Scholarships provided by a generous donation from the Alice & JP Wang Foundation will help University of HawaiÊ»i at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ students with the costs of studying abroad in Taiwan as part of the in the (CALL).

The Alice & JP Wang Foundation Student Support Fund for Study in Taiwan will provide monetary assistance to help students with the cost of studying in Taiwan either over a summer or for their final year of the program.

Song Jiang, director of the Chinese Language Flagship Program, said the donation will help to cover students’ travel, tuition and living expenses.

“The ability of our flagship students to continue their studies in Taiwan is crucial as it affords them the opportunity to enhance their language capabilities through living in a Chinese-speaking society, and it provides them with the opportunity to gain a level of cultural competence otherwise not available to them,” Jiang said. “This very generous donation helps us to reach a greater number of students who want to further their studies in Taiwan to reach their academic and career goals.”

As part of the Chinese Language Flagship Program, students must spend eight weeks in a summer intensive Chinese language program, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ in Taiwan program, and then study in Taiwan during a mandatory capstone year.

The California-based Alice & JP Wang Foundation was established by JP Wang, founder of the information technology firm Golden Star Technology Inc., and his wife, Alice Wang. Their foundation has also supported more than 50 scholarships in California.

“I am grateful to the (Alice & JP Wang) Foundation for their support of our students’ language immersion training in Taiwan, an essential component of the Chinese Flagship program,” said CALL Dean Peter Arnade. “Their gift will make a tangible difference in our students’ ability to complete the Flagship program and achieve advanced proficiency in Mandarin.”

Founded in 2014, the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Chinese Language Flagship program is one of 13 in the U.S.

This week’s ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ News Image of the Week is from University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹’s Paul Porter, an undergraduate student double majoring in the and .

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Porter shared, “I went on a study abroad summer program with the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Chinese Language Flagship program along with 13 other ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ students from June 13–August 5. Our partner university in Taiwan is National Tsing Hua University. On Saturday July 9 we were invited by the Sanxia Farmer’s Association and Yan Lu Tea Trading to the Lee Tea Plantation in Sanxia district of Taiwan. It was one of many cultural immersion experiences in the program. We picked tea leaves then went to the tea leaf processing factory to learn about the different processes for making green, black and other types of tea.”

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A technology center on the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ campus that is blazing an innovative trail for interactive language learning in the U.S. received a $1.1 million award for its 2021–22 programs.

The (Tech Center) in the College of Arts, Languages & Letters surveys the latest trends in educational technologies for language learning to help The Language Flagship programs across the country designed to shepherd undergraduate students of any major to achieve high levels of language proficiency upon graduation. The award is provided by the Defense Language and National Security Office of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“This new award will allow the Tech Center to move forward with its unique inter-institutional initiatives, which are fostering an active community of innovators that approach technology integration from novel perspectives,” said Julio C. Rodriguez, director at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Tech Center.

The Tech Center works with a network of 31 Flagship Programs at 23 higher education institutions across the country, including two programs at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ in Chinese and Korean. The center encourages the design and implementation of cutting edge, technology-based learning experiences as well as the innovative use of existing tools.

“The Tech Center is a critical component in the pursuit of the ambitious Flagship goals of achieving high levels of language proficiency in a short amount of time,” Rodriguez said.

The center also collaborates with language experts across academia, government and the private sector, to share best practices, lessons learned and research findings. That collaboration has resulted in the development of the Blueprint for Success, guidelines for technology integration for academic programs and federal initiatives.

• Related ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ News story: International language education tech competition at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, February 1, 2021

In September 2021, the Tech Center hosted a hackathon for Language Flagship students and alumni, challenging them to design games to help students overcome common obstacles encountered when learning a language. Part of the Tech Center’s award will go toward the implementation of several ideas generated at the hackathon event into applications for students to test in summer 2022.

This research is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s goal of Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

For most of us, living in a foreign country whose language you are studying in college would be a daunting, if not inconceivable, proposition. Anthony (Tony) Jenkins, a University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ major in the College of Languages, Linguistics & Literature, is not “most of us.”

A natural linguist, Jenkins, who came to Hawaiʻi from Jackson, Mississippi, chose to study Chinese in order to challenge himself. He has levels of high levels of fluency in Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish and is comfortable speaking other languages. The flagship programs of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ attracted Jenkins to campus. ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Chinese Language Flagship Center Director Madeline Spring describes him as an “unusually talented individual.”

Jenkins received a coveted , which is funding his study at Nanjing University for an academic semester in fall 2019, as well as the upcoming internship semester. By doing so, he not only fulfills the capstone requirement of the Flagship Center, but also one of his dreams.

Courses such as the history of Taiwan and Inner Mongolia, composition and media studies expanded his knowledge. But it is the relationships that he has forged that expand his love for the Chinese language, culture and people. Jenkins participated in a community service event recently to help ring in the New Year. Because the event took place in a rural area, having a foreigner involved, especially an American, resulted in Jenkins being in both and television news.

• Related ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ News story: Chinese Flagship student receives scholarship to study in China, April 4, 2019

Jenkins said, “There are other English speakers in my cohort who at times converse in English outside of class, but I have made it my personal rule that I will not speak in English for the duration of my time here in China. And with the exception of speaking with the director of our program once, I’m pleased to say that I have successfully maintained this rule.”

This spring semester, Jenkins will intern at Yunnan Provincial Museum in Kunming as an interpretive guide.

The National Security Agency (NSA) acknowledged the as one of its select featured college campuses on September 3, becoming one of just four campuses nationwide. The official start to the program is September 4.

NSA Hawaiʻi commander Captain Kurtis A. Mole delivered a letter of recognition for the work that ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ MaÌ„noa has been involved in since 2007. ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ is also an NSA/Department of Homeland Security Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research.

“The University of Hawaiʻi is very honored to have been selected by NSA as a featured school,” said ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ President David Lassner. “We have developed an exceptionally strong partnership with NSA that is helping students at every level from K—12 to higher education develop interests and skills in cybersecurity. This not only prepares Hawaiʻi students for great jobs with NSA, one of our major employers, but also helps strengthen Hawaiʻi’s overall cybersecurity across the public and private sectors.”

“We view our relationship with ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ MaÌ„noa as critical to developing the talent necessary to address the national security challenges of the future,” said Mole. “In addition to helping military and civilian employees improve their language skills, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ MaÌ„noa is collaborating with us on cutting edge research, and they are training the next generation of cybersecurity experts.”

ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ MaÌ„noa has trained nearly 275 NSA employees in a specialized cohort program in Korean and Chinese in the past five years. The intensive six-week courses improve skills in language and culture, and can yield up to 16 credits toward a college degree. More than 60 ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ graduates currently work at NSA.

Learn more about the partnership at the NSA .

A University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ student earned a scholarship to study in China that attracted 2,300 applicants from 517 colleges and universities around the country.

Anthony Jenkins, a Chinese Flagship major in the at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, received a scholarship from the . He is one of 135 scholarship awardees. Jenkins will use his award to travel to China for an academic year beginning fall 2019, fulfilling one of the Chinese Flagship major requirements.

A natural linguist, Jenkins, who came to Hawaiʻi from Jackson, Mississippi, chose to study Chinese in order to challenge himself. He has levels of fluency in Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish and is comfortable speaking other languages. The flagship programs of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ attracted Jenkins to campus.

“One of my life passions is language study, and Hawaiʻi is an outstanding location to study languages and culture,” he commented. “After I graduate, I hope to work as a translator.”

Fund for Education Abroad provides scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the United States study abroad population, including minority, LGBTQ+, first-generation and community college students. The 2019–2020 scholars come from a variety of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and represent 99 higher education institutions across the country. This year, 91 percent of the students are of minority backgrounds, and 90 percent are first-generation college students.

University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ scholars Mia Porter and Leon Qu have been selected to attend the national event hosted by the in the .

The Flagship Hackathon is a fast-paced event where participants seek advice from language technology experts throughout the country in order to propose technology-based solutions or “hacks” that could impact language learning.

Porter and Qu will travel to Washington, D.C. in October to meet with other flagship scholars, representatives of the Flagship Technology Innovation Center and leadership from the National Security Education Program.

Flagship Director Madeline Spring explains the unique opportunity the Hackathon offers its students and participants. “The Hackathon mimics situations that would be encountered in workplaces and real life,” she said. “The ability to assess problems and find solutions quickly is best developed in collaborative environments like the hackathon.”

The two scholars have been acknowledged for previous academic achievements. Porter, a triple major in Chinese/finance/international business and summer 2018 graduate, received the Colleges of Arts and Sciences’ Richard and Mildred Kosaki Award and the Colleges of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Academic Opportunities Award in 2017. Qu, a double major in Chinese Flagship and computer science, received funding from the Hiram L. Fong Fund in Arts and Sciences for his upcoming spring 2019 flagship capstone year in China.

student Vivian Li has been selected by a national committee to participate in an extensive overseas experience called the Flagship Capstone Year in China announced Director Madeline Spring. Li, a Chinese language major, is one of only 49 U.S. students chosen for this experience. She will attend Nanjing University in fall 2015 for one semester and be a full-time intern in her second semester.

The ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa Chinese Language Flagship Program, in the , trains students to a professional level of language proficiency while they earn a degree of their choice. The program does this through individual tutoring, accelerated learning options, intensive summer study and an extensive overseas experience which includes both study and internship in China. It is part of the nation’s most prestigious federal program devoted to training in languages critical to the political and economic well-being of the U.S.

The Pauoa resident began her academic studies intending to be a business major. She took Mandarin to fulfill her language requirements, but soon found the classes were a good way to expand her vocabulary and improve communication with her Cantonese-speaking parents. Before long, she better understood and empathized with people of different cultures living in the U.S., and changed her major to Chinese language.

Li is thrilled by the opportunity that her capstone year presents. “Besides learning the language, I look forward to meeting a variety of students at Nanjing University and learning about their views on China’s social development. As for the internship, I’m excited to put my language skills to a test, learn more professional jargons and most importantly become a better young professional. I hope to become linguistically and culturally competent so I can one day work as a Chinese language teacher dealing with foreign cultures or international affairs.”

—A ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa news release