The event, "Connecting Classrooms: International Education Expo," will be held Nov. 29 at Taipei's Chientan Youth Activity Center and is expected to draw 145 teachers, 240 junior high school students and 42 education bureau representatives from Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The foreign visitors, who will also meet with students and do research in Taipei County, Changhua County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City and Hualien County on Nov. 26 and 27, will share their discoveries at the expo on topics such as Tomorrow's World, Science and Invention, Environmental Science, Sports and Health, Climate Change and Global Citizenships.

"Internationalization of education is not only about improving students' English ability, but also about increasing their understanding of different cultures and developing cross-cultural dialogues, " Christine Skinner, director of the British Council Taipei, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Connecting Classrooms" is a program run worldwide by the British Council -- the U.K.'s international cultural relations organization.

The program creates partnerships between clusters of schools in the U.K. and around the world aimed at bringing an international dimension to young people's learning, improving their knowledge and understanding of other cultures and preparing them for life and work as global citizens.

Taiwan's Ministry of Education joined with the British Council in 2008 to launch the program in Taiwan, hoping to help local schools increase exchanges and form broader and strategic links with other partner countries.

(By Rachel Chan)