How did I get here? Am I in the right place?
After a bad day at work, I decided to apply for the IEA Fulbright award in Taiwan. I had recently partnered with other international universities to develop 3+1s, and I would enjoy working on a similar relationship in another country. However, I had no idea what country would be a good fit for the University of Northern Iowa and no clue how I might facilitate this relationship. Out of happenstance, I crossed paths with our international studies director, and she encouraged me to apply for the IEA Fulbright, specifically in Taiwan. At that point, all the pieces aligned. As a child, one of my best friends immigrated from Taiwan. His family owned the lone Chinese restaurant in our town, which I spent a lot of time at. As a result, I knew a few words in Mandarin, and I am outstanding at using chopsticks. In addition, a faculty member in the department that I head is from Taiwan and facilitates a study abroad program in Taipei each summer. Finally, my home state (Iowa) is a sister state to Taiwan. The stars had aligned!
The lowest point of the trip was getting to Taiwan. My first flight out of Cedar Rapids was delayed 4 hours, potentially getting me to Taipei a day late. Luckily, one of the other Fulbrighers on our trip was flying out of the same airport. We became friends fast (the first of many new friendships) and endured the drudgery of travel together. We managed to sprint to our final flight, drop into our seats, and buckle up for the short 14-hour flight.
We arrived at 5 a.m. and were incredibly cheery; anticipation is an excellent stimulant. Over the next two weeks, I had the joy of meeting the Fulbright staff, my fellow cohort members, and a host of Taiwanese residents. In all honesty, I felt like a fish out of water. Everyone had extensive knowledge of international partnerships with universities and studying abroad. I was just a department head enthusiastic about forging ties with universities and the people of Taiwan. But I was excited to engage in the experience and am so glad I did.
Hospitality and Kindness
One of my biggest takeaways was the hospitality of our host universities and the people of Taiwan in general. Since returning, I have received multiple emails from university partners, first checking that I made it home safely and then beginning the partnership dialogue. When our cohort explored the country, we met numerous Taiwanese citizens who offered directions, recommendations, and smiles. One resident made a reservation for us at “Din Tai Fung” after we started a conversation hiking down Elaphent Mountin.
Food is how people bond in many cultures, and Taiwan is no different. Our gracious institutions hosted multiple meals. During these meals, we learned about Taiwanese culture and the people at our host institutions. They also took the time to learn about us. I can say without a doubt (much like American faculty and staff) that they care deeply about their students’ education and the fields that they work in. This hospitality and kindness will go a long way to forging long-lasting and impactful relationships with our university as we explore exchanging faculty and students.
Innovation & Partnership
From our visit, it is clear that Taiwan is on the cutting edge of innovation in multiple venues. We visited a semiconductor training institute, a traditional Chinese medical school, and a university specializing in hospitality services. However, my highlight was our trip to an elementary school. We were able to watch children learning English and have one-on-one conversations with them. These students were co-taught by a Taiwanese educator and an English Teaching Assistant (ETA). The country’s emphasis on becoming bi-lingual will place it at the forefront of economic development in the years to come. It is outstanding that a US/Taiwan partnership can play a significant role in this initiative. However, what I enjoyed most out of all these interactions was my conversation partner, Oliver! He was really impressed with all the pictures of my dogs and cats.
During the trip, we visited 15 universities and three government agencies. During these interactions, it was evident that partnership and collaboration are at the heart of everything these organizations do. Not only did we receive materials and business cards detailing the various organizations, it was also evident that the people we met with had extensively researched our backgrounds and universities. This dilliegnce created an environment where we could have deep and meaningful conversations about potential partnerships. As a result, I am confident that many of these relationships will be sustained for years to come.
Domestic Friendships
I would be remiss if I did not highlight the friendships I forged with my fellow cohort members and the Fulbright leaders. It is amazing the type of bond that can be forged when riding on a bus for 1-2 hours a day. The morning bus ride became so ubiquitous to our group that we have a running joke on our LINE chat where someone texts the group every couple days (since returning home), “What time does the bus leave in the morning?” It makes us all smile and remember our trip fondly. I became colleagues and friends with people who work at giant universities, small universities, R1s, regional publics, and private institutions. We shared stories about our families, inside jokes, and our love of food and coffee. We took trips to the night markets and experienced the inherent energy that is the culture of Taiwan. We even rallied a group to try our hand at KTV. We did not sound great, but if Grammys were given out for spirit, we would be U2.
The importance of these relationships cannot be overstated in the context of continuing to create opportunities for students and scholars to travel to and from Taiwan. I now have 15 other compatriots I can contact when I have a question or idea that might be off the wall or brilliant. Had the 16 of us not undertaken this trip, we would likely not have met. However, because we did meet, we will now have a reliable network to continue the momentum of a US and Taiwanese partnership in higher education.
Did I find my place?
The Fulbright cohort members’ flights home departed across two days. There were many tearful goodbyes, last-second inside jokes, and plans to keep in touch. We checked in on LINE to make sure everyone got home safely. As one of the last people to make it back, I had a lot of time to reflect on a once in a life time chance to take such a trip. By the end, I felt like I belonged. With the Taiwanese higher education system, there is so much room for partnership. Be it the desire to share language training, the similarities in our study, or the understanding of cultures. I have already contacted several institutes to begin the conversation around formalizing relationships. As for my cohort members, we will keep in touch and serve as resources for each other. However, I am even more confident we will continue to be friends. There are rumors that a reunion is being planned in one of our member’s home states. And for me? I enjoyed Taiwan so much that I will be back with a faculty-led study abroad in May. I am so grateful for the opportunity.
