Strong UST-Wenzao Collaboration Demonstrated by Recent Visit
On November 21, UST’s sister school in Taiwan, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, represented by President Dr. Mei-Hua Chen; Vice President Dr. Chung-Hsien Shih; Chief International Officer Dr. YuJane Chen; the Director of Huayu Indu.-Acad. Operation Center Dr. Chang-Mo Hsu; and other distinguished guests, visited our campus. Hosting the visit were University of St. Thomas-Houston President Dr. Richard Ludwick, VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Christopher Evans, Associate Vice President for International Relations and Engagement Dr. Hans Stockton, and Director of the Mandarin Center Dr. Yao-Yuan Yeh.
Fruits of Extensive Collaboration
UST collaborates extensively with Wenzao, and one of the most recent initiatives is the establishment of the Mandarin Center of the Universities of St. Thomas and Wenzao Ursuline. This is the first Mandarin Center established in the United States sponsored by the Ministry of Education (Taiwan) and has been graciously supported by our local community friends through the sister school partnership.
Dr. Yao-Yuan Yeh said, “The Mandarin Center supports Mandarin instruction to UST students and sends UST students to Taiwan to learn Mandarin at Wenzao University for six to twelve months. Without a doubt, such bilateral student exchanges have strengthened our relationship further and provided other opportunities for collaboration.”
Renewal of International MOU
During this visit, Presidents Ludwick and Chen signed the renewal of our International Memorandum of Understanding witnessed by the Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, Mr. Robert Fu-Wen Lo, and we cohosted the Mandarin Center of the Universities of St. Thomas and Wenzao Ursuline Plaque Unveiling Ceremony at Anderson Hall. Both parties exchanged more collaboration ideas during the luncheon at the Takton Boardroom, where Dr. Yeh presented on the Mandarin Center’s activities and achievements in 2022. Before their departure, the delegation of Wenzao also visited and observed the Mandarin for Law Enforcement instruction for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office taught by UST’s Mandarin Lecturer, Professor Nicole Hsiao. This is the sixth year that this training has been offered to both Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department.
