The College of New Jersey has renewed its partnership with the Taiwanese government’s Ministry of Education through the Huayu Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent Program, extending a 2022 initiative that supports faculty exchanges and student scholarships with Tamkang University in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, the program promotes bilingual learning and cross-cultural collaboration between Taiwanese and international institutions. The partnership, led by Celia Liu, academic director of Chinese studies in TCNJ’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, will continue through 2028.
“I am deeply proud that TCNJ has been awarded this long-term grant commitment,” said Liu. “The Huayu BEST Program, made possible through our ongoing collaboration with Tamkang University, is helping our students access life-changing opportunities.”
The program supports two primary components: faculty development (including teaching exchanges) and student scholarships. In 2025, the program’s budget of over $24,000 directly funded TCNJ student stipends and enabled summer, semester-long, and short-term study abroad experiences in Taiwan. Students receive monthly support of $830, helping offset living expenses and making international study more accessible.
Since the program’s inception in 2022, more than 30 TCNJ students have participated in this study abroad opportunity in Taiwan..
“In addition to its rich linguistic and cultural environment, Taiwan is internationally recognized for its leadership in semiconductor research and manufacturing, as well as for its highly developed healthcare system — both of which offer distinctive academic and professional learning opportunities for students pursuing studies in science, technology, and health-related fields,” said Liu.
For students, the impact is already clear: participating in the Huayu BEST program has shaped future career goals and inspired long-term international aspirations.
“My study abroad experience last semester has encouraged me to consider finding work in Taiwan in the future, so I can go back to a life of learning,” said Gianna Barone ’25, a psychology major who participated in the program last year.
While in Taiwan, Barone took daily intermediate Chinese language classes and participated in a cultural exchange with international classmates. She also co-taught English lessons to elementary school students in Taipei alongside fellow exchange students.
In addition to student support, the program allocates over $30,000 annually to sponsor a visiting instructor from Tamkang University who assists with language instruction and cultural activities in TCNJ’s Department of World Languages and Cultures.
Tingyu (Ariel) Tsai, a visiting instructor of Mandarin Chinese from Taiwan, said she has quickly settled into life at the college. “This is my second month at TCNJ, and I’ve been deeply impressed by the campus environment and community,” Tsai said. “My colleagues and students have been exceptionally welcoming, making me feel at home from the very beginning.”
As TCNJ continues to expand its international reach, the Huayu BEST Program stands as a model of meaningful global engagement.
“This partnership with Tamkang University is BEST in every sense of the word because it harnesses the transformative power of global education, experiential learning, and cross-cultural dialogue,” said Christopher Fisher, interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Thanks to Dr. Liu’s tireless work and vision, our students are gaining new opportunities to develop as global citizens; these are the kinds of elevated learning experiences that define a TCNJ education.”
For more information about the program and to get involved, please contact Celia Liu at liuc@tcnj.edu
— Emily W. Dodd ’03