Each semester, the Center for Global Education hosts a series of events in support of the Gateway to Taiwan Initiative. The Center for Global Education, in collaboration with the Department of World Languages and Culture, additional departments at Chapman University, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, created the Gateway to Taiwan Initiative in the fall of 2016. Through annual events and developing strategic partnerships, this collaboration works towards the goals of increasing the number of students studying abroad in Taiwan, increasing the number of Taiwanese students studying at Chapman, and building relationships between Chapman and the local Taiwanese communities. The impact of COVID-19 necessitated that we move our fall events to a virtual format, but that has not stopped us from hosting engaging events.

Screenshot of people in cooking class with dish

In late September, we held our first event of the academic year. In coordination with I-Ting Chao, the Chinese language faculty at Chapman, we hosted a virtual cooking class via Zoom.  Over 100 guests attended and cooked a traditional Taiwanese dish, 番茄炒蛋 (stir-fried tomatoes and eggs). Students, faculty, and staff followed along with Professor Chao for an hour to learn the step-by-step process for cooking this dish. Along the way, all guests were able to learn a few words and phrases in Mandarin. Stay tuned for future virtual cooking classes!

On Friday, October 30 at 4 p.m., we will be hosting A Little Dynasty Chinese Children’s Orchestra virtual concert. The Center for Global Education is excited to present this opportunity to our Chapman community alongside A Little Dynasty Chinese School once more. You can visit our event page for details about attending this upcoming virtual concert. Join us for an hour full of live musical entertainment from the children’s orchestra.

In October 2019, we were able to host a live concert in Memorial Hall. If you are interested in watching last year’s concert, you can view the live-streamed video on our Facebook page.

Stay tuned for additional Gateway to Taiwan programming for the remainder of the fall semester and spring 2021 by subscribing to our monthly newsletter or visiting our Gateway to Taiwan webpage. The Center for Global Education is currently coordinating a scholarship opportunity with Soochow University. Additional details about this scholarship will be announced at a later date.