Taiwan and the State of Rhode Island Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Postsecondary Education Cooperation
On the morning of July 14, 2023, the Rhode Island council on Postsecondary Education signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Postsecondary Education Cooperation with the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education of the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. This is the first bilateral education cooperation agreement entered into in the New England region since the launch of the U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative in December 2020. It was a rainy day, but that didn’t dampen the positive spirits of the dignitaries present for the signing ceremony at the Rhode Island State House.
Dr. Yen-Yi Lee, Director General of the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education of the Ministry of Education, had signed the MOU first in Taiwan. Jonathan Sun, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston (TECO in Boston), then signed as one of the witnesses of honor during the ceremony in Rhode Island. Dr. Shannon Gilkey, Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Postsecondary Education, signed the MOU in Rhode Island, and Elizabeth Winangun, the Director of Policy in Governor McKee's Office, signed as the other witness of honor.
Taiwan’s Representative in the United States, Hsiao Bi-Khim, was among the dignitaries attending the signing ceremony. She expressed the support of Taiwan’s government for this event, highlighting how Taiwan values its friendship with the state of Rhode Island.
This Memorandum of Understanding on Postsecondary Education Cooperation provides a formal basis for facilitating bilateral cooperation in a wide range of educational matters. This can include but is not limited to providing information about and promoting study opportunities, student exchanges, and language education. Cynthia Huang, Director of the Education Division at TECO in Boston, spoke with Rhode Island State Government officials and public representatives about the current Chinese language education programs available in Taiwan, and Study in Taiwan resources, and the Education Division is looking forward to collaborating with Rhode Island’s postsecondary education providers.