To foster educational and cultural exchanges, the Taichung City Government's Education Bureau, Providence University, and Cerritos College in California signed a tripartite MOU today (April 4) at Providence University. The signing ceremony, attended by Director Chiang Wei-Min from the Education Bureau, Vice President Yang Chao-Shun from Providence University, and President Dr. Jose Fierro from Cerritos College, officially launched a long-term exchange initiative.

Director Chiang highlighted Mayor Lu Hsiu-Yen's commitment to promoting international exchange. Currently, Taichung City has partnered with 51 schools across 17 countries, totaling 130 sister school agreements. These schools actively facilitate international educational trips and exchange visits, allowing students to attend classes and visit sister schools abroad, while also hosting reciprocal visits. The Education Bureau aims to strengthen collaboration with Cerritos College and Providence University through this MOU, fostering shared growth for teachers and students.

Director Chiang highlighted that after signing the MOU, the first joint initiative will be the Taichung-California International Cultural Exchange Camp, organized by Providence University. From July 8 to 13, this camp will accommodate 41 high school students from Taichung across two sessions. Moreover, 20 teachers and students from Cerritos College will fully participate in both sessions, enriching mutual exchanges between the institutions.

The Education Bureau highlighted that the camp is organized around the vision of bilingual education and international exchange. The curriculum includes cultural exchanges and joint creative projects between the participants. Additionally, it involves Taiwanese and American teachers and students visiting the Qingshui community together and engaging in mural painting activities at Jiayu Village in Qingshui. This camp aims to improve students' language proficiency and communication skills and develop a foundation for interactive English language skills.

He Shu-Hsun, Dean of Providence University's International College, highlighted that this camp offers a valuable bilingual and cultural exchange experience for both international and local students. Additionally, Providence University is partnering with Jiayu Village in Qingshui, Taichung, to involve international and local students in collaborative community mural painting, aiming to create lasting memories of this exchange.

Professor Liu Hsin, overseeing the project from Cerritos College in California, noted that the signing of the tripartite MOU establishes a strong foundation for collaboration. In addition to their students participating in the camp at Providence University, residents from California have also enthusiastically signed up for short-term exchange programs at Providence University, reflecting a keen interest among Californians in studying abroad in Taiwan.