October 23, 2018 – What could be more interesting than an overseas study adventure? Study abroad or student exchange is one of the perks a university can offer. And National Sun Yat-sen University is one of the few universities who offers this opportunity giving students abundant choices of international partner schools to choose from. Student exchange programs provide students immense opportunities to learn new culture and language and equip them the intercultural competency they need if they aspire to work in a multinational corporation.

Although study abroad program offers a lot of benefits, students tend to be skeptical about it since it involves a lot of risks and uncertainties. The College of Management initiated an event to provide the students with the information they need when doing an exchange. The exchange students of NSYSU generously shared their experiences from their home universities. The event was held at Room CM2037 and was opened by a warm message from the Deputy Director of International Programs, Dr. Thijs Velema. He gave the students his insights about the study abroad program and shared his own story when he also did an exchange. Dr. Velema mentioned that students should be careful in studying abroad as “they may end up with places they never thought they would’ve been to”.

Students Maarten Kempenaar and Wander de Jong from the University of Groningen (荷蘭葛洛尼恩大學) in the Netherlands proudly shared to students what it feels like to be a student in their university. Their university, University of Groningen belongs to the Top 100 Universities worldwide and is considered to be the one of the top university in the Netherlands. With their motto, “Nothing tops Groningen”, they wanted to share that living as a student in Groningen is a unique and wonderful experience. Maarten and Wander mentioned that 50% of the population are students, which really makes it a city ruled by students. Around 60% of transportation in Groningen is done by bike, making the bike a necessity for the students.  Cycling really is a part of Dutch culture. They also shared activities and tips for students to make the most of their student life. 

Second to present are Julius Hartmann, Lara Ohler, and Timor Domin, from the University of Mannheim (德國曼漢大學) in Germany, who imparted their student life in their university. They mentioned that the University of Mannheim is the second biggest castle and is known for academic excellence having AACSB and EFMD Equis accreditation, plus it is associated with a lot of companies. They also shared that Mannheim is situated at the center of Germany, and a safe city which is conducive for students and is also known for student parties. They mentioned that Germany is strategically located in the middle, so traveling in other parts of Europe can be one of their activities while doing an exchange. The students ended their presentation with a detailed breakdown of expenses.

The third experience that was shared on the event was from Andrin Caviezel from the ZHAW School of Management and Law(瑞士蘇黎世應用科技大學) located in Switzerland. According to Andrin, technology is high and innovative in Switzerland and is also a gateway to Europe which allows students to travel around the continent easily during their exchange. He also mentioned that Switzerland is included in the Global Competitiveness Report in terms of entrepreneurial and business startups, which students can take advantage of if they aspire to set up their own company. Apart from the fact that most modules are all in English, students can also enjoy free sports classes and snow activities such as skiing and snowboarding.

The last to present was Sophie Heim from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (德國慕尼黑大學) in Germany. Sophie shared to everyone that her university is the second best university in Germany. She also mentioned that Munich is a very beautiful city in Germany and is the home of the world’s largest folk festival, the Oktoberfest. Sophie shared to students that apart from studying, they can also enjoy the perks of being an LMU student in terms of sports, nightlife, and even job opportunities in BMW, IBM, and other top companies in the world. Sophie also ended her presentation with a breakdown of expenses which is useful for aspiring students of LMU.

Having an idea or firsthand information before doing an exchange is very beneficial for students who are seeking an opportunity in studying abroad. The information they have gathered from the event is very useful, which makes it easier for them to decide on which university they want to pursue an exchange.

(by: Justine Jude Pura)