Conference snapshot

On September 17, 2022, the Education Division of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago held the 2022 Midwest Taiwanese Student Associations Conference Presidents of the Taiwanese Student Associations at 19 universities, and 18 Taiwanese Student Association office bearers attended the conference in person or online. The goal of these annual conferences is to support Taiwanese students in the Midwest, enhance the experience of their studies there, provide guidance and leadership skills to student association presidents, and strengthen the bonds between the student associations to ensure that they continue to provide excellent service to their respective Taiwanese student communities.

Director General Johnson Chiang of TECO-Chicago was unable to attend the conference because of other important engagements, so Daniel Hung, Director of the Press Division give the opening remarks to the student leaders on Director General Chiang’s behalf. Director Hung expressed his appreciation to the students, telling them that by pursuing higher education in the States and becoming valuable, highly-skilled professionals, the students are also improving Taiwan’s future and global influence.

John Lin, Director of the Education Division, explained the main functions of the division, which are to allocate some Ministry of Education scholarships, facilitate academic cooperation between Taiwan and the US, and to provides services and assistance to Taiwanese students in the Midwest. Director Lin also talked about how to adjust to American life, sharing details from his own experience, and how to ensure personal safety in the US.

In the afternoon, Annabelle Chen, Vice President of the Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce Chicago provided practical job seeking tips for graduating students. These included tips on how to research an industry, network, prepare a competitive resume, and hone one’s interview skills. She also maintained that a positive attitude and good etiquette goes a long way in a job search.

Mental health counsellor Wanting Walker empathized with the students’ experiences related to studying, and the struggles associated with immersing oneself in a foreign culture. She shared some useful resources and encouraged everyone to keep their mental health a top priority.

The Education Division of TECO-Chicago provides services for 10 Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, which have 50 Taiwanese Student Associations and a rough total of 3,835 Taiwanese students. The Education Division fully utilizes the network of Taiwanese Student Associations to help ensure that it provides the best service to Taiwanese students.