To address the legal challenges posed by an aging society and the increasing demand for healthcare, the Department of Law and College of Social Sciences at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), together with the College of Law and Center for Safe, Healthy, and Sustainable Development at National Chengchi University (NCCU), jointly organized the “2025 Taiwan–Germany International Forum on Health Care Law” on October 7, 2025. German and Taiwanese scholars engaged in in-depth dialogue on key issues such as medical self-determination and human rights protection for patients, generating lively discussions and fruitful interdisciplinary exchanges.
The forum featured two distinguished German legal scholars — Professor Roth of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Professor Lipp of Georg-August University Göttingen — who shared insights on Germany’s 2023 reform of the Guardianship Law (Betreuungsrecht). They examined the reform from several perspectives, including the strengthening of the right to medical self-determination, the redefined role of guardians, and the legal protection mechanisms for vulnerable patients, offering participants valuable comparative law insights into Germany’s recent legislative developments.
Taiwanese scholars responded with comparative analyses, raising questions related to guardianship systems, patients’ autonomy, and the integration of long-term care frameworks in Taiwan. Through the exchange between German and Taiwanese experts, the forum not only showcased the diversity of healthcare law systems but also illuminated the ongoing transformation of legal frameworks in response to social needs, inspiring deeper reflection on the future of legal reform and ethical practice in healthcare governance.
The NCKU Department of Law has long been committed to exploring topics related to healthcare law, medical human rights, and the legal implications of an aging society. By fostering cross-border academic collaboration and interdisciplinary research, this forum once again demonstrated the department’s strength in comparative law and its dedication to bridging legal scholarship with social practice — reaffirming NCKU’s commitment to legal innovation and the promotion of public welfare.
The forum featured two distinguished German legal scholars — Professor Roth of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Professor Lipp of Georg-August University Göttingen — who shared insights on Germany’s 2023 reform of the Guardianship Law (Betreuungsrecht). They examined the reform from several perspectives, including the strengthening of the right to medical self-determination, the redefined role of guardians, and the legal protection mechanisms for vulnerable patients, offering participants valuable comparative law insights into Germany’s recent legislative developments.
Taiwanese scholars responded with comparative analyses, raising questions related to guardianship systems, patients’ autonomy, and the integration of long-term care frameworks in Taiwan. Through the exchange between German and Taiwanese experts, the forum not only showcased the diversity of healthcare law systems but also illuminated the ongoing transformation of legal frameworks in response to social needs, inspiring deeper reflection on the future of legal reform and ethical practice in healthcare governance.
The NCKU Department of Law has long been committed to exploring topics related to healthcare law, medical human rights, and the legal implications of an aging society. By fostering cross-border academic collaboration and interdisciplinary research, this forum once again demonstrated the department’s strength in comparative law and its dedication to bridging legal scholarship with social practice — reaffirming NCKU’s commitment to legal innovation and the promotion of public welfare.

Group photo of participants at the “2025 Taiwan–Germany International Forum on Health Care Law”

German scholars share insights on Germany’s latest reform of the Guardianship Law (Betreuungsrecht)

Audience members listen attentively during the forum