Ball State University's highest ranking official has recently taken part in an Indiana trade mission trip to Taiwan and Japan at the request of Gov. Mitch Daniels.
President Jo Ann Gora, along with representatives from Indiana and Purdue universities, made up part of the largest trade delegation in Indiana history, which traveled to Asia in order to spread the word about the strengths of the many different industries and organizations within the state. Of the 80 people in the delegation, Gora is the only member who is a university president.
"I feel honored that I will be representing higher education in Indiana," Gora said before the trip.
Daniels requested representatives of the three schools to join the delegation to help promote the strengths of Indiana's higher education system.
"I feel comfortable in this role," Gora said. "I'm going to countries where education is highly valued. ... In Japan, they respect age and position. I'm almost certain they would want a university president, and I'm happy to go."
As part of the trip, the delegation met with different business and government leaders to speak about Indiana businesses. The delegation met with the Taiwanese Foreign Minister, Taiwan's Trade and Industry association and others.
"This trip has been carefully choreographed with visits to businesses and members of the Taiwanese and Japanese government," Gora said.
During the trip, delegation members also visited the Tochigi Prefecture -- Indiana's sister state in Japan -- toured the World Expo in Nagoya and attended the Aug. 6 Colts preseason game at the Tokyo Dome with Japanese business leaders.
The trip also included receptions for alumni from universities in Indiana -- 140 of whom reside in Japan and 70 of whom live in Taiwan.
"I'm really interested in meeting our alums and learning about Tokyo through their eyes," Gora said before the trip.
Gora has not only relied on her skills as an orator to inform people about Ball State, she also brought enough school gear to supply business and government leaders with a little something to remember Muncie by.
"I'm bringing all kinds of Ball State paraphernalia," Gora said before the trip. "It's another way of getting our name to a very wide audience."
Upon returning from the trip, Gora said that the opportunity to travel to Taiwan and Japan gave her a new perspective on marketing to Asian businesspeople and on the effects the university has on its alumni overseas.
Other highlights from the trip included speaking with a Ball State alumnus who opened his own school for kindergartners through 16th graders and an interview with Ball State graduate student Tomoyo Watanabe, who lives in Japan.
In a press release issued last month, Marc Lotter, communications director for the governor, said the state has significant economic ties with both Taiwan and Japan. Indiana sends $99 million in exports to Taiwan every year, comprising chemicals, machinery and agricultural products, mainly soybeans. More than 200 Japanese companies have operations in Indiana, investing $7 billion in the state and employing more than 45,000 Hoosiers.
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