On December 16, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) welcomed officers Hung-Hsia Huang, Shyue-Ming Lin, and Yung-Kai Kuo from the Ministry of Justice, Agency of Corrections in Taiwan, and Yung-Lien Lai, an associate professor at the Central Police University in Taiwan (CPU), as part of the academic partnership between CPU and UHD's Bayou Connection Program.

The program, which was established in 2002, introduces students to the cultural and economic connections between Houston and Taipei, Taiwan.

Hsiao-Ming Wang, criminal justice professor and director of UHD's Bayou Connection Program, hosted a luncheon where fellow criminal justice professors from the College of Public Service exchanged ideas about correction policies and practices between Texas and Taiwan. After the meeting, Wang accompanied the Taiwanese guests to the Harris County Sheriff's Office as part of a practical perspective.

"My education has made it possible for me to be a faculty member at CPU," said Lai, who received his Master of Science in Criminal Justice from UHD in 2007. "Today's meeting and jail tour provided the insight into Texas correction practices that should be helpful to Taiwan."