Earlier this month, representatives of the Foundation were in Chongqing, China for TIRF development purposes. After a series of meetings, TIRF signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with leaders from the Chongqing Education Association for International Exchange (CQEAIE).
TIRF Vice President Jun Liu, on behalf of TIRF, signed the MOU alongside Professor Yue Yong, CQEAIE’s Secretary. The MOU is designed to demonstrate a commitment from each organization to work with the other. The next steps for TIRF and CQEAIE are to further identify and select particular programs the organizations will collaborate on in Chongqing.
After the signing of the MOU, leadership from several local universities, colleges, and organizations had an opportunity to meet with TIRF and CQEAIE leaders. The platform provided an invaluable opportunity for TIRF and CQEAIE to engage with individuals from the educational institutions.
Commenting on the partnership between TIRF and CQEAIE, Ryan Damerow, the Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “This is an exciting time for TIRF. China places a great emphasis on English language education in their country.” He continued, “Through the experience of TIRF’s Board of Trustees and with the support of our broad network, we hope to work alongside our Chongqing-based partners for many years to come.”
The Vice Secretary of CQEAIE, Mr. Xie Shibo, also commented on the partnership, saying, “We would like to see TIRF and CQEAIE work jointly as two pillars of a SINO-US bridge in the areas of English language education and research. With the relationship formed via the MOU, we hope to work with TIRF through developing educational resources that will benefit the range of stakeholders we collectively serve at all levels of education in Chongqing and its surrounding area.”
TIRF is evaluating ways in which it can further its mission through providing revenue-generating services in various contexts around the world. One such country of critical importance to English language education is China. Through the network of TIRF representatives in China, the Foundation has great potential to help meet the demand of English language education and research there.
Examples of service-based activities TIRF is considering are delivering professional development programs such as teacher training opportunities and workshops designed to cultivate the skills of junior researchers. In addition, late last year, TIRF conducted a program review for a leading university in southern China – a type of professional service the Foundation intends on doing again in the future.
We look forward to working with our colleagues at CQEAIE in Chongqing!
