Weishaar Connects SIUE to Taiwan through Fulbright International Seminar
Mary Weishaar, PhD, executive director of international affairs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently returned from a Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) seminar in Taiwan. The seminar goals were to encourage U.S. international education professionals to learn more about Taiwan’s higher education system, society and culture, and to establish linkages with institutions in Taiwan.
“I knew very little about Taiwan before participating in this seminar,” said Weishaar. “I came back enthusiastically supportive of SIUE’s engagement with higher education institutions in Taiwan. I believe that Taiwanese universities provide excellent programs that are a good fit for SIUE students wishing to study abroad in almost any content area. I was particularly impressed by the large number of programs taught in English, along with opportunities for internships.”
Weishaar and a group of twenty-six international education professionals from different universities traveled to Taipei in the north, Taichung and Nantou in central Taiwan, and Tainan in southern Taiwan, visiting over fifteen institutions. Briefings were held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan, and the Taipei City Government.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. The Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) is supported by the American Institute of Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is one of 49 bilateral organizations in the world established specifically to administer the Fulbright educational exchange program.
Photo: Fulbright IEA grantees visiting National Cheng Kung University.
