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SHIH CHIEN UNIVERSITY AND JUNIATA COLLEGE SIGN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT FOR TAIWAN HUAYU BEST PROGRAM

7/21/2022

Juniata College President, Dr. Jim Troha (fourth from the right) and Dr. Sowang Kuo (third from the right), Vice President of Shih Chien University signed an agreement for the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program. Dr. Min-Ling Yang (second from the right), Director of Education Division of TECO-NY and Juniata College Provost, Dr. Lauren Bowen (third from the left) also participated in the signing ceremony.

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：王偉綸

實踐大學與策略夥伴學校美國賓州朱尼亞塔學院（Juniata College）攜手合作，於臺灣時間5月13日簽署「優華語計畫」學術合作協議，朱尼亞塔學院也成為美國第一所加入「臺灣優華語計畫」的博雅學院。本次兩校簽約儀式中，實踐大學郭壽旺副校長偕同駐紐約經濟文化辦事處教育組楊敏玲主任，親赴賓州參與朱尼亞塔學院實體簽約典禮，朱尼亞塔學院校長Dr. James Troha、教務長Lauren Bowen及國際長兼副教務長Dr. Wei-Chung Wang均出席觀禮。

With the support from the Education Division of TECO-NY, Juniata College and Shih Chien University entered into an agreement through the Taiwan Huayu BEST (Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent) Program, which encourages cooperation between universities in Taiwan and universities in the U.S. and promotes Mandarin language education in the U.S.. This agreement makes Juniata College the first United State liberal arts college to join the Scholarship Program.

Juniata College and Shih Chien University will work reciprocally to enhance teaching, learning, and internationalization objectives. A visiting scholar from Shih Chien University will be hosted by Juniata annually to teach in-person Mandarin classes. Additionally, online Mandarin classes, TOCFL Chinese language proficiency tests, and online teacher training workshops will be offered to Juniata students through Shih Chien University. Juniata students will have the opportunity to join the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program and assist in English learning activities in secondary and elementary schools in Taiwan through scholarships provided by Shih Chien University.

“We are very excited to be able to advance our relationship with Shih Chien University through the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program,” said Jim Troha, President of Juniata College. “The collaboration with Shih Chien University provides unique opportunities to help cultivate Juniata students to become global citizens, including two students this summer who will be traveling to Taiwan on a scholarship provided by the Program.”

Dr. Sowang Kuo, vice president of Shih Chien University, visited Juniata College to participate in a signing ceremony. “Taiwan Huayu BEST Scholarship Program allowed Shih Chien University and Juniata College to strengthen Mandarin education. We welcome Juniata students to study Mandarin and experience Taiwanese culture during the summer vacation in Taiwan,” said Dr. Kuo.

Juniata College is one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, who provides personalized educational experience to empower students to lead a fulfilling life of service and ethical leadership in the global community by promoting international understanding and enhancing educational opportunities. As one of the liberal arts colleges, Juniata College emphasizes on teaching and cultivating young students' personality and developing their critical thinking

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MOE’S HUAYU ENRICHMENT SCHOLARSHIP EQUIPPED AWARDEES WITH LANGUAGE TOOLS AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

7/21/2022

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Magdalene volunteers at International Companions for Learning (ICL), where she teaches weekly English classes and sometimes takes students on a field trip.

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：Magdalene Castro

來自美國紐約州的孔蕾雅（Magdalene Castro）經駐紐約教育組推薦獲選為2021年教育部華語文獎學金受獎生，目前就讀臺灣師範大學國語教學中心（MTC）。孔蕾雅擁有國際關係及新聞學位並立志成為一名外交官，透過華獎赴台深造華語使她能具備優秀的語言能力。除臺師大正規課程外，她也參加校方安排之選修課程，如臺語對話課程、臺灣電影欣賞及節慶文化相關活動，藉此更深入了解臺灣文化。孔蕾雅並在課餘時間參與「國際學伴計畫」（International Companions for Learning）與台灣中小學生進行文化交流。

Magdalene Castro is a Dominican-American 2021 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient. She is currently studying Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University, Mandarin Training Center (NTNU, MTC). She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Asian Studies, and a master's in Journalism from Columbia University. Magdalene aspires to become a diplomat and bring about great change in this world. She deftly knows that her language skills will be vital in facilitating dialogue between different people, both domestically and abroad. This scholarship is equipping her with language tools to further her goal of making the world a more connected and empathetic place.

“One of my passions is learning about the world through language. I’m fluent in Spanish and English and also speak French, Japanese, and a bit of Arabic and Russian. It’s such a beautiful thing being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue and deepen your connection to the culture associated with that language,” she says. As Magdalene’s Mandarin skills improve, her connection to Taiwan deepens.
Magdalene has enjoyed her learning experience at NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center where she has been challenged daily to reach a new potential with her Chinese language acquisition journey. The university provides students with resources to improve their Chinese through supplementary courses which included Chinese conversation classes, Taiwanese conversation classes, and movie classes to develop listening skills. The university also hosts hands-on events where you can learn more about Taiwanese culture. Magdalene recently participated in a calligraphy class and found the experience to be very enriching. She also loves that her university is diverse and has had classmates from Belgium, the United States, India, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Italy.

When Magdalene isn’t studying, she spends a lot of time exploring Taiwan. “Though Taiwan is small, there’s a lot to do here. I live in the metropolis of Taipei and all I have to do is get on a train and 2 hours later I’m at a beach surfing or up in the mountains hiking. It’s a small yet lovely place.” She also dedicates time to giving back to the community and is a volunteer with International Companions for Learning (ICL), where she teaches weekly English classes to elementary school children and introduces them to her Dominican-American culture

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MANDARIN LANGUAGE TEACHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON HOSTED A LUNAR NEW YEAR WORKSHOP

7/21/2022

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The Asian Studies Program at The University of Scranton hosted an Asian New Year Festival and Workshop on Chinese calligraphy. Left to right: Chinese teacher Mr. Peter Su, Ryan Sophabmixay, Andrew Spina, and Emilia Tobey, elementary Chinese students

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
撰稿人: 蘇浚生老師

教育部外派華語教師蘇浚生老師任教於美國賓州斯克蘭頓大學亞洲研究系。2022年春季學期於校內舉辦亞洲新年活動工作坊，蘇浚生老師帶領工作坊內容包括：筷子文化介紹、筷子挾物競賽、農曆新年傳統習俗等，師生親自參與體驗春聯書寫及日本摺紙，該工作坊結合新年節慶在校園內推廣亞洲文化，頗受當地媒體重視及報導。

The Asian Studies Program at The University of Scranton held an Asian New Year Festival and Workshop in spring semester, 2022, for students and faculty to learn and experience how different Asian cultures and traditions celebrate Lunar New Year. The Chinese teacher from Taiwan, Mr. Peter Su, indicated that Lunar New Year is one the most significant holidays in Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, China, and Vietnam. Particularly, the Year of Tiger symbolizes the energy and spirit of the king of animals.

The workshop started with a welcoming speech by Dr. Ann Pang-White, Director of Asian Studies and Professor of Philosophy at The University of Scranton. Following her introduction, two Asian instructors presented on Asia’s chopstick culture. One of them was Mr. Peter Su from Taiwan. After enjoying some Asian food, attendees participated in a chopstick competition and listened to two presentations about how New Year is celebrated in Taiwan, Japan, and China. Participants also wrote Spring Festival couplets using Chinese calligraphy and made Japanese origami related to the Year of the Tiger.

“A tiger represents the king of animals in Chinese mythology. So, it’s also very fitting this year because it shows courage and braveness, perseverance. And so it’s good for us to have that spirit to fight COVID-19 and to end the pandemic so we can keep ourselves optimistic,” said Dr. Ann Pang-White when interviewed by a local TV station.

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MAIOLI COUNTY SCHOOL EMBARKED AN INTERCULTURAL LEARNING JOURNEY WITH SISTER SCHOOL IN NEW YORK

7/21/2022

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Students of Xin-Gang Elementary and Junior High School enjoy the online exchange course with their sister school Shuang Wen School in New York City.

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：吳雲道

苗栗縣立新港國民中小學與美國紐約市Shuang Wen School在駐紐約教育組的牽線下自去年開啟了兩校的國際視訊交流課程，每月固定交流，迄今進行主題包括：雙方自我介紹、台灣的校園生活、猜謎大挑戰Show and tell、我的家鄉–後龍美食文化觀光景點特色介紹等，翻轉式學習旅程讓師生雙方皆浸淫於跨國的課程饗宴。

With the mission of promoting the Taiwan’s Bilingual Nation 2030 Policy, Education Division of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-NY) has been actively cultivating possible sister school partnerships between schools in Taiwan and schools within the four states of its service area. In the year of 2021, with the support from the Education Division of TECO-NY, Miaoli County Xin-Gang Elementary and Junior High School has established sister school partnership with Shuang Wen School, a public school in New York City. It has given both schools’ students an opportunity to expose themselves to different cultures, mostly to build the global citizenship and intercultural competence.

“Since we’ve built up the connection, we have scheduled monthly online courses with Shuang Wen School. Two courses for elementary department students, one course for teachers and students of junior high department” said Principal Yun Daw Wu of Xin-Gang Elementary and Junior High School. A variety of themes were designed for the online courses, such as self-introduction, school life, show and tell games, and Hakka culture and food introduction. Principal Wu also mentioned that before each online course, a preparation meeting would be held by both schools’ teachers to go through the details, so that they could make sure their students would have a well-rounded learning experience.

Xin-Gang achieved a remarkable milestone of global learning connections with their sister school Shuang Wen School. More than 150 students participated in the bilateral exchange online courses. Being the first bilingual school in Miaoli County, Xin-Gang has dedicated to create positive association between Taiwan and other countries in the world through the establishment of sister school partnerships. “We encourage students to learn not only from classes, but also from everywhere in between. Our students have cultivated friendship and practiced cultural exchange with students of Shuang Wen School.” said Principal Wu.

“Our students’ English speaking skill has greatly improved due to the monthly online interactivities. They have gained knowledge and perspectives that are beyond textbooks. Shuang Wen gives them an eye-opening experience. Both teachers and students are benefit from this completely immersive cultural experience.” said Xin-Gang.

Dr. Jeremy Kabinoff , principal of Shuang Wen School, said “We appreciate Education Division of TECO-NY for initiating conversation about possible collaboration between Xin-Gang and our school.” He also stated that students not only had a chance to practice their Mandarin, but also learned more about Taiwanese culture through the online courses. “We look forward to visiting Taiwan in the near future, and our students can experience cultural exchange in person.” said principal Kabinoff.

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US GOVERNMENT’S NEW IMMIGRATION POLICIES GIVE A DIRECT PATHWAY TO INTERNATIONAL STEM STUDENTS

7/21/2022

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New actions announced by the Department of State and Homeland Security will benefit international students in STEM fields. (Photo Credit: Department of State and Homeland Security)

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組

美國白宮1月22日公布說明文件（Fact Sheet）指出，美國擁有的最大優勢之一，就是能吸引國際人才以強化美國經濟與科技之競爭力。為了讓更多科學、技術、工程及數學（Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM）四大領域的外國留學生與國際學者專家長期留在美國發展，拜登政府1月21日宣布多項有關留學及簽證政策改革。根據最新政策，STEM學科留學生畢業後將可在美國工作三年；國土安全部並增列22個STEM學科為三年實習許可計畫（Optional Practical Training, OPT）的適用範圍。

On January 21, 2022, the US Government announced new immigration policies that will give a direct pathway to the international students of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to study and complete professional training with an employer in the US. Government officials believe those actions not only will help American companies meet their workforce shortage, but also will ease higher education enrollment decline.

The US Department of State and Homeland Security (DHS) will add a total of 22 new fields of study to the STEM Designated Degree Program List under Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows graduates in STEM fields to remain in the U.S. after they graduate and to gain practical work experience related to their degree for three years. F-1 students are typically eligible for up to one year of post-graduate OPT. However, for those who graduate with a STEM degree are eligible for extra two years of OPT (STEM OPT). The newly added fields of study include Human-Centered Technology Design, Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Business Analytics. Therefore, a greater number of F-1 students will be eligible for STEM OPT.

In addition, early career STEM research initiative for J-1 scholars, specialists, students, interns, trainees, teachers, and professors are revealed. The US Department of State (DOS) has also announced that undergraduate and graduate students on exchange visitor J-1 visas in STEM fields can receive double amount of time up to 36 months in post-graduate academic training in the US. J-1 undergraduate and pre-doctoral students currently are eligible for up to 18 months of post-graduate academic training.

Concurrently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to give a wider interpretation of STEM expertise and area of extraordinary ability. It allows immigration officers to determine visa eligibility. USCIS provides additional examples, which gives professionals in STEM fields more evidences to submit when applying for O-1 visa. For example, journal impact factors, relative citations, research experience with notable institutions and unsolicited invitations to speak or present research at scientific conferences are now included in the listed regulatory criteria. O-1 visa is available to people with extraordinary ability or performance in the fields of science, business, education, or athletics

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2022MOE’S HUAYU ENRICHMENT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEE SHARES EXPERIENCE STUDYING IN HUALIEN

7/21/2022

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Dannial Cardillo (second from left) and his peers participating in a Chinese paper cutting activity hosted by the Chinese Language Center at Tzu Chi University.

發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：Dannial Cardillo

來自美國賓州的張子揚（Dannial Cardillo）經駐紐約教育組推薦獲選為2021年教育部華語文獎學金受獎生，目前就讀花蓮慈濟大學華語中心。他表示，由於新冠肺炎疫情爆發，使得前往以華語為母語的國家進行語言學習變成難以實踐的計畫，他感謝教育部提供華語獎學金予外國學生。有別於其他城市，花蓮會說英文的人較少，正因如此他更有機會能和當地居民練習華語口說，連曾經認為艱澀難學的繁體字也進步神速。最後他表示，慈濟大學獨特的學校特色及辦學宗旨，提供他一個絕佳學習環境讓他能宏觀地了解臺灣歷史與豐富文化。

Dannial Cardillo is a 2021 HES awardee studying at Tzu Chi Chinese Language Center (CLC) in Hualien. He is from southwestern Pennsylvania and is working on a degree in Chinese Language and Culture, Turkish Language, and Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Dannial shares that it has been difficult for him to engage with foreign languages in a stimulating way. “With the current pandemic, studying abroad in a Chinese speaking country is virtually impossible. But because I am a HES student, I could finally come and immerse myself in Taiwanese culture,” he says. Dannial appears to be adjusting very well too.

Attending classes at Tzu Chi is enriching for him because Tzu Chi University is Buddhist and promotes vegetarianism, environmentalism, philanthropy, and loving-kindness. There are Tzu Chi foundations all over the world that work to serve their local communities. Dannial also says that studying at Tzu Chi offers insight into aspects of Taiwanese culture that are less obvious because of the unique values the university upholds. Beginning to slowly understand the intricacies of Taiwan’s history and culture is most rewarding for him.

Everyday Dannial appreciates the low hanging clouds atop the mountains only several kilometers from his classroom. He considers it the highlight of each of his mornings in Hualien. “Hualien is one of the most naturally beautiful cities in Taiwan, and I love that I can go to both the seaside and the mountains—all within about an hour or two!” says Dannial.

He notes that living in Hualien allows him to use his Mandarin with people in daily life, and that fewer people speak fluent English when compared to large cities such as Taipei, or Kaohsiung. Despite Taiwan using traditional Chinese characters, Dannial, says that the notorious traditional characters he avoided before are not as difficult as he once thought they were. He concludes that Hualian and the Chinese Language Center at Tzu Chi University provide an excellent environment for him to study Mandarin.

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SHIH CHIEN UNIVERSITY AND JUNIATA COLLEGE SIGN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT FOR TAIWAN HUAYU BEST PROGRAM

MOE’S HUAYU ENRICHMENT SCHOLARSHIP EQUIPPED AWARDEES WITH LANGUAGE TOOLS AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

MANDARIN LANGUAGE TEACHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON HOSTED A LUNAR NEW YEAR WORKSHOP

MAIOLI COUNTY SCHOOL EMBARKED AN INTERCULTURAL LEARNING JOURNEY WITH SISTER SCHOOL IN NEW YORK

US GOVERNMENT’S NEW IMMIGRATION POLICIES GIVE A DIRECT PATHWAY TO INTERNATIONAL STEM STUDENTS

2022MOE’S HUAYU ENRICHMENT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEE SHARES EXPERIENCE STUDYING IN HUALIEN

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