Taiwan’s Strong Presence at the 2024 NAFSA Annual Conference in New Orleans
International educators from around the world gathered at the 2024 NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo held in New Orleans between May 28 and May 31. Dr. Wu Cheng-Chih 吳正己, the chairperson of FICHET—the Foundation for the International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan—led a delegation of representatives of 20 universities in Taiwan to take part in the Expo.
The theme of this year’s Conference & Expo – Resilience. Renewal. Community – reflects NAFSA’s efforts to help educators tackle post-pandemic challenges, explore the latest innovations in education, and foster cross cultural connections. One of the highlights was a keynote speech by Luis von Ahn, co-founder of the popular language learning platform Duolingo, who shared his insights on connecting people across borders through online language education.
Dr. Wu, the chairperson of FICHET; Yvonne Hsiao 蕭伊芳, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston; Andrea Yang 楊淑雅, Director of the Education Division at TECO in Houston; Prof. Hsu Hui-Mi徐輝明, president of National Dong Hwa University; and Dr. Tai Hsia-Ling戴遐齡, former president of the University of Taipei, jointly opened the Study in Taiwan Pavilion, showcasing Taiwan’s strengths as a “Tech Island”. The pavilion’s design and futuristic flair highlighted the synergy between Taiwan’s higher education and ever advancing global technological developments, and it attracted many international education officials interested in discussing ways to explore opportunities for international cooperation.
The 2024 Taiwan–US Higher Education Symposium was held outside the exhibition venue on May 29. Randall Nadeau, Executive Director of the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange Fulbright Taiwan, chaired the symposium, and Jamie Sharp, Acting Director for Global Educational Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department, and Reynold Verret, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, gave the opening remarks. At the invitation of FICHET and the Education Division at TECO in Houston, Prof. Yang Chung-Kuang楊重光, Vice President of National Taipei University of Technology; Dr. Fuhui Tong, Associate Provost of the Texas A&M University System; Prof. Liu Yi-De劉以德, Vice President for International Affairs at National Taiwan Normal University; and Marguerite Giguette, Vice President and Provost of Xavier University of Louisiana, were the speakers at the symposium. They took part in sessions on the Current Higher Education and Research Collaboration between Taiwan and the US, and on the Implementation of the Taiwan Huayu BEST Programs, which discussed best practices in research cooperation and skilled professional training developments, in key areas such as semiconductors, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and Mandarin language education between Taiwan and the US.
In the evening, the Taiwan Night networking dinner welcomed representatives of more than 40 universities around the world. The distinguished guests all emphasized the importance of international educational exchanges in their remarks and recognized Taiwan as a diverse, free, democratic society, and a solid choice for students looking to study abroad, and a Taiwanese community leader in New Orleans launched a scholarship donation providing short-term study opportunities in Taiwan for local young people. On behalf of LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, Rosine Pema Sanga, the Director of International Affairs for the City of New Orleans, expressed gratitude for the efforts made to promote study abroad opportunities in Taiwan, and she highlighted her city’s plans to enhance meaningful cooperation between New Orleans and its sister city Tainan, and other cities in Taiwan.
Through the dedicated efforts of Taiwan’s government, educational institutions, officials, and educators, Taiwan continues to be an important partner in international education cooperation and a welcome participant in international education events such as the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo.
