The University of St Thomas (UST) in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday last week launched a Mandarin Center in cooperation with Kaohsiung-based Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, which would facilitate exchanges between Taiwanese and US teachers, as well as offer US students opportunities to study in Taiwan.
The center is the first of its kind in US, UST said.
The two schools have had sister-school ties for more than a decade and in September decided to establish the center, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston said, adding that it had helped facilitate donations from US-based Taiwanese.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston
The center’s commencement ceremony was presided over by UST dean Richard Ludwick and UST global studies director Hans Stockton, who heads the center.
Economic office Director-General Robert Lo (羅復文), E&M Foundation founder Don Wang (王敦正), UST board member Rocky Lai (賴賢烈), and Texas Mandarin Teachers’ Association members represented Taiwan at the event.
Wenzao University president Margret Chen (陳美華) and other members of the Kaohsiung school were also present via teleconference, while a prerecorded message by Ministry of Education Department of International and Cross-strait Education Director Lee Yen-yi (李彥儀) was played at the event.
Stockton said that the center would offer courses that benefit experts as well as local residents.
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