Penn College connects with Taiwanese universities

Pennsylvania College of Technology has established ties with several universities throughout Taiwan, the result of a recent trip by two officials to the island nation.  

Patrick Marty, chief government and international relations officer, and Anthony J. Pace, vice president for enrollment & academic operations, spent six days in Taiwan and visited seven universities to broaden bilateral cooperation. They were invited guests of the Ministry of Education and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

“It was a remarkable opportunity to both learn from our counterparts in Taiwan and share with them the success story of Penn College,” Pace said. “We were welcomed everywhere we went and established bonds with administrators at several institutions that mirror Penn College’s commitment to applied technology education. To prepare students for the global economy, it’s wise to develop pathways for collaboration that transcend national borders.”

With officials at National Formosa University, they signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for the institutions to explore faculty member and student exchange/internship programs, joint research and development activities, professional language teaching and cultural exchange programs, and cooperative degree and certificate programs.

The MOU is Penn College’s first with a Taiwanese university.

“The agreement is a reflection of the similarities in philosophy and mindset at our two institutions,” Marty said. “We both focus on hands-on education that is delivered in real-world labs with the support of industry partners. In particular, our respective aviation maintenance technology and civil engineering technology programs offer platforms for faculty and student exchange.”

Marty and Pace also toured and met with faculty and administrators at Feng Chia University, I-Shou University, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology.

“We are considering collaborating with many of the universities we visited,” Marty said, citing the robotic solution cooperative at Feng Chia, the culinary program at I-Shou and a full-scale semiconductor manufacturing process lab at Lunghwa as examples of possible connecting opportunities.

“It was enlightening to engage with educational leaders who share the same vision and goals for students: preparing future industry leaders for the global marketplace,” Marty said.

In addition to the universities, Marty and Pace toured Hsinchu Science Park – known as the hub of the global semiconductor chip industry – and the National Palace Museum.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. Visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.