Taipei Municipal University of Education and UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School develop collaboration to conduct cross-cultural education research

UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School recently hosted a visit from Dr. Tien-Yu Lin, president of Taipei Municipal University of Education (TMUE), and several colleagues as the first step to create a closer tie between the two schools. Dr. Judith Green served as coordinator for this visit. She points out that the two schools have “a long and rich history of intellectual exchanges, collaborations, and faculty visits.” Dr. Lin and his colleagues have hosted faculty from UC Santa Barbara at a series of yearly conferences on Teacher Education, Learning, and Development. Faculty have also given workshops at Taipei Municipal Teachers College, which is a precursor of TMUE. Gevirtz School faculty who participated include Drs. Yukari Okamoto, Hsiu-Zu Ho, Carol Dixon, Judith Green, Betsy Brenner, and Amy Kyratzis. Dr. Lin and several colleagues were visiting scholars at UCSB. Additionally, these visits and collaborations laid a foundation for new discussions about creating closer ties between UCSB and TMUE.

One such tie has already been developed. In May 2008, Dr. Mian Wang visited TMUE and gave a two-day workshop for the pre-service teachers there regarding school-wide positive behavior support system. During his visit, Dr. Wang initiated a discussion with Dr. Ko, the chair of the Department of Special Education at TMUE, and facilitated the further discussion between two department chairs, Dr. Michael Gerber and Dr. Ko, that led to an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) eventually signed into effect in August. The MOU between the two departments will inaugurate a mutually satisfying and productive relationship with regard to exchange of faculty and students, joint research and development activities, exchange of scholarly materials, and other collaborative activities that will contribute to both schools’ individual and mutual purposes.

To build on this visit and extend the collaborations with TMUE, Dr. Gerber has assembled a task force to explore additional research collaborations, and student and faculty exchanges between the Department of Education and TMUE. The taskforce will explore new possibilities for collaboration that will expand the MOU and enhance the international education possibilities of both UCSB and TMUE students and faculty.

[Judith Green and Mian Wang are available for interviews; contact George Yatchisin at 805 893 5789]
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Taipei Municipal University of Education and UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School develop collaboration to conduct cross-cultural education research