Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, NCUE Office of International & Cross-strait Affairs (OICA) has obtained encouraging achievements in the past year, such as developing new global partnerships and more dual-degree programs, recruiting more international students than ever, assisting in the formation of an English-taught degree program in Engineering, making virtual student exchange and summer camps possible, and co-organizing events with the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan), further strengthening bilateral cooperation.
 
Most countries have been adopting strict border control and quarantine measures during the past year due to the global pandemic, creating obstacles to international academic exchange. Despite the difficulties, under the leadership of former OICA Dean, Dr. Melody Wen, the Office still broke through the restrictions and achieved significant results. Here are some examples:
 
1. Adding more than 15 universities around the world to NCUE's partner list, bringing the total number to over 215, and providing more options for students to study abroad for exchange.
 
2. Striving to increase NCUE's global visibility and admissions of foreign students by participating in a total of 23 online recruitment activities or overseas education exhibitions. The number of admitted foreign students for the Fall 2021 academic year has increased 50% more than the previous year, setting a record high.
 
3. Taking the initiative to hold 3 briefings about international exchange resources to provide NCUE faculty with various information, so as to promote greater participation in international exchange.
 
4. Inviting Dr. Randall Nadeau, Executive Director of the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan), to come and brief twice about the Fulbright scholarship programs, and to co-organize a tree planting event on Earth Day 2021, furthering a long-term and solid partnership between the two institutions.
 
5. Fulfilling the establishment of an English-taught degree program in the College of Engineering to provide greater incentives for overseas students to come to study, further improving the internationalization on NCUE campuses.
 
6. Making online exchange studies and online summer camps available so that foreign students from the partner universities can participate in NCUE's academic and camp activities without being affected by COVID-19 restrictions.
 
7. Assisting in developing dual-degree programs in Special Education and English with California State University, Fresno. There have been eight NCUE academic departments or graduate institutes in total cooperating with its partner universities in dual-degree programs. OICA is being engaged in the establishment of dual-degree programs with the partners in Southeast Asia for NCUE Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology. They are expected to increase the recruitment of overseas students and expand the research capacity of the departments.
 
8. Promoting the establishment of international affairs representative served by a faculty member of each College and Department, facilitating close cooperation, resource sharing, and policy communication between OICA and academic units.