【Article by College of Social Sciences】
On the morning of April 14th, Mark Pearson, the director of the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office, visited the College of Social Sciences. During the visit, the dean of the College of Social Sciences, Yang Wan-Ying, and the director of the International Master’s Program in Applied Economics and Social Development (IMES), Wu Wen-Jie, accompanied the director.

Newly appointed the director at the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office this January, Mark Pearson's past experience in related industries is what brought him to this position. Engaging in numerous New Zealand's APEC activities, he dappled in youth, business, trade, and academics. In addition, Mark has been posted to New Zealand embassies in Tokyo and Seoul as the deputy head of mission. With much experience in diplomacy, trade, and national security, his work on regional economic and political issues makes up a large part of his many years in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

During discussions, Director Mark and Dean Yang of the College of Social Sciences were elated to find many topics that New Zealand and Taiwan share. On top of the success of COVID prevention measures, both countries emphasize the importance of solving gender equality. With discussions leading to the high female political participation rate in Taiwan. Also, both countries rank high in assessments, 4th and 6th respectively on a global scale.

Dean Yang and director Wu also used this opportunity to introduce the multiple departments in the College of Social Sciences, especially the international programs. The college boasts English-taught degrees, including the Asia-Pacific Doctorate and Master Programs (IDAS and IMAS) and Applied Economics and Social Development Master Program (IMES). These international courses welcome employees at the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office to come and further their studies. On top of that, they look forward to conducting more collaborations with the Office with events, such as higher education forums, workshops, exchange programs, and more. We hope to see more interactions come into fruition between the faculty and students in teaching, research, and in-depth cooperation.