SCOTLAND and Taiwan are developing "enriching" links thanks to an innovative partnership between universities.
The annual conference of the Taiwan-UK University Consortium (TUKUC) has taken place at the University of Edinburgh, where academics were able to exchange ideas and develop links between the two countries.
The consortium is made up of eight different universities from the UK and Taiwan, with two of them in Scotland:
- University of Edinburgh
- University of the West of Scotland
- Newcastle University
- University of Liverpool
- National Taiwan University
- National Taiwan Normal Univeristy
- National Sun Yat-sen University
- National Tsinghua University
First founded in 2023, the consortium meets annually, alternating between hosting in Taiwan and the UK.
This year's conference took place in Edinburgh at the end of October, and was described as bringing "a sense of hope" to participants from both countries.
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Professor Yvonne Foley, personal chair in literacies and language education at the Moray House School of Education and Sport at the University of Edinburgh, is the secretariat of the consortium – meaning she is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the group, as well as leading projects.
Prof Foley lived in Taiwan for 14 years and raised her children there, after moving with her husband for work.
She described the conference as "enriching", as she told The National: "It was brilliant. It was a really 'feel good factor', especially as we look at the wider landscape of higher education.
"It's something that can take your focus off the wider external context and bring a sense of hope, because you're working with colleagues that are very positive."
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A total of 76 people took part in the conference, which was spread across two and a half days between October 22 and 24.
Academics discussed a range of different themes, including green energy and net zero solutions, emerging technologies, and English as the language of teaching and learning – which Prof Foley delivered.
"It was really exciting to see the comparative nature of it," Foley told The National.
"Taiwan universities have a goal of bilingualism by 2030, and some of the classes we've observed have been absolutely outstanding.
"It feels very much like professional development for us all, to see into each other's contexts and then think of ways to learn from each other."
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Foley added: "There's a closeness in terms of how we're seeing practice at a higher education level, and also being able to liaise with colleagues from a very different setting is enriching in terms of intercultural communication because you're hearing different worldviews.
"Taiwan has been able to enrich us at the University of Edinburgh, and all of my colleagues have commented on how lovely it's been."
The group is busy planning for next year's conference in Taiwan, but is also undertaking interviews with colleagues as well as class observations.
The consortium also recently launched an early careers network, and is exploring the prospect of linking up with industry in Taiwan and the UK.
Prof Foley said holding the consortium was especially important in the current political context – particularly given media discourse around immigration.
"All international research is really important," Prof Foley said.
"In the area that I work in, I'm very conscious of language issues and cultural issues.
"As we look at the discourses across the media in terms of migration or internationalisation, you get very mixed messages linked to that.
"International research challenges your own unconscious bias, because you're starting to see education from different perspectives and you become aware of your own inherent worldview."
Prof Foley added: "It really sharpens you and keeps you aware of the importance of celebrating differing perspectives."
The Taipei Representative Office in the UK and its Edinburgh office welcomed the conference.
"We would like to convey gratitude to the host of this conference, Moray House School of Education and Sport of the University of Edinburgh, for all the time and effort that the school's staff, professors and students have dedicated to arrange this conference," a spokesperson said.
"We are thankful to the British Council and Ministry of Education in Taiwan for their insightful initiative to launch and continue to provide timely and necessary support to strengthen the TUKUC.
"Taiwan will always be a trustworthy partner to the UK, and we are looking forward to seeing the mission of TUKUC being expanded to more areas with shared benefit to all of us."
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