By Genevieve B. Kupang
May 6, 2026, Puli, Nantou County, Taiwan. The heavens opened gently on May 6, 2026, the first morning of the 6th HLU Annual Conference, greeting delegates with more than a drizzle as they arrived at National Chi Nan University (NCNU). Umbrellas in hand and smiles undimmed, two ASEAN delegates and an East Asian WUNI-L officer paused for a moment before the signature mandala art installation at NCNU’s Campus Inn, its frame adorned with artificial ornamental decorations, a quiet reminder that even in the rain, beauty finds its place.
I–na–u–wa, I–na–u–wa–ya: Vocable-Rich Harmonies of Taiwan’s Indigenous Voices Welcome the World
The NCNU Indigenous Student Association (ISA) greets the 6th HLU delegates with a cultural performance rooted in Taiwan’s indigenous heritage.
Innovation does not erase traditions. It grows from them. When the chanters and musicians of NCNU in Puli, Taiwan, held a reverent stillness before their voices filled the air with sound, delegates held their breath collectively.
Ancient voices during an Agentic Era gathering. The NCNU ISA consecrates the 6th HLU Annual Conference with traditional blessing chants.
The NCNU Indigenous Students Association opened their voices in the ancient chants of their ancestors: I-ya, u-wa-ya, o-o ya-ya, I-ya, e-ye wu-ya, I-ya, a-ya, o-o ha-ya, ya-ya. These are vocables, non-lexical syllables that carry the sonic identity and collective memory of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples across generations. To the delegates arriving from 14 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkiye, United States of America, and Vietnam), across four continents for the 6th Hanseatic League of Universities Annual Conference and WURI 2026 Global Rankings Ceremony, this was part of their welcome and it arrived in the mother tongue of the mountains. In that moment, the conference was consecrated.
NCNU President and HLU President-Elect Dr. Dong Sing Wuu Welcomes Delegates
Dr. Dong-Sing Wuu, President of National Chi Nan University, welcomed the delegates with an attentive warmth. The conference participants were grateful as his words were gracious and genuinely felt.
Dr. Dong-Sing Wuu, HLU President-Elect, extending NCNU’s welcome to scholars and leaders from 15 countries across four continents.
“Welcome to the 2026 HLU Annual Conference and WURI Global Rankings Ceremony at National Chi Nan University,” he began, and in that gracious moment, the weight of the occasion landed fully. Here was a university president welcoming distinguished leaders and scholars from 14 countries across four continents, with the quiet sincerity of a host who had prepared his home university with care and meant every word of the invitation.
Dr. Dong-Sing Wuu, HLU President-Elect and President of National Chi Nan University, shares a warm exchange of gifts and goodwill with Dr. Yhing Sawheny, also known as Manpreet Kaur, Director of International Affairs at Siam University, Thailand, in one of those unhurried conference breaks where the real connections are made.
Dr. Wuu spoke of the event as a celebration of achievements recognized in the WURI Global Ranking, and equally, as a platform that highlights what WURI truly values: innovation, differentiation, and long-term impact on industry and society. He closed with characteristic warmth, expressing his hope that every delegate’s time at NCNU would be enriching, collaborative, and inspiring.
NCNU Vice President Dr. Yung-Ping Tseng attended to every pre-conference query with precision and warmth, setting the tone for what the 6th HLU would become. President Dr. Dong-Sing Wuu is indeed blessed to have such a formidable partner in leading both NCNU and the HLU forward.
As the WURI Historian, I found myself reflecting on what it means for a university to say YES, and to mean it, TWICE OVER. Just last December 4 to 6, 2025, NCNU opened its campus to the UI GreenMetrics World University Ranking event. And now, in May 2026, it has opened its doors again, hosting the 6th HLU Annual Conference and the WURI 2026 Global Rankings Ceremony on the same welcoming stage. That is an institutional and deliberate embrace of the challenges that come with hosting international conferences of this magnitude. That is servant leadership made visible, and its consistency across seasons and occasions is admirable on every front.
Professor Dong Sung Cho, HLU Honorary President Welcomes the 6th HLU Delegates
Professor Dong Sung Cho, Honorary President of the Hanseatic League of Universities and Chair of the WURI Foundation, welcomed delegates by tracing the remarkable journey of HLU since its founding moment in April 2018. It began when ten university presidents convened at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands for its 220th anniversary. They unanimously agreed to establish this league, inspired by the original Hanseatic League of the 12th to 15th centuries (Die Hanse). The Hanseatic League was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe, active roughly from the 12th to the 17th century. Its members were cities and trading posts.
Visibly elated, Dr. Dong-Sung Cho continues to inspire, especially the young and the new attendees, as well as the seasoned ones who have joined him in his vision since 2018. Eight years on, his passion for transforming university rankings into instruments of real-world impact remains as compelling as ever, drawing in new believers while deepening the commitment of those who have been with him since the very beginning.
Just as that historic alliance of European cities sought safety and prosperity through cooperation and trade, the 21st-century HLU envisions a network of over 30,000 universities worldwide working toward a shared mission: cultivating the next generation of leaders through global collaboration and the free exchange of new and innovative ideas. He highlighted how the league grew steadily across continents, from its second conference in Korea in 2019, which drew 240 participants from 62 institutions and featured a keynote by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, through its pandemic pause, and into its current flourishing, with the WURI Foundation having formally joined HLU’s annual conference as an integral partner for recognizing universities with real-world impact.
Professor Cho then turned the delegates’ attention to the future trajectory of WURI, presenting a vision of how the rankings system continues to evolve as a genuine alternative to conventional university metrics. Beginning in 2020 as a rebellion against statistics-driven, reputation-based rankings, WURI introduced innovative case-based evaluation across 16 categories and expanded to 24 categories in 2026 by adding a third axis centered on what universities choose to innovate in research, education, service, and commercialization.
Co-learning across borders. Dr. Cho Dong-Sung, Dr. Dong-Sing Wuu, Dr. Yung-Ping Tseng, Dr. Kyung-sung Kim, and distinguished university leaders from across the globe gather for a commemorative photo, an image holding the collective wisdom of higher education leadership.
Looking toward 2027, Professor Cho unveiled plans for a fourth axis focused on “With Whom to Innovate,” encompassing collaboration with national governments, intergovernmental organizations, university federations, and partner universities aligned with both Global Common Goals and nation-specific goals across all 196 countries. He also introduced the forthcoming World Innovative University Accreditation (WIUA) and the SDG and ESG-Based Innovation Validation (SEIV) certification, positioning WURI as a ranking and as a living system that validates, accredits, and energizes institutions committed to making genuine and measurable impact in the world.
A Delegate’s Heart Speaks
Inspired Beyond Borders. Dr. Nonette Pacaldo Pabalan of the Holy Name University, Philippines reflects on the 6th HLU Annual Conference: “Participating in the 6th HLU Conference held last May 6–7, 2026, at National Chi Nan University in Puli was truly a meaningful and enriching experience for me. Beyond the insightful discussions on innovation and higher education, I gained a deeper understanding of the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) ranking system, where Holy Name University proudly made it to the Top 500 universities worldwide, with 13 cases included in the Top 100. It was an inspiring affirmation of the university’s commitment to quality, innovation, and global engagement.
More than the learning opportunities, the conference opened doors to meaningful connections and friendships with educators, leaders, and participants from different universities around the world. The exchange of ideas, cultures, and experiences reminded me that higher education truly transcends borders. I came home not only inspired and grateful, but also more motivated to continue contributing to the internationalization and continuous improvement efforts of our university.”
Prof. Hazel Siromoni, Pro Vice Chancellor, Strategic Initiatives, Chitkara University, Punjab, India, Dr. Nonette Pacaldo Pabalan, Holy Name University of Tagbilaran, Bohol, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor of Chitkara University (Punjab & Himachal Pradesh).
This is the 3rd in a series of 9 articles. Here are the links to the 1st and 2nd articles: 1) https://www.pressenza.com/2026/05/the-6th-hlu-conference-and-wuri-2026-global-rankings-ceremony-at-national-chi-nan-university/; 2) https://www.pressenza.com/2026/05/where-the-stones-speak-the-flowers-delight-and-the-trees-protect/. Stand by for the 4th series to the 9th series.
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About the Author:
Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang is Dean of the Graduate School and International Relations Officer of Baguio Central University, Baguio City, Philippines. She also serves as WURI Historian, Secretary of the World University Network for Innovation Leaders (WUNI-L), and Board Director of the Cordillera Association of International Relations Officers (CAIRO). A peace educator, applied cosmic anthropologist, and humanist activist, she is a co-author of a finalist book at the 43rd National Book Awards administered by the National Book Development Board of the Philippines, and a contributing writer for Pressenza International Press Agency.
