President Gogue signs agreement between Auburn University and National Cheng Kung University

Published: September 03, 2021

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On Sept. 1, 2021, Auburn  President Jay Gogue, and representatives from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta signed a joint agreement to establish close academic ties between Auburn and NCKU, as well as to foster the learning of Mandarin and English by students of the respective institutions through faculty and student exchange.

The signing ceremony began with both presidents sharing the foundations of their respective institutions. Gogue shared Auburn’s beginnings as a land-grant institution and how that core characteristic in combination with the mission to produce global citizens that improve the state, nation and world has been the driving force behind Auburn’s initiatives and partnerships. NCKU’s president, Huey-Jen Jenny Su, also shared the rich history of the institution, dating back to 1931, and its vast and beautiful campus environment.

The agreement outlines that NCKU will provide a Mandarin lecturer to teach both credit and non-credit Chinese language and culture courses at Auburn, recruit Auburn students for Huayu scholarships at NCKU, and arrange faculty travel to NCKU to explore the collaborations in Mandarin and English language instruction. Overall, the goal of the agreement is to promote joint educational and cultural collaboration, and in turn establish a long-lasting friendship and cooperative partnership that enhances the educational experience at both institutions.

“This is one of our partnerships that will address the goals of our University Strategic Plan and the University Strategic Internationalization Plan, strengthening high-impact teaching practices and providing for post-graduation employment for our students,” said Andrew Gillespie, assistant provost for international programs. “With regard to our students, Auburn is well on its way to producing global citizens.”

Submitted by: Kalani Long