|
2009 SPRING US-TAIWAN FORUM ON EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION
Purpose of the Forum:
The American International Education Foundation (AIEF) organized the 2009 Spring US-Taiwan Forum on Educational Cooperation in Taipei to facilitate open communication between American Education Fair participants and representatives from local educational institutions. US schools’ needs include achieving recruitment goals, determining that prospective students have the requisite qualifications and English language proficiency, and finding the right educational partners in Taiwan. Taiwan’s educational institutions need support for their student and faculty exchange programs, joint degree programs, and internationalizing their campuses. The Forum served as a platform for expressing concerns and exploring ways in which all parties can share resources and potentially work together. Organizer: American International Education Foundation (AIEF)
Moderator: Mr. Stephen Smith, Director of AIEF’s Washington, DC Office
Panelists: Dr. Yi-Ming Cheng, Director, Center of International Affairs, National Yang-Ming University / Brother Shamus McGrenra, Director of International Admissions and Student Services, Saint Francis University/ Ms. Michelle Massey, Senior Admissions Counselor, University of Maryland - Baltimore County.
Participants: Representatives from U.S. educational institutions, Taiwan institutions, and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009
Time: 9:00~11:00 A.M
Place: NTUH International Convention Center, Taipei, Taiwan
FORUM SUMMARY
Moderator’s Opening Remarks
After introducing all of the Forum participants, Mr. Stephen Smith, the Forum’s moderator, paraphrased the author Charles Dickens in stating that “it is the best of times, it is the worst of times.” With reference to the current global financial crisis, Smith suggested that Dickens’ words are currently relevant to the Forum’s participants, for whose institutions the times may be difficult, yet many opportunities also do still exist. Mr. Smith reminded the Forum participants that the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 has served as the framework for cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan for 30 years, noting that among the common interests of the U.S. and Taiwan is maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Identifying some of Taiwan’s needs for international educational cooperation, Smith cited such issues as attracting more foreign students to study in Taiwan; encouraging students to study abroad; promoting international cultural and educational exchange and cooperation; and improving English language proficiency. U.S. needs for international educational cooperation include deriving benefits from educational cooperation on people-to-people as well as diplomatic levels, increasing international student enrollment, and expanding its citizens’ understanding of other cultures, said Smith.
Smith urged the participants to take an optimistic, but also realistic, approach in seeking opportunities to develop educational cooperation with one another.
Panelists’ Comments
Professor Chen, of National Yang-Ming University, mentioned that his institution has established relationships with a number of U.S. schools, such as the University of Maryland-College Park, U.C. San Diego, and U.C. Santa Barbara. He said that interaction is encouraged with U.S. universities for the benefit of both undergraduate and graduate students. Chen explained that his university uses several tactics to attract foreign students, including providing summer programs in traditional medicine and Chinese art, double-degree programs, and tuition coverage. Observing that there are still many limitations that discourage students from studying abroad, he advised schools to offer joint degree program or double-degree programs. Advantages of international exchanges, said Chen, include opportunities to exchange ideas with international faculty, to connect with students from different backgrounds, and to provide “Global work” programs.
Brother Shamus McGrenra, of St. Francis University, said that the main area of interest for the university that he represented over the last 20 years always revolved around the holistic approach of integrating four specific areas into a seamless web: research cooperation, faculty exchange, student exchange and/or study abroad and international recruitment. These areas were seen as vital and a necessary element in the overall international educational experience of the university. He pointed out that international partnership has its genesis in three areas: 1) there is usually an individual or academic department that has a personal interest in a specific country or region, 2) the university emphasizes its academic strengths in the development of international partnerships and 3) many universities will rely on past history, alumni connections and personality match or institutional fit in the expansion of their campuses and academic offerings in the international sector.
Ms. Michelle Massey, of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, highlighted some of the benefits of diversity to all of our campuses, including broadening the way students see the world and helping them think in a bigger way that allows them to solve problems more holistically, teaching students to work in diverse groups as a reality of the global workforce, fostering intercultural understanding, as well as just plain having fun.
Discussion
An issue that arose was obtaining funding for international programs. It was suggested that seeking support for international initiatives from senior management at one’s institution is a key factor for obtaining funding. Moreover, the necessity for both parties involved in an international agreement to contribute to the funding of programs was stressed.
To broaden students’ global perspectives, travel abroad was viewed to be the first step. The notion that participation in a short-term summer program could lead to eventually enrolling as a full-time student at an institution of higher education was deemed to be applicable both to Taiwanese and U.S. students. Volunteer programs for Taiwanese students in the U.S., or for U.S. students in Taiwan, were discussed as ways to pique students’ interest in study abroad.
With regard to establishing partnerships with Taiwanese institutions, it was pointed out that currently the U.K. is aggressively develops relationships with Taiwan. A recommendation was made to encourage more students from Taiwan to study in the USA.
Forum Recommendations
Based upon the Forum discussions, the following recommendations were made::
-
Fund educational cooperation initiatives
-
Designate key personnel to monitor and maintain programs
-
Expand Faculty /
Student Exchange Programs
-
Offer more degree programs in English (Taiwan schools)
-
Encourage joint research projects
-
Provide internships for students
-
Effectively promote short-term study abroad programs
-
Establish a resource for centralizing information
Proposed Actions
In order to move forward for the benefit of both sides, these specific actions were proposed at the Forum:
-
Continue holding an annual Forum, optimally at a time when U.S. schools are visiting Taiwan, such as during the Fall or Spring American Education Fairs in Taiwan.
-
Possibly set up an Internet bulletin board to host information for U.S. and Taiwan schools interested in promoting their programs and educational cooperation.
-
Work with Taiwan’s schools to offer volunteer community service opportunities in Taiwan for U.S. college and high school students during the summer, which could potentially lead to an interest in studying at a university in Taiwan.
Concluding Remarks
Smith encouraged the Forum participants to explore ways to work with one another to achieve common goals. He urged all participants to take an active role in promoting educational cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan, noting that their passion and commitment can result in valuable contributions to this effort.
Back to Top
Related Materials to Review
|
