Professor Joel Fetzer and East Asian Politics Course Students at Pepperdine University Make a Study Visit to TECO-LA
The Deputy Director General of TECO-LA Richard Lin hosted a visit by Dr. Joel Fetzer, a professor of political science at Pepperdine University and his students to TECO-LA on September 22, arranged with the assistance of the Education Division.
Their visit was part of the students’ East Asia Politics course, and to make it informative and productive, the directors of the Consular (Politics) Division, the Economic Division, the Culture Division (Taiwan Academy), the Travel Division, and the Education Division at TECO-LA participated in a meeting with them.
Deputy Director General Richard Lin welcomed Dr. Fetzer and his students and then outlined why Taiwan matters. Being situated in the middle of the prominent island chain in the West Pacific, Taiwan is geographically in a crucial position to safeguard stability and safety in the region and the world. He described Taiwan as a key partner in the global ICT industry, especially in the semiconductor supply chain, and Taiwan and the U.S. have dedicated to building a comprehensive, robust and mutually beneficial partnership, based on shared values of openness, diversity, freedom, and democracy.
The students raised questions about how Taiwan handles its close business relationships with mainland China amid controversial political issues. The directors present then each gave a brief outline of the roles of their respective divisions and the range of tasks involved. The students showed great interest in Taiwan’s cultural, educational, and tourism developments, and related resources that were showcased in the meeting.
Before concluding the meeting, TECO invited Dr. Fetzer and his students to try some moon cakes and bubble tea as an example of Taiwanese culture, and to encourage these future global leaders to visit, or study or teach in Taiwan.
Dr. Fetzer said afterwards “It has been a fruitful and interesting visit for my students and I hope to repeat the field trip in the future”.