National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and the University of Maryland (UMD) jointly signed a cooperative agreement on Wednesday to establish a Taiwan Huayu BEST Program partnership between the two universities, an endeavor that will expand educational and language exchanges and resources for both sides. The agreement was signed by President Darryll J. Pines of UMD and President Cheng-Chih Wu of NTNU during an official ceremony. Deputy Representative Robin J. C. Cheng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States served as witness to the signing.
The signing is a milestone of bilateral educational cooperation in Maryland. The partnership deepens ties between Taiwan and the U.S. and will serve as a foundation for future bilateral cooperation. The aim of the agreement is to enhance educational exchanges, especially regarding language education, through collaboration, information and resource sharing. This includes joint efforts to strengthen language teaching through training and recruiting teachers and promoting the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL), which is expected to make UMD a main center for learning Mandarin in the state.
The success comes after months of efforts by TECRO and the two universities. During the ceremony, the presidents of both universities expressed appreciation for the support of each side and TECRO.
The ceremony was also attended by Dean Stephanie Shonekan of the College of Arts and Humanities, Associate Director Lindsay Yotsukura of the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Associate Director Joseph Scholten of the Office of International Affairs of UMD, Executive Vice President Yung-Hsiang Ying, Dean Chien-Cheng Liu of the College of Arts, Director Nikky Lin of the International Taiwan Studies Center, Director Min-Ping Kang of the Center of Public Affairs, Distinguished Professor Hsueh-Chih Chen of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Chair Professor Wen-Chung Kao of the Department of Electrical Engineering of NTNU and Director Dr. Aaron Chen of TECRO’s Education Division.
During the remarks, Deputy Rep. Cheng expressed congratulations to the two universities on behalf of Ambassador Bi-Khim Hsiao of TECRO and pointed to the agreement as a success of the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, which will mark its two-year anniversary at the end of this year. Cheng hoped that the signing of this MOU would usher in a long and prosperous partnership and that both sides would continue to work hand-in-hand to explore more opportunities for expanding the scope of cooperation, with respect for academic freedom and freedom of speech at the center.