Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (hereinafter referred to as “Wenzao”) and its American Catholic sister school, the University of St. Thomas (UST) in Houston, have elevated their partnership. Led by Wenzao President Hwei-Lin Chuang, the Wenzao administrative team recently visited UST to sign a contract involving a joint dual master’s degree (1+1) to be offered by the Department of International Affairs. In the future, master’s students studying in said degree will be able to earn both Wenzao and UST master’s degrees in two years.
This was President Chuang and the administrative team members’ (which included Vice President Shu-tan Lin and Dean of International Office I-Jane Weng) first visit to UST. They were warmly welcomed by UST’s Board Chair Robert Corrigan, President Richard Ludwick, board directors Don Wang and Rocky Lai, Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs Christopher Evans, Associate Vice President of International Relations & Engagement Hans Stockton, and Mandarin Center Director Yao-Yuan Yeh. Also present at the event were Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston Director General Yvonne Hsiao and Education Division Director Shu-Ya Yang (who was previously an alumna of the Wenzao Department of Spanish).
During the contract signing ceremony, UST President Ludwick stated that Wenzao is UST’s most important partner among its sister schools, and the signing of the joint dual master’s degree marks a major milestone accomplished.
The partnership between Wenzao and UST has lasted for more than a decade, beginning with the exchange of department- and university-level students, the selection of students for study abroad internships, and the development of academic research cooperation projects. In 2021, Wenzao and UST co-established the first Mandarin Center in the United States, promoting the Ministry of Education’s Taiwan Huayu BEST Program that sends Chinese teachers to teach in the United States. Also, each year, UST sends American students to Wenzao to learn Chinese and to Taiwan’s elementary and junior high schools to serve as bilingual teaching assistants.
To support the joint dual degree program with Wenzao, UST offers special tuition discounts for Wenzao students, hoping to benefit more students. Over the past 15 years, UST has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top university in the Western United States, boasting a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:15. The university emphasizes not only teaching quality but also positive faculty-student interactions.
