DEPARTMENT OF ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Ph.D., The Chicago School, 2025
M.S., Northwestern University, 2016
M.A., National Taiwan Normal University, 2011

Wen-pin Hsieh’s work is shaped by an interdisciplinary background that bridges language education, intercultural competence, and international business. He received a BA from National Chi-Nan University (Taiwan) in foreign languages and literature, an MA from National Taiwan Normal University in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, an MS from Northwestern University in communication, and a PhD from The Chicago School, where he specialized in intercultural psychology.

Before joining Northwestern in 2013, he taught Chinese language at Williams College and Brown University, after years of teaching Mandarin in varied educational settings in Taiwan. In addition to his academic background, Hsieh’s professional footprint spans multiple sectors, including banking, international (Taiwan-Japan) technology joint venture, and global mobility consulting.

At Northwestern, Hsieh has taught across the full range of the Chinese curriculum, emphasizing the connections between language learning and contemporary social and cultural issues. He has played a leading role in curricular innovation through the development of the Business Chinese sequence (Chinese 212, 312-1, and 312-2), supported by the Hewlett Fund for Curricular Innovation (2014–2015). Drawing on his combined academic expertise and prior professional experience in international business and finance, this sequence weaves together linguistic proficiency, economic, cultural, and media perspectives and engages students in professional communication, analysis of current events, and critical examination of sociocultural contexts in Greater China.

He has also been at the forefront of creating online intercultural learning opportunities. With support from Northwestern’s Buffett Institute and the Office of the Vice President for International Relations, he co-designed and led virtual language partner programs with National Tsing-Hua University (2021) and National Taiwan University (2022), enhancing both linguistic proficiency and intercultural awareness. Supported by Northwestern’s Virtual Visitor / Global Campus Collaborative Grant (2021), he initiated a cross-campus lecture series that connected Taiwanese scholars with Northwestern faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to explore East–West family dynamics, intercultural education, and the models of residential colleges and higher education fundraising in Asian contexts.

Hsieh’s leadership extends to study abroad program development and international collaboration. He serves as Faculty Leader of Discover Taiwan, a Mandarin-focused study abroad program, and co-leads the Global Engineering Taiwan Trek, partnering with multiple schools and units to design interdisciplinary itineraries and facilitate meaningful engagement between student cohorts. Working with Northwestern’s Global Learning Office, he is also the Principal Faculty of the Global Horizons Program, a fully funded short-term study abroad initiative for first-generation, low-income students, launching in 2026 through a $300,000 external grant from the Intrax Foundation.