Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) jointly held an all-day international seminar at Prometheus Hall on the TUFS campus on March 1, 2014. The title of the seminar was Foreign Education and Computer Science: Learning a Second Foreign Language, E-Learning, and the Learner. 50 scholars participated the seminar.

The seminar’s two main themes were: Taking Chinese Language Education to the World from Taiwan, and Research Collaboration about Using ICTz to Develop English Language Education and Chinese Language Education. Ten research papers were presented exploring aspects such as National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU)’s role as a language education center; the worldwide phenomenon of Chinese language teaching and learning; training qualified Chinese language teachers; and Chinese proficiency assessment. Director Song from NTNU’s Elite University Project office and Mr. Touno from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies discussed the possibility of research collaboration and academic exchanges between their two universities.

After the seminar, Deputy-Director Lin and Secretary Wang from the Education Division of the Representative Office hosted a party for all the participants from Japan and Taiwan to have more interactions. He welcomed everyone with a short speech remarking that promoting Taiwan’s high education has always been a first priority of the government, and promoting Chinese language education is an equally important Ministry of Education policy. He indicated that everyone at the Representative Office very much looked forward to further cooperation between NTNU and TUFS.

The Representative Office is actively promoting the Ministry of Education’s 8-Year Exporting Chinese Language Education Project and the many items under this umbrella. These include the Ministry of Education Huayu Enrichment Scholarships, short term Chinese Language programs for foreign students, TOFCL – Taiwan’s Chinese language proficiency test, and the Chinese Language Teacher Abroad program. These are all carefully designed practical measures to support students and teachers of Chinese all over the world.