In December 2020, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative. The primary objectives of this initiative are to expand access to Chinese and English language instruction while preserving academic and intellectual freedom, enhance existing programs for two-way educational exchange, and explore opportunities for Chinese and English language teachers and resources to serve language programs in universities, schools, and other institutions in both the U.S. and Taiwan. Additionally, the initiative seeks to improve English language programming and content-based instruction teacher training in response to the 2030 Bilingual Education Initiative and to elevate Taiwan’s crucial role in providing Chinese instruction to people around the world, including Americans.

The Taiwan Huayu Best – Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent Program aims to promote Chinese language education in the USA and Europe, and encourages cooperation between universities in Taiwan and those in the USA and Europe. In fall 2022, UTA and Fu Jen University in Taipei signed a three-year MOU to apply for a grant from the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, proposing two programs. The first program involves FJU sending Chinese language teachers to teach Chinese courses and assistance to strengthen Chinese programs at UTA. The second program is the Taiwan Huayu BEST Scholarships, which provides funding for UTA students to learn Chinese in Taiwan, covering tuition fees and living expenses in full. The grant was approved in April 2023, and both programs are fully funded, starting their first one-year cycle in August 2023. The selection process for instructors is currently underway and expected to report to UTA in early August. Promotion and advertisement of the Taiwan Huayu BEST Scholarships will be conducted across all schools and colleges at UTA. Although the scholarships are limited in number and competitive in nature, all UTA full-time students, regardless their Chinese language background, are eligible and encouraged to apply.