BSD signs MOU with Taoyuan City Government Department of Education (Taiwan)

By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Thursday, May 5th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

BAKER CITY – (Release from Baker School District) Monday evening, May 2, a signing ceremony took place virtually, where representatives of the Taoyuan City Government Department of Education joined representatives of Baker School District’s Oregon International School to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that solidifies their sister-school relationship.

Speakers during the signing ceremony included Mr. Wen-Tsan Cheng, Mayor of Taoyuan City; Mr. Wellington Chu, Commercial Officer at the American Institute in Taiwan; Mr. Haisum Shah, International Trade Specialist for the US Commercial Service; Ms. Cheryl Ernst, Executive Director at the University of Oregon’s American English Institute; and Mr. Mark Witty, Superintendent of Baker School District and Executive Director of Oregon International School. Ms. Ann Chen, Education Specialist at the American Institute in Taiwan, and Ms. Elsa Kuo, Baker School District Taiwan Representative, acted as emcees.

Also in attendance were Baker School District and Oregon International School board member Jessica Dougherty; Oregon International School board member Katie Lamb; Oregon International School Principal Dr. Tom Joseph; Mr. Ming-Yu Lin, Director of the Taoyuan City Government Department of Education; Ms. Hui-Ling Tang, Division Chief of the Taoyuan City Government Department of Education; Ms. Michelle Shih, Baker School District Taiwan Representative; as well as twelve Taoyuan City Government high school principals.

Mr. Ming-Yu Lin, Director of the Taoyuan City Government Department of Education, and Superintendent Mark Witty were the official signers of the formal MOU.

Plans are in place for 20 students from Taiwan to attend online classes in the coming 2022-23 school year, then travel to Baker City for four weeks in Summer 2023.

“We look forward to all the opportunities that will stem from this partnership,” said Superintendent Mark Witty. “Providing an exceptional, culturally rich education for future generations will have such positive global repercussions.”

Photos courtesy of Lincoln Management Consultants