Dr. Chang Ming-Wen, Director of the Department of Teacher and Art Education of the Ministry of Education led a delegation of 32 Teacher of the Year Award winners on a visit to Germany for a three-day study tour of Germany’s education system and visits to three educational institutions between March 13 and 15, 2017. During their visit, the award-winning teachers’ delegation was accompanied by Ms Weng Chin-Ying, Director of the Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany, and they received a warm and hospitable reception everywhere they went.

On March 13, the first day of their visit, the delegation met with Mr. Thomas Graupner, principal of the Berufliches Schulzentrum 7, a vocational school, to learn more about the German dual vocational education system in Leipzig. Mr. Holger Gasse, a member of the Saxon parliament with expertise in educational affairs, was attended to meet with the delegation.

On the second day, the delegation visited the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau to learn more about Germany’s higher education system. Prof. Dr. Chiao Hui-fang gave the Taiwan visitors a briefing about this vocational university. Afterwards Ms. Kathrin Köhler, the deputy mayor of Zwickau, greeted the delegation warmly. She emphasized the wish of the city government to have more in-bound Taiwan students, and said she would be pleased to see more intensive educational exchanges developed between her city and Taiwan.

March 15th was the last day spent visiting a German educational institution. The Teacher of the Year Award winning teachers were heartily welcomed at the Friedrich Engels High School in North Berlin by Dr. Sebastian Andrees, the vice principal. After giving a general introduction about the school, Dr. Andrees answered all of their many questions, and he expressed his wish to visit Taiwan schools one day for more professional and cultural exchanges.

Ms. Weng Chin-Ying, Director of the Education Division at the Taipei Representative Office in Germany (front row, 5th left), Mr. Thomas Graupner, principal of Berufliches Schulzentrum 7 (front row, 6th left), Dr. Chang Ming-Wen, Director of the Department of Teacher and Art Education at the MOE (front row, 4th right), and Mr. Holger Gasse, member of the Saxon parliament with expertise in education affairs (front row, 3rd right), surrounded by the Teacher of the Year Award winning Teachers of Taiwan