Shoreline Community College signs agreement with Taiwan Academy

Shoreline Community College President (left) and Andy Chin, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle, swap documents as they sign a letter of intent between the college and the Taiwan Academy.

By Jim Hills, SCC

The world of opportunities for Shoreline Community College students and the surrounding community just got wider.

An agreement signed on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, by Shoreline Community College President Lee Lambert and Andy Chin, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle, opens new cultural and scholastic channels.

“This agreement will enrich campus internationalization at Shoreline, and highlights the college’s global engagement mission and reputation in Washington state, the nation and the world,” Lambert said.

The agreement, a letter of intent, is between the college and the recently established Taiwan Academy. The academy was created in October, 2011, as a public diplomacy program by the Taiwan Foreign Ministry. To date, the University of Washington is the only other college or university in the state to participate in the program.

“We welcome this partnership and look forward to strengthening the relationship with Shoreline Community College,” Director General Chin said. 

Chin has served in a variety of diplomatic positions since 1992, representing Taiwan in Sweden, Latvia and Dominica. Chin took over the Seattle post on Jan. 17, replacing Daniel Liao who has moved to another diplomatic position.

For Shoreline students and faculty, the agreement means the chance to study and do research in Taiwan. The Taiwan Academy tie brings access to historical and diplomatic archives. Opportunities to learn the Chinese language will also be enhanced.

Priority opportunities for applicants to the Taiwan Fellowships and Scholarships Program are also now available.

The agreement may also ease the way for cultural exchanges, including art, music, literature and other opportunities.

For its part, the college will become a “Contact Point of the Taiwan Academy,” disseminating information on the various academy programs and working on other activities through mutual cooperation.