A delegation from National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) visited UCLA on August 24 to conclude an agreement establishing a Taiwan studies collaboration between the two institutions. NTNU Executive Vice President Cheng-Chih Wu, former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Deng-wu Chen, and Professor Nikky Lin (Chair of the Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature) attended a luncheon and signing ceremony at the Faculty Center with representatives of UCLA, followed by a meeting with UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor Scott Waugh. Signing the agreement on behalf of UCLA were Cindy Fan, Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement; David Schaberg, Dean of Humanities; and Min Zhou, Director of the Asia Pacific Center. Professor Shu-mei Shih, an alumna of NTNU who has played a key role in the collaboration, also attended the signing along with Asia Pacific Center staff Elizabeth Leicester (Executive Director) and Aaron Miller (Assistant Director). The initiative will be directed by Professor Shih and managed by the Asia Pacific Center.
The three-year UCLA-NTNU Taiwan Studies Initiative provides funding for faculty and student exchanges, graduate fellowship support, and workshops and lectures. An annual conference will be convened each year with scholars from UCLA and NTNU participating.
The agreement provides opportunities for students to conduct research at the partner institutions. UCLA graduate students are eligible for fieldwork fellowships at NTNU, and the UCLA Asian Languages and Cultures department will invite visiting NTNU students to study at UCLA. Application procedures will be announced near the start of fall quarter 2017. The two institutions will offer short-term faculty exchanges to conduct research, establish and/or strengthen academic relationships, and give public guest lectures.
The program confirms UCLA’s status as a premier U.S. institution for the study of Taiwan. The Taiwan Studies Lectureship, a joint program of the Asia Pacific Center and Division of Humanities, was also renewed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education for another three years of funding (through 2020).
Photos:
- UCLA Prof. Shu-mei Shih and NTNU Former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Deng-wu Chen (center, holding signed agreements) meet at NTNU on June 28, 2017.
- NTNU Executive Vice President Cheng-Chih Wu and UCLA Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement Cindy Fan sign the agreement on August 24, 2017.
- Representatives from NTNU and UCLA celebrate the agreement signing. Standing, left to right: Deng-wu Chen, Shu-mei Shih, Elizabeth Leicester. Seated, left to right: Nikky Lin, Cheng-Chih Wu, Cindy Fan, David Schaberg, Min Zhou.
- The NTNU delegation meets with UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor Scott Waugh (center).