As the pandemic subsides, international exchanges gradually recover. Today, over 100 universities, colleges, and high schools gathered together at NYCU to prepare ahead for undertakings in international education, which was gradually back to normal. By holding the International Education Forum, NYCU assisted the participated schools in promoting internationalization.
NYCU cohosted the International Education Forum with the Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan (AICEE). Experts including Allan E. Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education; William Vocke, Executive Director Emeritus of the Fulbright Taiwan; and Ed Dunn, Spokesman of the American Institute in Taiwan, were invited. In all, 41 high schools and 48 colleges and universities participated. A common concern shared by every school was increasing the international competitiveness of Taiwan’s education in the post-pandemic era, which was compounded by the threat of low birth rate.
Lin Chi-Hung, President of NYCU, stated that NYCU faced the same challenges for internationalization as did other schools. In recent years, it had relentlessly engaged in innovations and transformations so as to become more internationalized. For example, College of Computer Science and College of Biomedical Science and Engineering received priorities to offer all-English courses. Concurrently, the Office of Bilingual Education was founded to assist departments with the development of all-English courses. In this academic year, NYCU also launched a Chinese language education program for international students.
In Taiwan’s education systems, university-level internationalization has been promoted for over two decades, whereas junior high schools and elementary schools have only just started. In this forum, Tsai Ching-Hwa, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, and Cheng Wen-Tsan, Mayor of Taoyuan City, both advised that universities should take up the lead and share their experiences in internationalization to increase the pace of internationalization in all levels of the education system, allowing talents in Taiwan to connect with the world.
Take NYCU as an example, in recent years NYCU has strived to bring internationalization into campus life by proactively incorporating international education into its liberal education. Moreover, it has been actively promoting glocalization, which allows Taiwanese students to experience diverse cultures and facilitates the international exchange between international students and Taiwanese students in rural areas during the pandemic. Starting from last year, international students are sent to rural areas in Hsinchu to interact with local students. It allows rural students to experience international cultures and international students to gain a deeper understanding about Taiwan.
This forum conducted broad discussions on three topics, namely Global Vision, Digital Innovation, and Local Implementation. C.J. Liu, President of the Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan, suggested that utilizing digital innovation to internationalize a place would be a critical strategy for future international education. Education institutions should use localized strategies to break the 6% limitation, equipping more Taiwanese with international vision.
Chinese version: https://www.nycu.edu.tw/news/3271/