TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education (CHE) signed a memorandum of cooperation on Tuesday (Oct. 18) in a ceremony held at South Carolina State House.

This is the fourth such memorandum Taiwan has signed with a U.S. state, following Kentucky, Arizona, and Alabama, Liberty Times reported. South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman, South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond, and a number of state legislators witnessed the signing.

The agreement was inked by Rusty Monhollon, South Carolina CHE president and executive director, and Lee Yan-yi (李彥儀), director of MOE’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Education.

Wang Yil-lung (王翼龍), director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta, said in a speech that South Carolina has abundant academic resources. He said there are many Taiwanese students and professors at Clemson and the University of South Carolina, per Liberty Times.

Based on such close academic links, Wang said he can further deepen education cooperation with the southern state on all levels. The Atlanta office said that the memorandum will help enhance cooperation between Taiwan and South Carolina at higher education institutions, for Mandarin and English teacher exchanges, and scholarship offers.

Monhollon said Taiwan and South Carolina have had a long-term sister-state relationship. The signing of the agreement will further enhance cooperation and experience-sharing in higher education between the two sides, he said.