Education Division of TECO-LA presents Taiwan’s Higher Education Internalization at CSUSB International Education Symposium

Dr. Liang Li-Ling, Director of the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO-LA) was invited to speak at a Symposium on International Education held as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB).
The symposium was organized by the Center for International Studies and Programs, in collaboration with the College of Extended Learning and took place on December 4, 2015 at the university's Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center.
The symposium featured three speaker panels discussing international education from different perspectives. One panel presented the perspectives of four U.S. scholars; John Levin and John Winslade, professors of education from the University of California, Riverside, and from CSUSB respectively; Cindy Fan, the vice provost for International Studies and Global Engagement at the University of California, Los Angeles; and Gary Rhodes, associate dean of International Education at CSU Dominguez Hills. These experts talked about problems they have encountered promoting study abroad programs, what they want students to learn from study-abroad experience, and how they are going to provide better study abroad programs. Another panel gave a wider university view, from the perspectives of the presidents of three universities in California: Tomás D. Morales, president, CSUSB; John Welty, president emeritus, CSU Fresno; and Michael Ortiz, president emeritus, Cal Poly Pomona.
Dr. Liang was one of three consular representatives, on the second panel. The other two panelists were consular representatives from Japan and Mexico, and they too each promoted their country as a good choice as a study abroad destination.
Dr. Liang spoke about Internationalization of Higher Education in Taiwan and Cooperation between Taiwan and the USA. She pointed out that internationalization of higher education in Taiwan is at a higher level than in the USA. International students in Taiwan now account for 7% of the total higher education population, in comparison to the 5% in the USA, and that 53,127 Taiwanese students were studying abroad in 2014. In Taiwan 4% of higher education students have a study abroad experience, and this figure is also higher than the corresponding 1.4% in the USA.
Universities and colleges in Taiwan are very actively building up partnerships with the USA and Dr. Liang encouraged CSUSB students to study a degree program or learn Mandarin in Taiwan. The Taiwan Government provides scholarships as incentives to choose Taiwan as a study destination. In the past decade, universities in Taiwan have been keenly developing dual and joint degree programs with international universities. These programs have the advantage of increasing staff and student exchange opportunities.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Allen Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education whose address was on the future of international education. He said, thinking forward, we have to look at how the high-tech age will change the future study abroad landscape. He also drew attention to an awakening concern: we must consider those who are in lower-income families and those who for a range of reasons have no chance to study abroad. There are many things we need to do in the next 10 years or 20 years. Studying abroad is no longer a privilege reserved for rich families. Internationalizing education not only focuses on increasing the number of students studying abroad; it also focuses on cultivating students who are global citizens. This is what international education is all about.