UNCP Makes New Friends on Whirlwind Tour of Asia

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Chancellor Allen C. Meadors returned recently from a tour of Asia where he laid the groundwork for new international opportunities and made many new friends for UNC Pembroke.

The tour began in Taiwan and ended in Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur with stops in the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. A highlight of the tour was a meeting with A. Eugene Chien, who is Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We are making contacts in many areas of the world in order to improve the educational experience of our students,” Chancellor Meadors said.

“Building personal relationships is essential in all partnerships especially internationally.”

UNCP’s mission abroad has paid off with new students, faculty and program exchange agreements in the past year in Europe and Asia. The latest round of negotiations are underway with four Taiwanese universities, and pacts are expected soon on other continents.

“Collaborative agreements like these strengthen our entire university in so many ways,” Chancellor Meadors said. “We have ambitious goals and an aggressive timeframe in which to accomplish them.”

One goal is to build UNCP’s international student enrollment to five percent of the total student body. That would result in 200-300 international students on campus, said Dr. Alex Chen, associate vice chancellor for the Office of International Programs.

“Building a diverse student body is important, and so is giving our students international exposure,” Dr. Chen said. “Another goal is to build up programs, like the MBA program with high quality international students. The United States is a desirable destination for Asian students.”

With a growing number of agreements in Europe and Asia, Chancellor Meadors and Dr. Chen are now beginning to target universities in Mexico, Central America and Latin America.

“Making partnerships in the Spanish-speaking world is our next priority,” Chancellor Meadors said. “We will continue building relationships in all parts of the globe.”

Here is a summary of recent travels:

Hsing Wu College, Taiwan

This college offers two-year and four-year degrees in a variety of business areas. With more than 10,000 students, Hsing Wu College would like to forge agreements with four-year institutions like UNCP to accept their students into baccalaureate degree programs. They are also seeking a university partner to host summer programs.

Representatives from Hsing Wu plan to travel to UNCP in March to review their proposals. When an agreement with the college is reached, UNCP would be Hsing Wu’s first international partner.

Huafan University, Taiwan

Huafan University is a relatively new university that was founded in 1980. It offers programs to its 4,000 students in liberal arts, engineering, business and art.

Talks with Huafan are in the early stages, but there is mutual interest in continuing education programs in Asian culture and business management. Faculty research and exchanges are being discussed.

Chinese Culture University, Taiwan

With 23,000 students, the Chinese Culture University offers a wide range of programs in foreign languages, science, law, agriculture, engineering, business administration, mass communications, art and education.

There are many opportunities for UNCP with a university of this size. Student and faculty exchange rograms will be explored in further talks. Among other programs that interest the Chinese Culture University are the Master of Arts in Music Education, the Master of Arts in Art Education and continuing education training in science for high school teachers.

Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan

This university, with an enrollment of 13,500, was founded in 1955 by a group of Christian educators. It offers programs in science, engineering, business, design, humanities and education. Like many Asian universities, Chung Yuan strongly encourages its students to study abroad.

Chancellor Meadors met with Chung Yuan’s Dr. Stephen S. K. Hsiung, the President, Dr. John Wei-Shan Hu, dean of the Business College and Dr. Ho-Ching Lee, director of International Programs, about student exchanges. They also studied the idea of a joint program with UNCP’s American Indian Studies and Chung Yuan’s Tribal Studies Program.

Computer Skills Foundation, Taiwan

This government-sponsored foundation offers certificate and testing programs in computer skills. One of the functions of this group is to give certification examinations to government employees in computer competency. It tests about 600,000 people each year.

There are several opportunities to consider with this group, including testing programs for UNCP students that would exempt them from Computer Science Department requirements and to offer business certificate programs with them in Taiwan.

Guangxi Art College of China, People’s Republic of China

Guangxi Art College is one of six colleges in China that offers programs in music, art, design and education. The college has two campuses and 4,000 students. Guangxi Art College is interested in student exchange programs for art and music education majors.

Nilai College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Founded in 1997, Nilai is one of the first private colleges in Malaysia. It has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 with a strong international contingent.

Although it offers four-year degrees, many of Nilai’s students transfer to universities in nations outside Asia. As a partner university, UNCP would accept transfer students from the college. An articulation agreement is being studied.

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