TECO in Houston Nurtures Educational Partnerships in Arkansas
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston serves as a bridge between Taiwan and five states in the US: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Yvonne Hsiao 蕭伊芳, Director-General of TECO in Houston visited Arkansas in April, accompanied by Andrea Yang 楊淑雅, Director of the Education Division there, and Consul Josh Lin 林佳羅, for a series of high-level meetings with state officials and academic institutions, to strengthen educational cooperation and deepen ties.
The delegation met first with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Governor of Arkansas, who expressed her support for fostering closer relations between Arkansas and Taiwan. Governor Sanders expressed enthusiasm for advancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, commerce, and higher education.
The delegation then visited the Arkansas Department of Education. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and the Arkansas Department of Education have had education-related interaction for a long-time. The two parties signed the first memorandum of understanding on education in 2006. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Jacob Oliva, the Arkansas Secretary of Education and invited to attend the Department’s monthly Education Board meeting. Assistant Commissioner Karli Sarachinie formally introduced each member of the delegation to the more than 50 education leaders and administrators attending the meeting. The visiting delegation spoke of the importance of the longstanding educational partnership between Taiwan and Arkansas and expressed Taiwan’s commitment to building on and expanding collaborative education programs, in accordance with the MOU.
The delegation’s next visit was to the University of Central Arkansas, a comprehensive institution founded in 1907. Among the wide range of academic programs that it offers is Arkansas’ first and still the only Mandarin major, which was launched in 2016. Dr. Houston Davis, the university president, visited Taiwan in October 2024. He spoke highly of his time in Taiwan and expressed enthusiasm about deepening international educational exchanges with Taiwan.
The delegation then participated in a productive roundtable discussion organized by Dr. Phillip Bailey, Associate Vice President for Global Learning and Engagement that was attended by Dr. Kurt Boniecki, the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Guo-ou Zhuang the director of the Center for Chinese Language and Culture, and several Taiwanese-American faculty members, and Mandarin Chinese teachers. The participants engaged in in-depth exchanges on ways to enhance bilateral academic exchange programs and increase participation in Taiwan-based Mandarin learning opportunities.
Director-General Hsiao gave a keynote speech at the university titled Taiwan – An Indispensable Partner to the World, pointing out Taiwan’s critical role in the global supply chain, its achievements in democratic development, and its contributions to humanitarian assistance. Education Division Director Andrea Yang then provided details about scholarships and programs for studying Mandarin, internships, and teaching English in Taiwan. Both presentations were well received by students and faculty.
