Taiwan and Rhode Island Forge New Education Partnership
In a significant step forward for educational cooperation, Taiwan's Ministry of Education and the Rhode Island Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on November 25, 2024 to enhance bilateral educational exchanges. This follows a similar MOU with the Rhode Island Council for Higher Education that was signed in July 2023. The Education Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston played a key role in establishing this new partnership.
Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Dr. Lee Yu-Jiuan李毓娟, Director General of the Ministry of Education’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Education, signed the MOU at the Ministry of Education in Taiwan on November 25, 2024. Steve Osborn, Chief for Innovation at the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), and Dr. Yeh Ping-Cheng 葉丙成, Political Deputy Minister of Education attended the signing ceremony.
The new MOU outlines a comprehensive framework for collaboration including student exchange programs, language teaching and learning, teacher professional development, and digital learning. These are all important to facilitate opportunities for students from Taiwan and from Rhode Island to study abroad, promote language exchange programs, offer professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their skills and knowledge, and for teachers to explore opportunities for digital learning and collaboration.
Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, said after the signing that the MOU marks a significant milestone in the two parties’ ongoing commitment to fostering educational ties. By working together, they will be able to create brighter futures for students and professionals. With this MOU, Rhode Island becomes the third U.S. state to have formal educational partnerships with Taiwan at both the secondary and higher education levels. This new partnership will create more opportunities to enrich students’ understanding of each other’s cultures and deepen the friendship between Taiwan and Rhode Island.
