NCHU Partners with Four Texas A&M University System Institutions to Open a New Chapter in Taiwan-U.S. Mandarin Education Cooperation

From August 8 to 14, the Office of International Affairs at National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) hosted a delegation of senior international affairs administrators and faculty members from four member institutions of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS)—Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), East Texas A&M University (ETAMU), Tarleton State University (Tarleton), and Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA)—for a visit and exchange in Taiwan. NCHU serves as the lead coordinating institution for the "University Academic Alliance in Taiwan (UAAT) Mandarin Language Education Project with the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS)" (the "UAAT-TAMUS Mandarin Project"). This visit reviewed the project's achievements to date and, through joint discussions, site visits, and cultural exchange, established the future framework and scope of cooperation under the "Taiwan Huayu BEST Program."

The delegation—comprising Dr. Godlove Taminang Fonjweng, Assistant Provost of Global Engagement and Partnerships at PVAMU; Ms. Tracy Lund Nakajima, Director of International Programs at ETAMU; Ms. Patricia Cubeta Zibluk, J.D., Director of International Affairs, Dr. William Bush, Director of the University Honors Program, and Dr. Walter Den, Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at TAMUSA; and Dr. Shun-Yung Kevin Wang, Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Tarleton—visited NCHU on August 12. The delegation was received by Dr. Chi-Chung Chou, Senior Vice President for International Affairs, with Dr. Zheng-Xian Wu, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Kai-Jung Chi, Associate Vice President for International Affairs, and Dr. Mei-Er Chen, Director of the International Education Division, Office of International Affairs, also in attendance. Dr. Kai-Jung Chi delivered an introduction to the university, reported on the implementation of the UAAT-TAMUS Mandarin Project, and led a briefing and two-way discussion on future collaboration proposals. The program also featured a sharing session by a UAAT-TAMUS Mandarin Scholarship recipient on his study experience in Taiwan.

The delegation also visited the NCHU Museum of Natural History, College of Life Sciences, and toured the i-Center for Advanced Science and Technology (iCAST), where they were received by Deputy Director Dr. Kun-Yi Lin along with division chiefs Dr. Meng-Chang Lin and Dr. Fan-Wei Liu. Through the visit, the delegation learned about iCAST's role in integrating cross-disciplinary research and building core facilities and semiconductor testing platforms, and observed an international summer program on semiconductor hands-on training—gaining first-hand insight into NCHU's efforts in cultivating talent in advanced science and technology and promoting international academic exchange.

Looking ahead to the coming year of Taiwan Huayu BEST Program cooperation, NCHU will continue to advance a multi-track partnership with its four TAMUS member institutions, deepening an institution-to-institution collaborative relationship. Program offerings include the Taiwan Huayu BEST Scholarship, short-term Mandarin study tours, online courses and language partner exchanges, and faculty and student exchanges—all aimed at lowering the threshold for American students to study in Taiwan, and integrating language learning with cultural immersion so that students can engage directly with campuses and communities across Taiwan, deepening the impact of their language learning. During the discussions, the partner institutions expressed interest in incorporating the short-term Mandarin study tours into their respective Study Abroad Program frameworks to encourage greater student participation. Once bilateral cooperation is further established, NCHU will move forward with plans to establish an Overseas Chinese Language Center, extending its impact by consolidating regional resources and expanding the reach of Mandarin education cooperation.

During their time in Taiwan, the delegation also visited the Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), observing classroom instruction and experiencing traditional Chinese calligraphy. NCHU's Office of International Affairs further arranged a rich cultural itinerary, taking the delegation to the National Palace Museum, the Lin Family Mansion and Garden in Banqiao, Lungshan Temple, the Dadaocheng Historic District, the Hakka Compound in Miaoli, and the National Museum of Natural Science, as well as Sun Moon Lake, where the group experienced Indigenous culture and the natural beauty of Taiwan's tea-growing region. These experiences offered the delegation a broad view of Taiwan's cultural diversity and will serve as a reference for designing future language and cultural programs for American students visiting Taiwan.

Following the delegation's return to the United States, the first cohort of online Mandarin courses is expected to launch in October, alongside individual online meetings with each partner institution to steadily advance Mandarin education, cross-cultural exchange, and interdisciplinary collaboration. NCHU noted that this exchange marks a shift in the partnership from a system-to-system relationship to a closer institution-to-institution one, and that going forward, the university will build on the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program as its foundation and cultural immersion in Taiwan as its substance, designing diverse and distinctive international education programs tailored to each partner institution's needs—advancing Taiwan-U.S. higher education cooperation to a new milestone.