「愛台灣，我的選擇」系列第三發💞
💟「我在大學選修華語時，有一本課本就叫做「今日台灣」，但我第一次真正到台灣是來上美國國務院的華語課程。大家都喜歡來台灣學華語，但我想要看得更多，做得更多，所以我後來選擇派駐台灣，擔任經濟組的副組長。經濟組的工作著重於建立美台的經濟關係，這個經濟關係涵蓋各種正在改變世界未來樣貌的領域。我們致力於公衛、資安、數位經濟等議題，並探究如何在印太區域及更廣泛的區域，確保安全的技術，並建立安全的供應鏈。台灣人才輩出，讓我深受啟發，台灣人民就是台灣最大的財富；人才對經濟也非常重要，經濟要能蓬勃發展需要有才華、有創意的人才，而台灣就有這樣的人力資源。我曾經在投資銀行、國際開發和財金等產業工作過，所以我很希望能以我對金融業發展的觀察，協助台灣和美國的新創公司獲得創投資金，進而改變後代與數位科技互動的模式。除了專業上的興趣之外，我也熱愛大自然，我認為人類應該要與大自然有所連結，而台灣就有這樣的自然環境。我一直以來都很想觀察野鳥，但我早上常常爬不起來，可是在台灣就不必早起了，因為每天都有各式各樣美麗的鳥兒飛到我陽明山上家裡的後院！」
⭐️邵藹帝女士是名資深美國外交官，目前擔任美國在台協會經濟組副組長。在此之前，邵藹帝女士曾於美國駐上海總領事館負責推動美國經濟政策，並曾於華府任職於美國國務院的南亞及中亞事務局，以及美國駐科威特大使館。在擔任外交官之前，邵藹帝女士曾於香港及紐約的投資銀行任職，她也曾於世界銀行在印度的國際金融公司擔任顧問。邵藹帝女士先後於美國約翰霍普金斯大學取得學士學位及高級國際研究學院碩士學位。她來自伊利諾州，通曉中文、阿拉伯語及印度語。
Why I Chose Taiwan #3
💟"When I started studying Chinese as an undergrad, we had a whole book on Taiwan Today. The first time I actually came to Taiwan was studying Chinese with the State Department. Everybody loves coming here for language, but I wanted to see and do more. That’s what brought me back this time around, as the Deputy Director of the Economic Section. We focus on building up the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship, which spans across so many different areas that I think are changing the future shape of the world. We are focused on health, cyber issues, digital economy, how do we ensure that technologies are secure, how do we build secure supply chains throughout the Indo-Pacific, and more. Taiwan has such talented people, and so that really inspires me. Taiwan’s people are its greatest asset. For the economy, you really need talented, creative people, and they are here in Taiwan. I have a very eclectic background in investment banking, international development, finance, and so how do I tap into the way I’ve seen financial industries develop to help Taiwan and the U.S. now get venture capital funding for future startups that are really going to change the way that our kids interact with the digital world? Aside from my professional interest in Taiwan, I love nature, I think it’s really important that humans have a connection with nature, and Taiwan provides that. I’ve always wanted to be a bird-watcher but I’m not good at waking up early in the morning to go out looking for birds. But here I don’t need to, because there are always all different kinds of beautiful birds that come to my own back yard in Yangmingshan!"
⭐️Arati Shroff is a career U.S. diplomat and is currently the Deputy Economic Chief at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei. In her previous overseas assignment, Arati advanced U.S. economic policy at U.S. Consulate Shanghai. She has also served in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asia in Washington D.C., at U.S. Embassy Kuwait. Prior to her diplomatic career, Arati worked in investment banking in Hong Kong and New York. She was previously a consultant with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation in India. Arati earned a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Originally from the state of Illinois, Arati speaks Chinese, Arabic, and Hindi.
