IU alumna named to lead Chinese Flagship Program

IU alumna Yea-Fen Chen has returned to her alma mater to serve as director of IU’s Chinese Flagship Program, the University announced in a press release last week.

Chen is the executive director of the United States Chinese Language Teachers Association and coordinator of the Chinese Language Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She graduated from IU with a doctorate in language education and a master of arts in applied linguistics. She also taught Chinese classes at IU from 1989 to 1994, according to a press release.

Chen will lead the University’s Chinese Flagship program, which integrates classroom learning and extracurricular activities to help students attain Chinese language skills.

The program is designed for students studying other professional disciplines, and students can earn a certification from the program while majoring in any of IU’s fields of study. It also offers students the opportunity to spend an entire year studying abroad in China. During their capstone year, students will take courses with other Chinese students and work at an internship in China.

David Zaret, IU vice president for international affairs, said in the press release that the program meets society’s growing need for Chinese-speaking
business professionals.

“The demand for the Chinese Flagship’s services is steadily increasing, and I am delighted that the program will have at its helm someone with Dr. Chen’s breadth of interest and experience in Chinese language pedagogy,” Zaret said.

The IU Center for Chinese Language Pedagogy, part of the new School of Global and International Studies, was selected in 2008 as a site for the Language Flagship, a program through the National Security Education Program within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Chen, a Taiwan native, said she looks forward to returning to IU, especially because of IU’s new School of Global and International Studies.

She co-authored several Chinese language textbooks and is a consultant for the College Board regarding Advanced Placement Chinese courses and exams.

“I first came to IU as an international student,” Chen said. “I am coming back to help with the university’s continuing drive to build on its history of international engagement.”

--Samantha Schmidt