Florida Tech: Proud to be an International University.

by President Catanese

I’d like for us to reflect upon what a special place Florida Tech is – truly an international university with strengthening linkages around the world. My 2010 trip to Taiwan and China was an excellent example of this.  Dr. McCay and Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) President Ed Moore joined me.  I had the honor and privilege of leading the state delegation to the Second Taiwan-Florida Higher Education Conference, following up on a successful event held previously in Orlando.

As chairman of ICUF and Florida Delegation chairman, I met with Ma Ying-jeou, president of the Republic of China (ROC), otherwise known as Taiwan.  In the conference, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the cooperation and partnership of all Florida private universities with all private universities in Taiwan.

As Florida Tech president, I signed a MOU for student and research partnerships with the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin; developed a partnership with Beihang University, (Bejing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics) one of the top institutes of technology in China; and developed a program for recruiting top Chinese engineering and science students with five private companies.

These agreements will lead to new educational opportunities for students, and add greater diversity to our international university.

You might not know that Florida Tech has a longstanding history with Taiwan.  During the 1970s and 1980s, we were a leader in granting graduate fellowships to Taiwanese students.  Founding President Jerome Keuper was a published author on the Chinese language and had been decorated by the Chinese government for his service in the U.S. military during World War II. Taiwanese officials presented the Chao Tsu-Yu Clock to Florida Tech in 1981, which we all enjoy in front of the Keuper Administration Building today.