U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative
The U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative is aimed at expanding access to Chinese and English language instruction, while safeguarding academic and intellectual freedom. Specifically, the Initiative highlights and enhances Taiwan’s critical role in providing Chinese instruction both to Americans and to people around the world. We welcome you to explore opportunities to become a Chinese language instructor or to study Chinese in Taiwan.
The Second High-Level Dialogue under the U.S.-Taiwan Ed
AIT and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the second high-level dialogue under the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative to reaffirm both sides’ commitment to deepening cooperation on international education, particularly in the area of English and Mandarin Chinese language education. The dialogue, conducted both in-person and virtually, was led by U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and the Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Szu-chien Hsu. During the two-hour dialogue, both sides reviewed the achievements and efforts made under the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative to date and exchanged ideas for future collaboration.
The Second U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative Symposium
AIT and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the second high-level dialogue under the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative to reaffirm both sides’ commitment to deepening cooperation on international education, particularly in the area of English and Mandarin Chinese language education. The dialogue, conducted both in-person and virtually, was led by U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and the Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Szu-chien Hsu. During the two-hour dialogue, both sides reviewed the achievements and efforts made under the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative to date and exchanged ideas for future collaboration.
Forming Global Partnerships in Education” Symposium
AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and representatives from the British Council, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada participated in the “U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative – Forming Global Partnerships in Education” Symposium, hosted by AIT in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Chung Cheng University in Chiayi. This event, the third and final international education symposium in this series, and the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative will not only help more Americans come to Taiwan to learn Mandarin, but will also help Taiwan achieve its bilingual education goal in 2030.
U.S. Department of State officials, Taiwan’s Representative to the United States Bi-khim Hsiao, and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago Director General Johnson Sen Chiang participated in an MOU signing ceremony for the Taiwan Huayu BEST (Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent) Program in Chicago, which will promote Mandarin learning by facilitating teacher and student exchanges between Taiwan and American universities. This program is a part of the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative and is another example of how the United States and Taiwan are working in collaboration to deepen our people-to-people ties!
The Launch of the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative
As AIT Director Christensen explained: “The Initiative is aimed at expanding access to Chinese and English language instruction, while safeguarding academic freedom. Specifically, the Initiative will highlight and enhance Taiwan’s role in providing Chinese language instruction to Americans and to people around the world.
The U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative Working Group Meet
AIT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Education, and the Overseas Community Affairs Council kicked off the first U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative Working Group Meeting, co-chaired by AIT Deputy Director Greene and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Dr. HSU Szu-Chien. Representatives from both sides shared updates on efforts to expand existing English and Chinese language exchange programs and explored ways to support Taiwan’s Chinese language teaching as well as bilingual education policies.
The U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative Activity
In collaboration with the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, AIT is pleased to kick off the first U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative activity-Teaching Chinese as a Second Language Symposium for 200 Taiwan Chinese language teachers. AIT Director Christensen delivered the opening remarks, along with Deputy Secretary General Szu-Chien Hsu, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, Education Minister Wen-Chung Pan, and OCAC Minister Chen-Yuan Tung to support the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative at the Taipei International Convention Center.
AIT Director Christensen is pleased to visit the National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) and deliver opening remarks with Education Minister Pan Wen-chung, NSYSU President Cheng Ying-Yao and Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai at the “U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative – Bilingual Education Symposium. This symposium brings more than 200 English language education experts together to discuss ways to promote Taiwan’s bilingual education.
Forming Global Partnerships in Education Symposium
AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and representatives from the British Council, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada participated in the “U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative – Forming Global Partnerships in Education” Symposium, hosted by AIT in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Chung Cheng University in Chiayi.
Exchange programs about the U.S.-Taiwan Education
Studying Mandarin in Taiwan Teaching Mandarin in the United States Other Opportunities in Taiwan English languages OpportunitiesThe U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program provides critical language study overseas for U.S. high school students through full, merit-based scholarships to participate in intensive summer and academic year programs.
Teaching Mandarin in the United States
The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program places early-career teachers of English at U.S. colleges and universities to serve as teaching assistants for U.S. students studying Mandarin. Twenty to 30 FLTAs are offered work as Mandarin teaching assistants in the US each year.
The MOE offers subsidies for groups of foreigners who teach Mandarin in US schools,colleges or universities to visit Taiwan for further professional training and observation.
English languages Opportunities
The English Language Fellow Program sends talented, highly qualified American TESOL professionals (with Master’s degrees) on 10-month Fellowships to academic institutions and ministries of education overseas. English Language Fellows teach English, and also facilitate teacher-training, assist with curriculum and materials development, and conduct outreach.
