10/20/2015．Delegates from Wenzao Attended ICUSTA Biennial Meeting in Chile

President Chou (the lady in orange coat) and Kit Lam, 

Dean of International and Cross-Strait Cooperation (the lady in white blouse) attending ICUSTA biennial meeting
Photo provided by Dean Lam

     To strengthen the academic collaboration with Catholic universities, President Chou and Dean Lam went to Chile to attend the 2015 Biennial Meeting of the International Council of the Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas (ICUSTA) organized by our sister university, Universidad Santo Tomas. At the meeting, the delegates from the world exchanged ideas. ICUSTA organizer encouraged member universities to have substantive interaction, carry out exchange programs for faculty and students, distance learning as well as international collaboration and research. In addition, the delegates visited two undergraduate exchange students who were studying there and wanted to know their learning and living status.

     The 2015 biennial meeting of ICUSTA was held from September 24th to 26th in Santiago and attended by 11 member universities, including Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages from Taiwan, Universite de Santo Tomas from the Philippines, University of St. Thomas from Houston, St. Thomas University from Canada, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Universidad Abat Oliba, CEU and Universidad Catolica de Avila from Spain, Institut Catholique d’Etudes Superieures from France, Australian Catholic University and University of Notre Dame Australia from Australia.

     Member universities discussed their academic development, administration and mission and proposed future directions for collaboration: First, serving the community, i.e. service learning in combination with community service. All anticipated that collaboration on projects of social participation and service learning should be focused, so that students can continue service learning in two to three countries. Second, members are encouraged to include the Catholic philosophy or social function into the curriculum. Third, distance learning, i.e. member universities can co-offer new courses on international affairs or international relations. The fourth suggestion is the joint degree programs. University of St. Thomas in Houston offers on-line educational master degree program. Universidad Santo Tomas in Santiago offers one-year master degree program for higher education. Member universities are expected to encourage their students to take advantage of these programs

     Among all the member universities of ICUSTA, eleven teachers from seven countries have collaborated to offer a course named “Globalization: An Interdisciplinary Perspective”. This course is a distance course that is offered once every two years and instructed in English only. Wenzao has been attended for three times and Dean Lam has participated in the transnational distance course for twice. Teachers come from four continents and their disciplines include history, economy, geography, religion and communication. At present, over 100 students have selected the course.

     President Chou expressed that Wenzao is promoting its cyber university, hoping to collaborate with member universities to offer distance courses, distance degree or distance modules. She also encouraged member universities who offer Chinese courses to study Chinese in the Chinese Languages Center at Wenzao. She hopes to collaborate with member universities in service learning.

     At the meeting, member universities elected Universidad Santo Tomas in Santiago, University of St. Thomas from Houston, Institut Catholique d’Etudes Superieures from France, Universidad Catolica de Avila from Spain and Wenzao from Taiwan to serve at the ICUSTA Steering Committee. Academic Vice President Mei-hua Chen will serve as committee member on behalf of Wenzao.

     For years, Wenzao has had frequent interaction with member universities of ICUSTA. Since 2011, students from Wenzao have been to several member universities of ICUSTA as exchange students or interns, or to visit and publish academic paper. This year’s biennial meeting of ICUSTA has been a great success. In 2017, the biennial meeting of ICUSTA is expected to be held in Universidad Catolica de Avila, Spain. 
 

Photo / Office of International and Cross-strait Cooperation
President Chou (left) with President Jaime Vatter of Universidad Santo Tomas	President Chou (left) with Dr. Barry Craig of St. Thomas University from Canada
President Chou with President Marcin Kazmierczac of University of Abat Oliba, Director Emilie Daudin-Clavaud Institut Catholique d’Etudes Superieures from France and Dean Roberto Lafontaine of Universidad Santo Tomas	President Chou with Mr. Gerardo Rocha, the Chairperson of Fundacion Angelicum
Dr. Benito Baranda Ferran gave the keynote speech	President Chou with participating scholars
Visit to the vineyard organized by the organizer	Dean Kit Lam with Dr. Ravi Srinivas, ICUSTA Executive Director
Rector Herminio Dagohoy of Universite de Santo Tomas from the Philippines presided over the holy mass.	President Chou with the two exchange students (Chu-ping Syu and Min-syuan Chen)