EDWARDSVILLE – 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.”
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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.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who seek something greater. A premier metropolitan university, SIUE is creating social and economic mobility for individuals while also powering the workforce of the future. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 12,500.
