The Foundation la main à la pâte was established in 2011 by the prestigious French Academy of Sciences, and two tertiary-level teacher training institutions: the École Normale Supérieure (Paris), and the École Normale Supérieure of Lyon. The Foundation works to improve the quality of the teaching of science and technology and promote inquiry-based learning in elementary and secondary schools. It conducts activities in France and Europe and wider afield, internationally.

With the assistance of the Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Paris, the K-12 Education Administration of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education began working with LAMAP on inquiry-based science education in 2015. The following years have seen education specialists from Taiwan take part in LAMAP’s international seminars, and LAMAP lecturers attend workshops in Taiwan. LAMAP’s president and founders have also visited Taiwan.

With a view to strengthening their scientific education-related cooperation, Ms. Tai Shu-fen (戴淑芬), the Deputy Director-General of the MOE’s K-12 Education Administration held a video with Daniel Rouan, the president of LAMAP, Laurence Constantini, coordinator of its international relations sector, and Lu Meichen, director of the Education Division. The discussion focused on direct and indirect participating in each other’s educational events, and translation and adaptation of teaching materials.

LAMAP agreed to facilitate Taiwan’s participation in a workshop later this year in Italy, health circumstances permitting, and in its future activities. It provided a list of its online pedagogic resources and discussed seeking permission for useful publications in French to be translated into Chinese, for schools and teachers in Taiwan. Both parties agreed to sign an MOU in the near future on education related cooperation between them.