, on the blockchain and new gold rush; (5) Lewis Chang, the manager of the High Tech Computer Corporation (HTC Corporation), on future education via the metaverse; (6) Mrs. James Jin-Wei Lee, the founder MomentX, on opportunities and challenges of the metaverse. (7) Mr. Johnny Cheng, the manager of PTC, Taiwan, on the key technology of the metaverse; (8) Mr. Liang Wen Lung, Chairman of Jorjin company, on the brain-computer interface of the metaverse.

“The impact of COVID-19 in the past two years has unexpectedly fostered the rise of digital learning, fin-Tech, and digital health,” observed President Tsai. These changes in a way initiate a new wave of the digital industrial revolution. Certain things impossible in real life can actually be achieved in the virtual world of the metaverse. Many new social and economic activities, and brand new merchandise, can be created as NFT and the metaverse enters into our life today.

President Tsai also pointed out that, in order, to keep up with the global industrial trend, Asia University set up four years ago certain important research centers, such as the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, the Center for Precision Medicine Research, and the Center for Big Data Research and Center for Blockchain Research. Last year, a series of NFT-related activities were held in anticipation of the coming NFT age. For instance, the 2022 NMH’S Collection Exhibition, entitled “Taiwan's Palette,” has incorporated metaverse ideas and skills to celebrate the Year of the Tiger at the Asia University Museum of Modern Art.

Professor Hua-Shan Wu, Dean of College of Nursing at Asia University, also pointed out that the College of Nursing has built up a metaverse base for nursing education and that with the assistance of High Tech Computer Corporation, AU’s teachers and students can use its VirtiVR platform to design new “immersion” lesson plans. What’s more, the customized VR teaching materials can be conveniently integrated into courses, even though the users do not specialize in engineering and design.