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UNM is trying to shorten the gap that oceans place between the United States and Asia.
University administrators met last week with five delegates from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles to discuss possible joint programs with universities in Taiwan.
UNM President Robert Frank said the delegates visited the University after an invitation from New Mexico Sen. Cisco McSorley (D-Albuquerque). Frank said he discussed how collaboration between Taiwan and UNM would improve research and international programs on campus.
“We talked about the various things we do as a University,” he said. “We talked about research. We talked about our programs and where we could do exchanges that could interchange with the Taiwanese’s (programs).”
Frank said that one topic the delegates discussed was the possibility of coordinating water research programs at Taiwanese universities with that of UNM. He said the University also plans to establish more opportunities for UNM students to study Mandarin in the Asian country.
But overall, collaborations with Taiwanese universities would help science programs at UNM, Frank said.
“They have a lot of universities in Taiwan that have very strong science,” he said. “They have a very good university system in Taiwan. So we’re just making connections that would pay off in the future.”
The delegates also discussed the creation of scholarship programs for incoming and outgoing study abroad students and faculty exchanges, Frank said. He said he expects a more concrete collaboration plan with the delegates “later in the year.”
Jerry Liu, consular officer of the Los Angeles Taiwanese office, said his office aims to encourage more UNM students to study in Taiwan and vice versa. He said the state offers a unique perspective of the United States.
“New Mexico, I think, is one of the most interesting states in the USA in terms of the culture, the diversity and the language,” he said. “I think it’s a good way for Taiwanese (students) to experience the other side of America.”
And on the other hand, Taiwan offers a different view of Asia, too, Liu said.
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“Taiwan is actually the only country in the world that preserves the traditional Chinese characters,” he said. “If you want to learn about Chinese cultures, I think Taiwan is actually the best place for people to start.”
Liu said American students can learn Mandarin and engineering effectively in Taiwan. In return, Taiwanese students can take classes at UNM in engineering, biotechnology and medicine, the University’s fields of expertise, he said.
Additionally, Taiwan is a good place for American students to start learning about Asia, Liu said.
“In Taiwan, young people enjoy their freedom of speech and communication,” he said. “They are free to use Facebook. They can see elections in Taiwan, which they cannot in China. If they want to observe the whole Asia picture, Taiwan is definitely a good starting point.”
Liu said about 20 Taiwanese students study at UNM. But he said that in the following years, his office aims to multiply the number by 10.
“We might maybe start from 100, then 200,” he said. “It depends. But we do hope for more exchanges.”
Frank said UNM does not plan to limit student exchanges with Taiwanese universities to specific fields of study.
“Students are pretty smart consumers,” he said. “They know what they want. The more we try to plan it, it’s just not a good use of our time. We are a university, and we open doors.”
And he said stronger connections with Taiwan are a great investment by the University.
“Any time that we could create opportunities for our students to study abroad, there are always students looking for those opportunities, graduate and undergraduate,” he said. “And anytime we create opportunities for students to come here and study, that’s always a positive. We’re always seeking those.”
Balloon Fiesta
Frank said the delegates also visited the city to witness the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which kicked off two weeks ago and lasted until Sunday. He said the delegates want to start a similar fiesta in their home country.
Trust H.J. Lin, director of the office, said a balloon fiesta would be a unique spectacle on the continent.
“Right now Taiwan is promoting the Balloon Fiesta. Interestingly in Asia, there is no balloon fiesta, and we know that Albuquerque’s is the world’s largest,” he said. “We like to come here and learn from you.”
Lin said he would like to have Taiwan send a balloon to the fiesta next year.
“Hopefully next year, we can bring our own balloon to join you,” he said. “Actually, it’s a special shape. It’s a heart-shaped balloon, because we think we are the heart of Asia.”
