The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston (TECO-Boston), representing the Ministry of Education (MOE), Republic of China (Taiwan), and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 16, 2017 to support Taiwan-related activities and initiatives at the Center for the Study of Asia (BUCSA), an affiliated regional center of the Pardee School.
This is the third renewal of the partnership between MOE and BUCSA. This latest MOU will support teaching, visiting lectures, events, research, and libraries for the next three years.
“Boston University is a wonderful educational exchange partner, and we have worked together for 10 years now” Rose Chen, Director of the Education Division at TECO-Boston, said at the signing. “This MOU represents a new milestone of our lasting cooperation and partnership.”
In the past, the TECO-Boston Education Division and BUCSA have cooperated to enhance the understanding of Taiwan by developing five courses with a strong Taiwan focus, promoting a Mandarin learning atmosphere, establishing digital research archives, and holding an annual Taiwan Forum.
The new MOU will expand collaboration to include holding international conferences, enrich the current digital research archive with the addition of digital journals, continue the Taiwan Forum lecture series, and develop more Taiwan-focused courses for the Boston University campus, Rose Chen said.
Catherine Yeh, Director of the Center for the Study of Asia, outlined planned initiatives that will be supported by the MOU. She also mentioned past initiatives and events made possible by the partnership, including the Binding Maritime China Conference, the Asian Women Leaders Forum. and the Boston University New England Asia Seminar.
The Center for the Study of Asia promotes comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and cross-national understanding of Asia through coordination of teaching missions, research support, community-building among faculty and students, and broad outreach beyond the university.

Photo:Adil Najam, Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, Scott Lai, Director-General of TECO-Boston, and Rose Chen, Director of the Education Division at TECO-Boston (all standing behind the table), with faculty members of the School at the signing ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University).