In March, Professor Jack Hsu and Matthew J. Hopkins (GHRM MBA student) from the Center for International Affairs (CIA), College of Management, paid a week-long visit to Thailand. In the course of their visit, they met with representatives from six universities that are among the best in Thailand. The principal aim of the visit was to search for prospective partners for the Asia-Based Triple Country Program (ABTCP) currently under development. This proposed year-long exchange program would allow graduate students to spend three months each studying in three different countries, and also working on providing students the opportunity to earn a dual-degree. The current proposal provides for a three-way exchange between NSYSU, Hanyang University in South Korea (in process), and a final partner university in Thailand. This program would provide participating students with a 360-degree view of the Asian business environment, significant exposure to a variety of corporate cultures, and hands-on understanding of cross-cultural management.

 

The inspiration for the ABTCP is drawn from two sources. The NSYSU College of Management currently has an established and successful three-country study program in cooperation with Johannes Kepler University in Austria and University of Victoria in Canada. This ACT Global Program (Austria, Canada, Taiwan), like the proposed ABTCP, provides students with a diversified and valuable study experience. The New Southbound Policy, implemented after the election of President Tsai Ing-wen, seeks to enhance Taiwan’s relations with neighboring countries and actively encourages increased cooperation among universities in the region.  Thus, the idea for an Asia-Based Triple Country Program was born.

 

Professor Hsu and Matthew held meetings with six universities over four days, and the reaction to the proposed Triple Country Program was largely enthusiastic. Several universities showed significant interest in participating in collaboration with NSYSU. In addition to discussing the ABTCP, the trip to Thailand also allowed for the establishment of new connections and opened up the possibility of future collaborations with universities such as King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and Suranaree University of Technology. Professor Hsu and Matthew also had the opportunity to visit Chulalongkorn University to discuss increasing future collaborative activities between the sister universities.

 

On the whole, the visit to Thailand was a strong success. A large step was taken toward completing the ABTCP partnership, and new avenues of collaboration were opened up with some of Thailand’s best universities.