A SUMMER IN TAIWAN
Embry-Riddle Awarded Funding for ROTC Chinese Language Program in Taiwan Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been selected as one of just three universities to receive federal funding to provide Chinese language and cultural immersion training scholarships to ROTC students. The university’s Project Global Officer (Project GO) program for Chinese, which features an eight-week summer program held in Taiwan, has been awarded a three-year contract that includes more than $1million in Department of Defense grant funding. Embry-Riddle Army ROTC student Brendan Conneely (‘26), who received a scholarship to attend the university’s program last summer in Taiwan, called Project GO a life-changing experience. “It was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had,” said Conneely, an Aeronautics major studying Chinese at the Daytona Beach Campus. “I gained a better awareness of the Chinese language and culture, which is huge.” Project GO is an initiative sponsored by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office and administered by the Institute of International Education. It offers overseas summer language program scholarships to ROTC students studying critical languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Korean and Swahili. Since 2007, Project GO has provided more than 8,500 scholarships to students studying 19 languages in 29 countries. “Embry-Riddle was chosen for its expertise and years of
experience in critical language instruction in connection with its ROTC program and its award-winning military education and study abroad programs,” said Dr. Aaron Clevenger, the university’s assistant provost for International Education. “This combination has been a winning recipe for success, and we have some of the finest results when it comes to our students’ language retention and knowledge of the region.” Clevenger said only 12 universities were chosen to offer Project GO language programs this past cycle. “Embry-Riddle is the only university offering all three program levels — Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 — of Chinese instruction,” he said. Embry-Riddle’s Project GO Chinese program accepts ROTC applicants nationwide. Three Embry-Riddle ROTC students were among last summer’s 17 participants. “Project GO exposes cadets and midshipmen to regions and cultures of vital importance to our national security and stability,” said Jennifer Fox, director of International Student Engagement and Outreach at the university’s Center for International Education. “The skills they acquire abroad are essential to strengthening the United State’s network of alliances and partnerships.”
This story was originally written by Melanie Azam with Embry-Riddle’s News Team.
2024-2025 Annual Report | 11
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online