The opening ceremony of the Chinese Overseas Flagship in Taiwan program was held at National Taiwan University (NTU) on October 28. It was attended by Flagship program directors, U.S. and Taiwanese government officials, NTU professors, and the 22 participating American students.
The Chinese Overseas Flagship in Taiwan Program, hosted by National Taiwan University (NTU), held its opening ceremony on October 28. The Taiwan program center is the seventh Flagship Overseas Center operated by The Language Flagship, an initiative funded by the U.S. National Security Education Program (NSEP) to train American students to achieve professional proficiency in select foreign languages deemed critical to U.S. security and economic competitiveness. Within this program, Mandarin Chinese is taught at 12 American universities designated as Chinese Flagship Centers. U.S. undergraduates who complete the domestic portion of the program at one of these 12 schools and achieve “Advanced proficiency” (ILR-level 2) in Mandarin Chinese can apply to participate in a final Capstone Year at a Chinese Overseas Flagship Center, including the new program at NTU in Taiwan.
The Taiwan Flagship Center was established in June 2019 and subsequently welcomed 22 students from across the U.S. to commence their Capstone Year on September 1. During their first semester in Taiwan, students will undertake language and culture courses and also enroll in a regular NTU course in their own major field of study. In the second semester, students will intern with Taiwanese businesses and organizations, immersing themselves in a professional Mandarin environment. Through the yearlong overseas immersion, students can expect to advance to “Superior proficiency” (ILR-level 3) in Mandarin and become qualified global professionals.
The opening ceremony at the NTU Convention Center featured introductory remarks by Dr. Der-Lin Chao, who is the Project Director of the Chinese Overseas Flagship in Taiwan and also director of the Chinese Flagship Center at Hunter College in New York. His speech was followed by American Institute in Taiwan director William Brent Christensen, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Szu-Chien Hsu, and Dr. Jocelyn Chin-Shu Chang, a Senior Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education. Also in attendance were NTU officials, representatives from Mandarin Chinese teaching organizations, and officials from all 12 U.S. Chinese Flagship universities. All 22 program students introduced themselves in Chinese at the ceremony, with Alejandro Quintero of Hunter College and Jesse Paxton from the University of Mississippi speaking about their experiences in the program thus far. Students culminated the event by performing the song “Believe” by Taiwanese singer Yang Pei-An (楊培安).
The Taiwan Flagship Center was established in June 2019 and subsequently welcomed 22 students from across the U.S. to commence their Capstone Year on September 1. During their first semester in Taiwan, students will undertake language and culture courses and also enroll in a regular NTU course in their own major field of study. In the second semester, students will intern with Taiwanese businesses and organizations, immersing themselves in a professional Mandarin environment. Through the yearlong overseas immersion, students can expect to advance to “Superior proficiency” (ILR-level 3) in Mandarin and become qualified global professionals.
The opening ceremony at the NTU Convention Center featured introductory remarks by Dr. Der-Lin Chao, who is the Project Director of the Chinese Overseas Flagship in Taiwan and also director of the Chinese Flagship Center at Hunter College in New York. His speech was followed by American Institute in Taiwan director William Brent Christensen, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Szu-Chien Hsu, and Dr. Jocelyn Chin-Shu Chang, a Senior Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education. Also in attendance were NTU officials, representatives from Mandarin Chinese teaching organizations, and officials from all 12 U.S. Chinese Flagship universities. All 22 program students introduced themselves in Chinese at the ceremony, with Alejandro Quintero of Hunter College and Jesse Paxton from the University of Mississippi speaking about their experiences in the program thus far. Students culminated the event by performing the song “Believe” by Taiwanese singer Yang Pei-An (楊培安).
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