We're excited to welcome a new group of students on March 20, 2024, who come from Indiana University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Michigan State University.

We're hopeful that all our students will find great success in this beautiful country. We also aim for our scholarships to provide strong support, helping students improve their Chinese language skills effectively.

We're confident that students will have a wonderful time learning in both the CLD and ICLP programs.

After an enriching three months in Taipei, a group of 7 international students from Indiana University, Michigan State University, University of St.Andrews, and University of Texas at Austin completed their intensive Chinese language program at National Taiwan University Huayu BEST Program.

The CLD and ICLP program, held from August to December, provided over 180 hours of Chinese instruction at various proficiency levels. Beyond daily language classes, students actively engaged in teaching English to elementary school students at Yulin Elementary School. 

As the program concludes, NTU wishes the students much success as they depart with improved Chinese language proficiency, a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture and education, and cherished memories of their visit. 

Two NTU Huayu BEST program students from Michigan State University were paired with NTU students to participate in the Hands Together Activity during the 2023 fall quarter. From September 18 to November 9, the two MSU students became English teaching assistants and accompanied students in learning English in class. 

They visited Yu-lin Elementary School once a week and met with students from 1st through 6th grades to practice English conversation during various classroom activities and encouraged them to speak English. In total, our NTU Huayu BEST program students engaged with approximately 500 Yu-lin Elementary students.

The Hands Together Activity provided the NTU Huayu BEST program students the opportunity to learn about the Taiwanese culture through interacting with local students, and in a way, allowed both groups of students to learn from each other’s cultural and language backgrounds. 

We are delighted to welcome a new group of students on September 19, 2023, hailing from various universities, including Indiana University, The University of Texas at Austin, Michigan State University, and the University of St. Andrews. 

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Yuan, the Vice President of International Affairs, for delivering a warm welcome to the students. 

Our hope is that the students will all find great success in this beautiful country. We also aspire for our scholarships to provide ample support to enable students to enhance their Chinese language skills effectively. We trust that students will have joyful learning experiences in both the CLD and ICLP programs. 

Time flies, the summer learning journey of the NTU Huayu BEST Program has come to a close. During this quarter, 34 students from our partner universities - Indiana University, the University of Texas at Austin, Washington University in St. Louis, Michigan State University, and the University of St. Andrews - undoubtedly experienced numerous unforgettable moments while learning Chinese and immersing themselves in life in Taiwan.

The NTU Huayu BEST Program scholarships encouraged international students to enroll in the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) and the Chinese Language Division Language Center (CLD) at National Taiwan University to learn Chinese. In addition to 3-4 hours of immersive Chinese courses each day, the Office of International Affairs arranged for scholarship recipients to participate in the "Hands Together" activity at Yulin Elementary School in Shulin District, New Taipei City. Encouraging children to speak in English not only made international students reflect more thoughtfully on their own English language usage but also gave them the opportunity to practice their Chinese through interactive exchanges.

Undoubtedly, this unique summer will become a cherished memory in their lives. Although the summer vacation is coming to an end, this distinctive experience will forever blossom in their hearts. We look forward to the not-so-distant future when, far away from this land, they can recall this place and this heartwarming time. May their life journeys be filled with happiness and success!
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This summer, the NTU Huayu BEST program welcomed 34 students from our partner universities - Indiana University, the The University of Texas at Austin, Washington University in St. Louis , University of St Andrews , and Michigan State University - to NTU for Chinese language study.

And we invited Professor Yuan the Vice President of International Affairs to give a message of encouragement to the students in the opening session of the welcome gathering.

The NTU Huayu BEST Program provides scholarships for these students to attend NTU International Chinese Language Program(ICLP) or Chinese Language Division Language Center (CLD) for Chinese language immersion studies. And with the resources and support provided by NTU, they will enhance their understanding of Taiwanese culture and language, and through a different perspective, enable them to take their Chinese language one step closer🙌.

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At the BEST program's 2023 Spring Farewell Party on May 17, we invited Prof. Hsiao-Wei Yuan, Vice President for International Affairs, to have lunch with the international students. In addition to learning Chinese, international students from Indiana University also participated in an interactive English program called "Hands Together" held at the elementary school. He also performed his flute in a Mother's Day program at Yulin Elementary School. 

“Here is how you pour the tea…” Students of the IU Chinese Flagship Program were engaged in making tea using traditional and modern Chinese tea sets. This program on Chinese tea culture was a collaborative event organized by the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office and the IU Chinese Flagship. The program aimed to introduce fundamental elements within Chinese tea culture; it also addressed how tea culture has evolved in modern Taiwan. During the workshop, students followed along the presenter in learning the names of the tools that make up a traditional tea set. And with the guidance of the graduate interns and associate instructors in Chinese pedagogy, students tried their hands at both making traditional tea and bubble tea, a classic Taiwanese treat. 

On February 6, 2023, IU students gathered at the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Study Abroad information session to learn more about opportunities of studying Chinese at NTU. Through the current NTU-IU partnership on Chinese language teaching and learning, IU students are eligible for the Huayu BEST scholarship for long-term and short-term studies at either the Chinese Language Division (of Language Center) or the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP). At this information session, students learned about the intensive language training and cultural experiences of this program, as well as NTU’s campus resources.

In collaboration with the IU East Asian Studies Center, the Institute for Korean Studies, and the Chinese Flagship Program, the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office co-sponsored a Lunar New Year celebration at IU Bloomington. This collaborative event introduced traditions and holiday activities from Korea, Taiwan, and China in celebrating the Lunar New Year. The NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office presented the activity of writing spring scrolls (春聯), inviting students to try Chinese calligraphy. In practicing the calligraphy, students also learned about the commonly displayed Chinese characters, such as spring (春) and fortune (福), and took home their own spring scrolls with the help of experienced Chinese calligrapher writers. It was a quite meaningful collaborative event as it presented the diverse ways this significant holiday is celebrated in different East Asian cultures. 

On Monday, March 6, 2023, we held a warm welcome event for our Spring 2023 BEST students to study Chinese at NTU. These are our second year of spring students, and they are from Indiana University and Michigan State University. We also invited Indiana University students who came to study Chinese last spring to join us. It was also the first time we hosted students from Michigan State University. We hope they enjoy learning Chinese in Taiwan as well as experiencing Taiwanese culture.

On October 11th, the Center for Taiwan Studies held a gathering for UT students considering or planning to study abroad in Taiwan. At the meeting, several students who have recently returned from Taiwan shared their experiences and advice. There are several scholarship programs such as the Taiwan Huayu Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent (BEST) Program at National Taiwan University or the Huayu Enrichment Program that UT students can apply for to support a study abroad stay in Taiwan. To advertise these programs and prepare outgoing students, the CTS plans to conduct a range of similar activities in the future.

original: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/cts/news/taiwan-study-abroad-gathering

At the BEST program's Fall Farewell Party on December 5, we invited EVP Chiapei Chou to come and have lunch with the international students. In addition to learning Chinese, the international students also participated in an interactive English activity at the elementary school called " Hands Together". Arianne from the University of Texas at Austin participated in two quarterly summer and fall programs and Carson from Indiana University, both of them said their Chinese language skills have improved because of studying Chinese in NTU. Austin will continue to participate in the winter program until the end of next summer. The Dean of the International College also welcomed them back to NTU for the master program sometime soon.

On November 29, 2022, Shawn Reynolds, Indiana University Associate Vice President, visited NTU International College. Indiana University is one of NTU's most important partners, especially since our BEST program signed the agreement in 2021, we have already sent several students and faculty members to Indiana University. Therefore, NTU takes the visit of the Vice President of International Affairs of Indiana University very seriously. NTU was the last stop of the Vice-President's official trip. On that day, the Vice-President met with the leadership of NTU and then went to the International College to have an exchange with the BEST team to discuss possible future cooperation items. Up to now, 6 students from Indiana University have come to NTU to study Chinese through BEST Program. After the meeting, the Associate Vice President also welcomed NTU to visit Indiana University.

The fall international students of the BEST program, from Indiana University, were invited to participate in a sports day on November 20, 2022, in addition to his weekly Hands Together English interaction with the children of Yulin Elementary School. On the day of the sports day, Carson also brought along two of his American friends from ICLP to experience the sports day at the Taiwanese elementary school. 

video link：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZpsKPcZjA&t=70s

On November 13th, two international students from NTU's BEST program participated in a Yangmingshan hike with Yulin Elementary School, a partner school of Hands Together. During the journey, in addition to interacting with the children in English, the international students experienced a different trip in Taiwan. Although the weather was cooling, the international students could not see the Yangmingshan clearly due to the fog. Both international students are from the University of Texas at Austin and have been participating in BEST for more than a quarter.

On Friday, October 21, the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office co-organized a Chinese pronunciation workshop with the IU Asian Culture Center (ACC). This pronunciation workshop has been highly requested by staff members as a professional skill development to accurately pronounce the names of many Chinese international students and scholars. Hence, this event was specifically catered to IU staff members, and the attendees (11) included academic advisors, recruitment staff, human resources staff, etc. Attendees were introduced to the Chinese pronunciation rules and practiced sounding out words with graduate assistants trained in teaching Chinese as a second language. Multiple attendees shared afterwards that the workshop was helpful and simultaneously challenging. Per the feedback of the participants, we strive to improve the workshop content/format and look to reach a wider audience when it is offered again next semester.

The Taiwanese night markets are well-known for their delicious street foods and incredible hospitality, and some IU students got to experience it first-hand. On Wednesday, October 26, the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office organized a small night market for students participating in the week’s Chinese Table event. The facilitator first taught students how to negotiate and bargain using various strategies in Chinese with vendors, and students were able to earn currency for the market by answering trivia questions related to Taiwan’s night market culture. Finally, the later half of the event opened the night market stations featuring common Taiwanese street foods to students for “purchase”. These included the scallion pancakes (蔥油餅), sugar calabash (糖葫蘆), sweet potato balls (地瓜球), and drinks such as 黑松沙士 and winter melon tea (冬瓜茶). Students overwhelmingly enjoyed the night market and asked for similar events in the future through the feedback form. Many shared that it was a creative way to incorporate practicing the Chinese language in a unique cultural activity.

Through the current NTU-Indiana University partnership on Chinese language teaching and learning, IU students are eligible to apply to the Taiwan Huayu BEST Study Abroad program and its scholarships. On Monday, September 12, the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office hosted an in-person information session for students interested in studying Chinese at NTU. The session featured the study abroad program content, NTU’s Chinese language programs, and perspectives from past participant in this program. Students were excited to learn what it was like to live and study at NTU and Taipei, and was in awe of the convenience and charm of Taiwan. During the Q&A session, the students asked many questions and expressed positive interest in the opportunity.

The NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program Office collaborated with the Indiana University (IU) Chinese Flagship Program to co-organize a culture session on the Mid-Autumn Festival with the IU East Asian Studies Center sponsoring this event. The event took place on Friday, September 9, 2022, and was well-attended by both current Chinese Flagship students and non-Flagship students. The presentation included the brief history, customs, and the legendary tales around this treasured holiday in the Chinese culture. Students learned new Chinese vocabulary associated with this holiday and one of the famous tales, 「嫦娥奔月」and how it related to the customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the end, everyone who attended the event received at least one moon cake as they learned about the traditions of eating this sweet dessert on this holiday. 

The East Asian Studies Center provided one of the Chinese traditional games, 毽子, in the second half of the program, and students were taught how to play. Students learned that while not connected to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the 毽子 game required intricate balance and reflex to play continuously.

On July 18th, the Center for Taiwan Studies at The University of Texas at Austin organized an online gathering that allowed UT students based in Taipei to discuss experiences and expectations about life in Taiwan.

original: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/cts/news/taiwan-study-abroad-online-gathering

Indiana University sophomore Gini Jeffries studied abroad at NTU in the Chinese Language Division (CLD), through a scholarship from the Taiwan Huayu Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent (BEST) program.

original: https://blogs.iu.edu/hamiltonlugar/2022/08/22/hls-student-gini-jeffries-studied-abroad-in-taiwan-immersed-in-culture/

Professor Yea-Fen Chen – the Director of the Chinese Flagship Center at Indiana University (IU) Bloomington – visited the IU students studying Chinese for the summer term at NTU. Two of these IU students participated through the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program and both enrolled in the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) courses. Additionally, Professor Chen and the International College leadership, Dean Wang and CEO Chiu, met to discuss the overall IU-NTU collaborations on the Taiwan Huayu BEST Program and the future directions of this valuable partnership. Professor Chen also graciously joined the students in the closing ceremony of the summer term, celebrating their achievement and learning. As an alumna of NTU, she encouraged the students to visit Taiwan and NTU again in the future.

The Summer Language Workshop at Indiana University (IU) is an 8-week intensive language program for students to drastically improve their language proficiency. Students have the immersion option for the program, where they eat, sleep, and breathe the language they are studying by living on campus together with their peers. During this year’s Summer Language Workshop for Chinese, the NTU Taiwan Huayu BEST Program office, located on-site at IU, sponsored an extracurricular event for the students to learn more about both traditional and modern Chinese culture. Through the format of the online game, Kahoot, students competed to see who could answer more questions regarding Chinese language and culture correctly. Questions ranged from Chinese pop-culture to traditional holiday practices and cultural superstitions; students were both testing their pre-existing cultural and vocabulary knowledge and gaining new ones. The winner ended up sharing the grand prize – a basket full of Taiwanese snacks – with their peers. This activity was a fun and memorable way for students to engage with Chinese language and culture altogether!

In addition to learning Mandarin, the BEST Program Scholarship students will also participate in a " Hands Together Initiative" where they will work with NTU students at local elementary or junior high schools to assist local students to interactively practise speaking in English. Thus, a student from UT Austin participated in an e-book creation camp hosted by Yulin Elementary School last week, from July 13 to July 15, to assist the children in creating e-books. He also presented the English e-books that he had created with the NTU students and shared them with the children at the end of the camp.

For the interesting e-books created, please refer to the website (https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-N6QtR14Wo4zJ5tqh922). 

On 20 July 2022, Professor Chi from the University of St Andrews in Scotland visited NTU's International College and met with Dean Wang and CEO Chiu of the International College. During the meeting, in addition to discussing the Best Program collaboration, they also explored other possibilities for future implementation together. Professor Chi also visited the students who are studying Mandarin at NTU this summer. Professor Chi also brought some gifts from Scotland and had group photos taken at the College. We hope to visit the St Andrews teachers in Scotland next time. 

On Friday 8 July 2022, we held a warm welcome event for the summer 2022 BEST students to come and study Chinese at NTU. It was also an opportunity for all the BEST students to get to know each other and they will be participating in Hands together English teaching activities on the upcoming day, 25th July.

On Friday 1 July 2022 , a total of five international students and NTU students visited Minsheng Junior High School as a visit in advance for the Hands together initiative. These five students from the BEST program in the summer session of 2022 will attend four times during the summer session to assist in English teaching activities, allowing Taiwanese students to interact with international students, practise English conversation and develop English speaking skills.

National Taiwan University President Chung-Ming Kuan, Ph.D., and Executive Vice President Chiapei Chou, Ph.D., visited Indiana University on June 3 to discuss the institutions’ recently expanded partnership, and their new focus on Chinese language education.

original: https://blogs.iu.edu/hamiltonlugar/2022/06/08/national-taiwan-university-leadership-visit-to-iu-strengthens-academic-ties/

"Hands Together Initiative" Welcome ceremony on March 22, 2022, at Yu-Lin Elementary School, New Taipei City

NTU Signs Memorandum of Intent to Cooperate with Indiana University in Furthering Mandarin Teaching and Inter-University Cooperation

本校與美國印地安那大學簽署合作交流意向書 深化華語教學與校際交流合作

本校國際學院與哈佛大學東亞語言及文明學系 簽署華語教學合作協議書