Have you ever wondered about how education affects economic development and growth? And when you walk into a trade conference or expo, do you assume that the information you’ll get will be all about business, for entrepreneurs? Do you expect to find interesting information about education opportunities?

In an article “Education and Economic Growth”, published in Economics of Education (Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2010, Pp 60–67), Eric A. Hanushek and Ludger Woessmann conclude that “there is strong evidence that the cognitive skills of the population – rather than mere school attainment – are powerfully related to long-run economic growth.” Keeping this in mind, the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston takes every opportunity to present people with information about opportunities to study in Taiwan.

One such opportunity was the Houston Global Trade Conference & Expo, held in Houston by Houston International Trade Development Council, Inc., a nonprofit organization that assists small & medium enterprises to develop economically in new and emerging global markets. Small and medium enterprises from the greater Houston area and consulates commissioned in Houston were invited to attend this two-day event on September 25 and 26, to find out more about trade opportunities with foreign businesses. More than 25 organizations, including the Education Division, exhibited at the two-day expo, which attracted an estimated 500 people.

Ambassadors and consul generals from several countries provided details of tariffs and trade barriers that their countries face currently and how small businesses may be affected. In contrast, the Education Division provided information about scholarships funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, to do a degree or Mandarin Chinese language studies in Taiwan. Participants were interested to learn about these study abroad opportunities for their children.

Photo:Ms. Isabelle Chen, coordinator of the Education Division of TECO in Houston (left) and Ms. Sophie Chou, director of the Education Division of TECO in Houston at the Study in Taiwan table.