2026-08-17

As public governance faces increasingly complex legal challenges—from conflicts between fundamental rights and administrative responsibility for artificial intelligence to construction regulation, environmental governance, and smart city development—how can academic research and government practice better support one another?

The College of Law and Public Law Research Center at the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK), together with the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government, jointly organized the 2026 Academic Conference on August 13 and 14. The event brought together experts from academia, government, and industry to examine major legal issues arising from contemporary public governance.

The conference built on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in July between NUK’s College of Law and the Kaohsiung City Government’s Legal Affairs Bureau, further transforming the partnership from an institutional framework into substantive academic and professional dialogue.

Through the coordination of Jun-Yi Wu, Dean of the College of Law, former Constitutional Court Justice Der-Tsung Tang was invited to deliver the keynote speech following the opening ceremony. His presentation, titled “Interpretive Methods for Conflicts between Fundamental Rights,” examined how courts should respond when different constitutional rights come into conflict.

Tang noted that balancing competing interests is unavoidable in cases involving conflicts between fundamental rights. Using criminal defamation as an example, he compared the differing approaches reflected in Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 509 and Constitutional Court Judgment No. 8 of 2023, and explained his proposed hierarchical proportionality review framework.

Drawing on U.S. experience in resolving rights conflicts, Tang also discussed different balancing approaches and their potential limitations. He argued that interpretation inherently involves judgment and that constitutional adjudicators should provide candid and rigorous reasoning while maintaining judicial restraint. A more structured application of the proportionality principle, he said, can improve the quality of constitutional reasoning, while fundamental rights should not be reduced to a simple cost-benefit calculation.

Dean Wu stated that since the College of Law and the Legal Affairs Bureau signed their MOU in July, both sides have quickly moved to implement substantive cooperation through the joint conference.

The topics addressed—including fundamental rights protection, artificial intelligence, construction and environmental governance, and smart cities—represent major legal challenges that governments increasingly encounter. By bringing together scholars and practitioners, academic research can respond more directly to public governance needs, while practical government experience can in turn enrich legal scholarship and talent development.

The two-day conference was held at the Kaohsiung Campus of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and featured four thematic sessions and one forum.

Topics included the allocation of liability and risk arising from government use of AI systems; competition law regulation and administrative supervision of the construction surplus-soil disposal market; the legal responsibilities of construction management companies acting as project owners; and the boundaries of public-law liability for illegal waste disposal.

A special forum titled “Legal Frameworks for Kaohsiung Smart City Development” examined smart digital public services, resilient cities, and sustainable green buildings. Through dialogue between academic research and administrative practice, participants explored how local governments can develop appropriate legal responses to emerging governance challenges.

Several NUK faculty members also played key roles throughout the conference. Chih-Wei Chang, Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Law, served as a presenter in the first session. Dean Wu, who also serves as Director of the Executive Management Talent Development Center, chaired the third session. Hsing-Ju Lin, Associate Professor in the Department of Law, Dean of International Affairs, and Director of the Public Law Research Center, participated as a discussant in the fourth session. Executive Vice President Hsing-Hao Wu chaired the August 14 forum on smart city legal frameworks.

Their participation as presenters, moderators, and discussants demonstrated the diverse ways in which NUK’s legal scholars contribute to public governance issues.

The College of Law and the Kaohsiung City Government Legal Affairs Bureau signed their MOU on July 15, establishing an interdisciplinary platform linking government legal practice and legal education. The partnership covers talent development, student internships, faculty exchange, academic cooperation, and continuing education for public-sector personnel.

By jointly organizing this annual academic conference, the two institutions have moved the partnership beyond formal agreement toward sustained practical engagement, further connecting legal research, talent cultivation, and government legal affairs.

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