CATALYZE THE ENGINE OF CROSS-BORDER EXCHANGE AND INNOVATION - TWAEA PROMOTES THE “INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM” WITH JUAA AND ONESQA

2023-07-10

Since 2017, the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association (TWAEA), the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA), and Thailand’s Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA) have taken turns in organizing staff exchange activities. Despite the break out of pandemic, the three agencies continue to maintain open communications through online conferences, strengthening the bonds among each other. In view of this, the idea of the “International Internship Program” among three agencies was first proposed in 2023, and TWAEA served as the organizer of the first round of the program. 1 to 2 representatives from each agency are selected as interns to participate in the activities.

On August 17, the online orientation ceremony was inaugurated with an opening remark made by Secretary-General of TWAEA, Ms. Shu-Yuan Wu, and then it was followed by an introduction about the International Internship Program. Interns from the three agencies shared their expectations and participated in interactive discussions regarding the planning of the program. Subsequently, TWAEA's first exchange activity under this initiative was held on August 23, following the implementation of “Technical University Evaluation Project” commissioned by the Ministry of Education. This event featured an institutional briefing and a live-streamed explanation session for evaluated institutions.

Assistant Secretary-General of TWAEA, Ms. Ying-Li Chou, presented an overview of Taiwan's education evaluation system and discussed recent updates concerning the evaluation for technical universities. The footage of the session was simultaneously played through live streaming, enabling international interns to actively experience it through real-time online connection. Provided with impromptu explanations made by colleagues from TWAEA, the participants can better understand the objectives of the session. At the end of the event, the international interns expressed their interests in the topics such as the selection of reviewers and the process of on-site evaluation. Additionally, a representative from ONESQA took the initiative to offer valuable insights into good practices employed in Thai institutions, expressing that during the pandemic, evaluation activities were conducted mainly online, while a hybrid approach was adopted for the post-pandemic era.

With the lifting of border restrictions, international interactions and exchanges are now resumed. This year, we will facilitate the visit of international interns to Taiwan during December 18-22 to engage in the institutional evaluation process for technical universities. As we eagerly welcome the return of in-person activities, this initiative aims to foster meaningful physical exchanges and deepen the network of professional collaborations among international partners.