Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Vice Chairman Ruan Zhaohong attended the 46th annual meeting of the Northern California Chinese Schools Association last Saturday, July 20th. During the event, he participated in the handover ceremony for the outgoing president and the incoming president along with the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Lai Mingqi.
At the ceremony, the 46th president, Shan Shengling, officially passed on the presidency to the new president, Li Naya. Ruan Zhaohong, the OCAC Vice Chairman, noted the council’s efforts in promoting the development of Taiwan’s Mandarin learning centers in Europe and America, which have been supported by numerous overseas Chinese schools. He emphasized the importance of the Northern California Chinese Schools Association in assisting the council in implementing various tasks related to overseas Chinese affairs and education.
Outgoing president Shan Shengling highlighted the association’s accomplishments over the past year, including hosting more than twenty events, notably pioneering the first-ever online Mandarin language oral and writing tests synchronized with Taiwan through computers. She also mentioned the upcoming distinctive teacher training camp.
Director Lai Mingqi expressed gratitude for the Northern California Chinese Schools Association, which has over a hundred member schools and significant influence across the Bay Area, for its assistance in promoting Chinese education work. He commended the hard work of outgoing president Shan Shengling in the past year and congratulated Li Naya on assuming the role of the new president, expressing confidence in her abilities.
New president Li Naya stated that youth cultural ambassadors would be invited to serve as cultural teachers at educational seminars after assuming the presidency. She emphasized the importance of caring for teachers through inviting spiritual mentors to remind them to love their students while also caring for themselves. She expressed optimism about the upcoming year, anticipating a year filled with joy.
The event that evening was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including Director Lai Mingqi’s wife Yun Wenzhen, Education Group leader Dong Qingfeng, Director of the San Francisco Bay Area Chinese Community Center Zhuang Yashu, Overseas Affairs Secretary Hsu Caifeng, several overseas affairs commissioners and leaders.
Additionally, the highlight of the evening ceremony included Li Naya’s performance of the Peking Opera “The Legend of the White Snake” and a singing performance by outgoing president Shan Shengling and her family.
Scholarships were awarded during the annual meeting, and a special keynote speech titled “The Distance from the Kitchen to the Stage: Transforming Education through Action” was delivered by Taiwan’s gourmet diplomacy master chef Li Jianxuan.
OCAC Vice Chairman Ruan Zhaohong visited the San Francisco Bay Area from July 20th to 24th to attend the 40th Chinese American Athletic Games and community visits, and will further visit Las Vegas from August 1st to 3rd.