International Human Resource Development
The primary goal of TaiwanICDF education and training efforts, often performed in cooperation with international and nongovernment organizations, is to help allied and friendly nations develop their human resources in order to spur social and economic progress. TaiwanICDF human resource development programs include:
Seminars and Workshops
The TaiwanICDF continues to organize seminars and workshops based on Taiwan's own developmental experiences. It also adjusts education and training curricula to meet the changing needs of the times, offers courses with a wide variety of courses, and holds a certain number of training programs each year. Courses now delve into SMEs, tourism development, international trade promotion, sustainable agriculture, agri-business, food processing,technology management and other fields. Over 500 participants have attended these programs. In 2002, new courses were offered in technology industry and policy development, community construction and tourism development, micro finances and so on.
Commitment to international human resource development through education and scholarships is a firm TaiwanICDF principle.
The organization has offered scholarships since 1998, when a fund was set up for promising students from the Caribbean region. Since 2002, the TaiwanICDF bestowed US$300,000 in scholarships for students and educators in Eastern Caribbean nations and Mongolia every year.
The TaiwanICDF also provides scholarships to foreign students who attend undergraduate, graduate and post graduate institutions in Taiwan.
The TaiwanICDF hopes to:1. Strengthen diplomatic relations between Taiwan and allied/friendly nations.2. Impart the most current professional knowledge to students, in order to enhance their skills and maximizing their contributions to their respective countries.3. Raise the international profile of successful Taiwanese entrepreneurs and high-tech industries and other professional fields.
One of the first strategic alliances was the agricultural science program at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology. This program was extended to include Ph.D. studies in the fall of 2001. The TaiwanICDF extended its cooperation with the International MBA program at National Chengchi University in Taipei in 2001.
In 2003, the TaiwanICDF initiated its university strategic alliance policy, entering into partnerships with several national universities. On September 22, 2003, the TaiwanICDF and National Taiwan Ocean University, National Tsinghua University, and National Ying Ming University, National Normal University, National Pingtung University and National Chengchi University signed cooperation contracts that organize masters' degree programs in ocean resource management, high-tech management, computer Science, public health and medicine, Taiwan studies and vocational training . In 2004 and 2005, National Central University and Kun Shan University of Technology joined the alliance oraginzing masters degree programs in International Environment Sustainable Development and Internationl Plastic Injection and Precision Mold respectively. In 2006, National Sun Yat-sen University and Yuan Ze University joined the alliance organizing masters degree of International Electronic Power Engineering and International Industrial Engineering and Management. Further, the TaiwanICDF start to provide the undergraduate scholarship for central american students in the field of agriculture, bussiness administration and mechanical engineering. In 2007, International Graduate Program in Agricultural Policy Development at National Taiwan University, International Nursing Master of Science Program at National Taipei College of Nursing and International Graduate Program in Civil Engineering and Management at National Cheng Kung University joined.
Educational Cooperation with International Organizations
The TaiwanICDF cooperates with a number of international organizations to develop human resources. Working together with international groups that have substantial resources can prevent resource overlap , promote more consistent educational development policies, permit greater planning flexibility and efficiency, and enhance the likelihood of securing financial backing for large projects. Each organization involved also benefits from shared knowledge and experience, and cooperative work strengthening organizational image and effectiveness.
In 2004, the TaiwanICDF utilized bilateral or multilateral cooperation with international organizations in staging five categories of international human resources development. It had also worked with World Links, a global learning network linking thousands of teachers around the world via the Internet.
TaiwanICDF has started the HR cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD) since 2000. In 2004, TaiwanICDF organized a workshop on SME Experience for Monolian Cooperation Fund (MCF) of EBRD. Participants of this workshop are all outstanding entrepreneurs from Mongolia. MCF, funded by Japan, Netherlands, Luxemburg and Taiwan. In 2005 Workshop on ICT Business Development has been satisfactorily implmented. Participants include government officials and leaders of ICT private sector from Georgia, Moldova and Kyrgyz. Specifically, on-site training has been well-developed for 3 representatives of prvate sector from Kyrgyz.
The TaiwanICDF organized the TaiwanICDF Alumni Society in order to strengthen contact with individuals who have participated in TaiwanICDF seminars or workshops in the ROC. TaiwanICDF Alumni Society chapters host various seminars, forums and other educational activities. Alumni Society members continue to report on their personal and professional development to their TaiwanICDF colleagues and professional educations in the ROC and other nations, contributing to a rich flow of information exchange.
Taiwan International Cooepration Alliance (TICA)
On September 22, 2003 TaiwanICDF took the initiative to establish the Taiwan International Cooepration Alliance(TICA) with seven local universities including National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), National Chengchi University (NCCU), National Tsinghua University (NTHU), National Yang-Ming University (NYMU), National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) as well as National Central University. Moreover, one more member, Natiional Central University (NCU), joined TICA in 2004. Cooperating with local universities, this alliance aims at consolidating the management of the TaiwanICDF Scholarship Program as its priority. It is also expected to benefit TaiwanICDF, participating universities, and society by integrating resources from these three sides.
Led by the principles of integrating domestic educational and diplomatic resources, the alliance universities will not only help carry out TaiwanICDF scholarship programs, but will also become engaged in international cooperation affairs. This will enhance the development of internationalization for local universities.
The establishment of TICA has actually stimulated the first seven alliance universities to start integrating their resources for joint international cooperation projects. The TaiwanICDF also endeavors to facilitate their efforts and effectiveness. For example, if TaiwanICDF projects are related to the universities professions like agricultural technology, business management, Taiwan studies, public policies, technology management, public health, aquaculture management, or vocational education and human resourcse management and training, the TaiwanICDF is willing to collaborate with them and form task forces with professors from the alliance universities for future cooperation projects.
Moreover, the seven alliance universities will use the TaiwanICDF as the medium to integrate ESAIC resources and to help sponsoring developing countries in sustainable development. On the other hand, the seven alliance universities will also screen potential projects in their respective domains. Once any case is feasible, a task force will be formed and international bidding will be conducted in the name of ESAIC.
In coordination with TICA, some of the alliance universities have even combined theirs development goals with the aims of TICA. For example, NPUST has established a Research Center for Developing Countries and considers issues about developing countries as one of its newly identified key research strengths.
The short-term goal of TICA is primarily to establish the management platform of the TaiwanICDF Scholarship Program. This will allow the TaiwanICDF and the six participating universities to systemize and institutionalize the implementation of the programs. This operational platform will also provide the alliance universities an avenue for consultations should any problems arise.
Soon after TICA was established, the TaiwanICDF invited representatives of the partner universities to hold a Management Platform Meeting for the TaiwanICDF Scholarship Program at the beginning of December 2003. This provided all parties with an chance to practice the operations of TICA. Through the management platform, we have helped the alliance universities to share experiences, solve problems and improve the project management.
In the future, the TaiwanICDF will continuously improve the management of the Scholarship Program via the operation of management platforms under TICA. We will also encourage the alliance universities to expand academic and research fields. Furthermore, the TaiwanICDF will continue to boost cooperation with local universities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) via TICA to enlarge its resources pool and to promote Taiwan's participation in international cooperation affairs. At the mean time, the TaiwanICDF pledges to facilitate and assist the local universities toward internationalization by leading them to take part in international cooperation projects. The establishment of TICA is a step towards a long-term contribution to Taiwan's participation in international development.
