The project aims to further strengthen the educational ties between Taiwan and the University of Guam, in part, via scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students at UOG and study-abroad opportunities in Taiwan and in Guam, and faculty visits.

The donation will arrive in three, $200,000 annual releases every January.

The project became official on Dec. 8, 2002, with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between UOG and the J. Yang and Family Foundation, based in Torrance, California.

“I'm so happy to have this opportunity to support the University of Guam,” said Jackson Yang, chairman of the foundation and national policy advisor to the President of Taiwan, adding the project will send students from Taiwan to study in Guam and for UOG students to study in Taiwan.

The foundation has also made donations to California universities and the outcome has been good, he said, as he participated in the signing via video link.

“We hope the same situation will happen this time between Guam and Taiwan,” he added.

Jackson Yang is also the founder and CEO of Seville Classics, a global leading innovator and manufacturer in the housewares and storage industry for over 40 years and chairman of First General Bank, which serves Southern California.

Born in Changhua, Taiwan, Jackson Yang immigrated to the United States in his early 40s and started his business from scratch. Today, he is the CEO of a California-headquartered business that generates $200 million in annual revenue with additional sales offices in Hong Kong, China, and Vancouver, Canada.

‘Efforts to internationalize education experiences’

Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez, Senior Vice President and Provost at UOG, was central to laying the groundwork for the project with a visit to California this past summer along with UOG Senior and Associate Liaison of the Asia-Pacific Universities Consortium, Dr. Kuan Chen and Dr. Jeng-Hung Liu.

“We are thrilled and grateful for this unprecedented gift to the University of Guam from the J. Yang and Family Foundation for their generous donation. The agreement will propel our efforts to internationalize education experiences through the Asia Pacific Studies Center project, which will increase bilateral exchange opportunities for faculty and students from UOG and partnered universities in Taiwan,” said Enriquez.

The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Guam helped UOG connect with Jackson Yang and his family’s foundation and hosted the signing of the MOU.

Also present at the signing from California were Rebecca Lan, Director of the Education Division of TECO in Los Angeles and Yang's assistant Shirley Chen. Others who attended the signing virtually or in person were TECO Guam Political Division Officer Tary Huang; Katrina Perez, Director of the UOG Endowment Foundation; UOG President Thomas W. Krise; as well as UOG representatives Chen, Liu, University Libraries Dean Monique Storie and Micronesian Area Research Center Professor Wei Yi Ma.

“We are grateful to TECO Guam's Director General Paul Chen for building the bridge to foster this new relationship,” Enriquez added. “This connection of higher education will be the centerpiece of Taiwan and Guam’s relationship that introduces many exchanges in the years to come.”

UOG President Krise thanked J. Yang and Family Foundation for the generous support of UOG students and programs.

“Partnerships are a major focus of our Para Hulo strategic plan, and this exciting, new relationship with the J. Yang and Family Foundation allows UOG to build upon our nearly dozen partnerships with universities in Taiwan,” Krise said.

Some of the project’s goals:

• Fund 10 UOG students for a four-week study in Taiwan per year.

• Provide travel award for two UOG mentor faculty members to visit Taiwan with students per year.

• Support two faculty members from universities in Taiwan as they visit UOG.

• Provide tuition and fees for the first year for two graduate students per year.

• Fund an undergraduate study abroad program for two students per year.

• Provide scholarships to four incoming undergraduate students per year.