International cooperation and innovation strategies of regional collaborative universities: a case study of the Taiwan–Japan Alliance

Purpose The study is structured around three main objectives: (1) to explore the foundational factors behind the alliance’s establishment, including the past internationalization practices of member universities, their motivations for participation and the contextual background of the Taiwan–Japan Alliance; (2) to analyze the collaborative processes, focusing on presidents’ perception, institutional policy, administrative support and stability of participant engagement; and (3) to assess the outcomes and feedback, including attractor effects, learning achievements, leverage impacts and the realization of synergy. Design/methodology/approach Based on the achievements made by universities in regional revitalization in Taiwan and Japan, Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council and the Ministry of Education established the “Taiwan-Japan Alliance of Local Revitalization and Social Practice” (Taiwan–Japan Alliance) in 2021. This collaboration involves six Taiwanese universities and four Japanese universities. This study explores the innovative impacts of the Taiwan–Japan Alliance through local revitalization and social practice on the internationalization strategies of regional collaborative universities. Adopting a qualitative research design, this study uses a detailed case-study approach involving two universities (one each from Taiwan and Japan). The research methodology includes an extensive literature review and in-depth interviews (three interviewees from member universities), analyzed through the lens of Ansell and Gash’s (2018) collaborative platform framework, specifically examining attractor effects, learning, leverage and synergy. Findings Findings indicate increased exchanges and collaboration within the Alliance, positively influencing students’ learning and faculty research. However, issues such as Taiwanese universities’ dependence on major project funding and insufficient Secretariat funding highlight the need for diversified financial resources. Recommendations include developing alternative funding strategies, establishing a membership fee system and creating authoritative academic publications. Research limitations/implications This study’s limitations include the relatively small number of interviewees due to time constraints and the recent transition in the Alliance's leadership. Future research could benefit from broader engagement with additional member universities to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the Alliance's development. Additionally, due to limited publicly available Alliance activity information, detailed insights were primarily derived from interviews. Thus, future studies are advised to expand the interviewee scope and continuously gather relevant literature to deepen the understanding of this issue. Originality/value The value of this study lies in its identification of a cooperative model established by the Taiwan–Japan Alliance, based on the shared issue of regional revitalization in both countries. Through collaborative governance and intensive, diverse interactions in a short time, the Alliance promotes university internationalization, potentially serving as a model for cross-border university collaboration.