KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Six students from National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taiwan traveled to Manhattan March 28 through April 4, 2026, to represent their university as part of a bilateral student exchange program focused on Kansas agriculture and trade with Taiwan. The students were selected by their university based on their exceptional leadership and communication skills and interest in agriculture.
“This exchange strengthens the relationship between Kansas and Taiwan while building a global understanding of agriculture,” said Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, Director of the Ag Marketing Division at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “We are grateful to the hosts who made the students feel welcome and helped create lasting connections.”
While in Kansas, the delegates visited the State Capitol and spoke with industry leaders and toured Mars Candy, Topeka; American Royal Spring Livestock Show, the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, and the Museum of BBQ, Kansas City; DeLong Grain and BNSF Railway, Edgerton; KU Biodiesel Lab and Pines Garden & Market, Lawrence; Ag Partners, Wamego; Benz Farms, St. Marys; Vermillion Valley Equine Center, Belvue; Booth Creek Wagyu, Westmoreland; and Kansas Wheat, Grain Craft, Manhattan Commission Company, and the Kansas State University agronomy and horticulture departments, Manhattan.
The six NCHU students and their faculty advisor who participated were:
- Yu-Chieh Chen, majoring with a Ph.D. in applied economics.
- Ho-Hsueh Hsieh, majoring in international agriculture.
- Chih Hsuan Lee, majoring in animal science.
- Ching Li, majoring in agronomy.
- Li-Wen Wang, majoring in horticulture.
- Chin Wu, majoring in agribusiness.
- Yun-Ju Chen, faculty advisor in applied economics.
“I was truly impressed by the scale of operations which demonstrated highly mechanized and systematized processes,” said Wang. “What left an even deeper impression on me, however, was the coexistence of both large-scale and more delicate, human-centered approaches to agriculture.”
The Taiwanese students were hosted by Kansas State University students Natalee Bray, Scandia; Jedidiah Gibson, Manhattan; Cappi Hoeting, Stockton; and Ainsley Pecenka, Spring Hill. These K-State students will travel to Taiwan in November as part of the bilateral exchange program.
“This experience allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for both the diversity and the connection within agriculture around the world,” said Bray. “While production practices, resources, and challenges may look very different from place to place, there is still a shared passion and purpose that connects people in agriculture globally.”
The trip is coordinated by KDA and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver, Colorado. The trip was sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, K-State College of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Agriculture. In 2025, Kansas exported $210 million in agricultural products to Taiwan, its fifth-largest trading partner.
Each fall, KDA coordinates applications for the Taiwan Youth Exchange Program for Kansas State University students. For more information, contact Dana Ladner at KDA, at 785-564-6660 or FutureofAg@ks.gov.