February 22, 2023
No. 051
The third high-level dialogue on the Taiwan-US Education Initiative was held on February 22 in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual participation simultaneously in Taipei and Washington, DC. Taiwan was represented by Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) Hsu Szu-chien, who joined online; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee; Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Tah-ray Yui; Deputy Minister of Education Lio Mon-chi; Deputy Minister of the National Development Council (NDC) Shih Keh-her; and Vice Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Roy Yuan-rong Leu. The US side was led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) Daniel Kritenbrink and Chief of Staff of the Department of Education Shelia Nix, both of whom joined online. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for EAP Camille Dawson led a delegation to Taiwan to take part in the meeting.
The two sides took stock of the experience gained and achievements made in advancing cooperation in Mandarin and English-language teaching under the Education Initiative. They further reaffirmed their commitment to deepening educational exchanges. The meeting demonstrated the common desire of like-minded, democratic nations to jointly create a free, transparent, and open language learning environment. Comprehensive discussions on future priority areas of cooperation were also very productive. After the meeting, participants held a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and unveiled a logo for the Taiwan-US Education Initiative, highlighting the common ideals and close partnership that the two sides share in promoting educational cooperation.
The Taiwan-US Education Initiative was launched with the signing of the MOU on Educational Exchange in December 2020, opening a new chapter in bilateral cooperation in language education.
Despite the impact of the pandemic on international travel, educational cooperation between Taiwan and the United States has continued to advance and exchanges have been close. For example, the number of scholarships offered by the US Department of State has increased to allow more outstanding young Americans to study Mandarin in Taiwan. The US Fulbright Program has been expanded in Taiwan with funding from both sides, making Taiwan one of its largest partners in the world with an annual arrival of more than 200 scholars and students for study or exchange. In addition, growing engagement in university-to-university cooperation in Mandarin studies and the establishment of Taiwan Centers for Mandarin Learning in the United States have cemented the groundwork for cooperation on Mandarin teaching.
Today’s high-level dialogue again displayed the staunch commitment of Taiwan and the United States to educational cooperation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will continue to work with the United States and related ministries to further deepen the Taiwan-US partnership through educational cooperation and continue to defend the common values of a free, democratic, and diverse educational environment. (E)