Educational Partnership Agreement between Taipei and Houston Deepens Cooperation and Plants Seeds for Future Growth -Ministry of Education Republic of China (Taiwan)

Educational Partnership Agreement between Taipei and Houston Deepens Cooperation and Plants Seeds for Future Growth

Date: 2015-12-29

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Educational Partnership Agreement between Taipei and Houston Deepens Cooperation and Plants Seeds for Future Growth

Commissioner Tang Chih-Min of the Department of Education of Taipei City accompanied the Taipei Youth Folk Sports performance group from Taiwan on a tour to Houston in Texas in July 2015, and that visit sparked an educational cooperation agreement between the Department of Education of Taipei City and the Houston Independent School District (HISD). It is designed to provide American students with cultural immersion experiences and introduce the high quality education in Taiwan.

Taipei and Houston have been sister-cities for a half-century now. Conversations between DETC and HISD went well, thanks to their shared interest in expanding teachers’ and students’ horizons through several possible educational exchange programs. Both organizations oversee approximately 290 schools, with a total student population numbering between 200,000 and 300,000. These two organizations very quickly reached a decision to approve the signing of the agreement, just 5 months after the Taipei Youth Folk Sports performance group’s visit to Houston. The signing ceremony, reported by both Chinese and English language media, took place on December 17, 2015 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston (TECO) acted on behalf of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and helped piece everything together to create this new educational partnership. Louis M. Huang, Director General of TECO, was present to witness the signing of the agreement and said “This agreement marks another important milestone in the relationship between Houston and Taipei. There are still many more opportunities for future growth and cooperation. And I am confident that the best is yet to come.”

“The partnership agreement we signed today solidifies our longstanding spirit of cooperation to develop educational opportunities in both Houston and Taipei”, said Greg Meyers, Trustee of HISD’s Board of Education, who was present to sign the agreement, alongside Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Chief Academic Officer of HISD.

Director Sophie Chou of the Education Division of TECO read a statement from Commissioner Tang expressing his gratitude to all the people who had dedicated themselves to establishing this educational cooperation agreement. In it he said, “The partnership agreement signed by the Department of Education, Taipei City Government and the Houston Independent School District represents the beginning of a win-win relationship.”

Photo L-R: Andrew Houlihan, Chief Academic Officer of HISD; Louis M. Huang, Director General of TECO in Houston; Greg Meyers, HISD Board of Education Trustee; and Sophie Chou, Director of the Education Division of TECO in Houston with the partnership agreement.