On December 2, 2022, the Hunter College Chinese program held a symposium for The Taiwan Huayu BEST Program, entitled: “Life-Changing Study Abroad Opportunities for Your Students to Learn Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan”. This virtual symposium was sponsored by the Chinese Program and the Education Abroad Office at Hunter College, and by TECO New York, for the purpose of introducing the BEST program to U.S. institutions interested in joining. The symposium also showcased the You Hua Yu BEST program partnerships between many American institutions and their Taiwan counterparts. Hunter College of New York City is a new member of the BEST program, and is proud to partner with Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Opening remarks were given by Professor Lawrence Kowerski from Hunter College and Professor Chang-Mo Hsu from Wenzao Ursuline University in Taiwan. Director Min Ling Yang from TECO New York gave an introduction about the BEST program and how to apply. The introductions were followed by the main event of the symposium: four panel discussions featuring study abroad directors and administrators, students participating in the program, and BEST program teachers.
The presenters highlighted both the student scholarships provided by the BEST programs, and the benefits of the teacher exchange program to BEST partner institutions. The symposium attendees came from 26 educational institutions across the United States. Ten institutions were from the TECO New York region. All participants attending the symposium expressed interests in either joining or continuing the You Hua Yu BEST program.
It is the goal of the event organizers that the symposium will help to inspire teachers, students, and administrators to reexamine the value of studying abroad as they prepare to restart their overseas study programs after a three-year pandemic-induced break. To conclude, this event showcased the importance of U.S.-Taiwan educational exchanges, and the benefits of international collaborations in cultivating future global leaders.