GHRM MBA, NSYSU offers its students the exceptional opportunity to enroll in exchange and dual degree programs on campuses around the world, and at the same time, it hosts students from partner universities. This year the program welcomed students from NEOMA Business School in France, so to introduce our students to the life of Dual-Degree students at NSYSU, we interviewed Bertille, a dual degree student from NEOMA who was kind enough to share her experience of studying in Taiwan. 

Bertille, comes from Brittany, from the city of Rennes (the city of Rennes Business School, for those who are interested in exchanges abroad). She first studied in Rennes for a degree in Economic and Social Administration (Economics, Law, and Management), then after her 3-year diploma, she passed the competitive exams and enrolled in NEOMA in Reims. Introducing NEOMA, she shares, “NEOMA is a business school that has two campuses: one in Rouen, a beautiful little French town, with cute old-fashioned architecture, and a nice student-town atmosphere with cheap accommodation. The other campus is in Reims, which is the capital of the Champagne region. Excellent city for those who like history, champagne vineyards, or have a passion for cathedrals and gastronomy. About NEOMA itself, It is a school that is very well ranked, (top 10 in France, ranked 6th in the newspaper Le Figaro this year). It offers a large choice of subjects, with modern classrooms depending on the campus, despite a not very efficient administration.”

Taiwan is quite different from most Western countries, so when asked about why she chose to pursue a dual degree in Taiwan and specifically at NSYSU, Bertille responded, “I chose to do a dual degree in Taiwan because I wanted to seize the opportunity to go abroad to a country that was different. Taiwan has a reputation for being a good place to live and is also very safe. I am happy with my choice every day as the campus is beautiful, we see the sea every day, and monkeys too, which is very unusual for me. Also, Kaohsiung is a perfect city to study in because NSYSU is well located, and the weather is good (especially in comparison to Taipei from what I heard). I really like the fact that NSYSU offers courses that include field trips to Taiwanese companies. It is very interesting and very formative for organizational and business awareness.” 

A dual degree can be a great opportunity for students to expand their learning horizons, Bertille acknowledges that as she believes that “doing a one-year double degree abroad allows you to demonstrate a great capacity for adaptability and relational intelligence to recruiters. It also allows you to show curiosity and a willingness to take risks. Of course, it also demonstrates an ability to speak English fluently, and a different approach to doing business abroad.”

Talking about living in Taiwan, she shares, “I feel that Taiwan is a beautiful country with a lot of resources, where people are of great kindness and generosity, behind a shyness which can sometimes be difficult to break through. Nature is beautiful and the food is good (well, sometimes you have to tone down the sugar and refined food). City life is fast-paced with very dynamic people, and I particularly enjoy the night markets which are an integral part of Taiwan’s culture”. 

Just like most foreigners in a new place, Bertille also experienced some cultural shocks. She shares, “ There were so many cultural shocks for me! Taiwanese people are so much nicer and more open to helping than in France. For example, here you can leave your cell phone or wallet on the table of a restaurant to reserve it but in France, it would easily get stolen. Also, Taiwanese people are less open to confrontation, unlike in France where people are rather loud and love to complain, and that’s normal for French people. The management of traffic and roads in Taiwan is also quite different, the scooters have priority over pedestrians which makes the roads not very safe and dissuades some people from riding bikes. Moreover, people, especially older people, seem to be very curious about foreigners and don't mind taking pictures of us in the street.” 

Talking about what she would miss about her time in Taiwan, she says, “The weather, the kindness of the people, bubble tea, the convenience stores and their music, NSYSU monkeys, sunsets on the campus, Taiwanese night clubs, the night markets, playing badminton with friends, the cleanliness of the MRT, discipline of the people, the ease of communication in group projects with my classmates, small rewards at the end of each quiz during class presentations, and so much more!”

Finally, Bertille shared her suggestions about the course, to make it more specialized and include more field trips as it is formative for students to learn firsthand from CEOs and their experiences in the industry, and thanked her teachers for providing pedagogical support in and out of the classroom. 

【Dual Degree】NTU – The First Module：International HRM - GHRM MBA Students Volha Sakhatskaya Studying in the UK

The education structure in NTU is quite different from the one we have in NSYSU. In the UK we had one subject at a time. In other words, for four weeks we were working mainly on one module. I think this is a good approach to stay focused on one thing for a period of time to get more deep and continuous insight. However, it would require a lot of self-learning, too.

The first module we had after the induction week was International HRM which we had twice a week 6 hours a day. At first, it sounds overwhelming to sit in one lecture for 6 hours a day. But don’t be discouraged! Actually, it is not that bad as it sounds. The whole lesson is divided into two sections:  morning and afternoon. Both morning and afternoon, sections consist of a one-hour lecture and two-hour workshop. And there is an hour break between morning and afternoon sessions. Like in most of the modules all students from the programme attend the lecture together where you might have different professors from time to time from that particular module and then students divided into three-four smaller classes to make workshops more interactive and efficient. The main idea of the workshops in this module was to work in a team, and, in order to make it more realistic like in the professional settings where most of the time you cannot choose people you want to work with, every student was assigned to a particular group where there are no two students from the same university. They also tend to make groups more diverse. I think it makes learning more interesting and exciting.

During workshops, we were working in a group of 4-5 people. Even though I have a lot of experience working in international groups, it was still challenging this time. Well, I guess, it is never really easy because we are all from different backgrounds and cultures, with different beliefs and values, have different circumstances at a different point in time, and have different experiences. And I have never worked in one team with students from Nigeria, Myanmar, Kashmir and India. That was totally new experience for me. And I learned a lot, it helped me to improve my cultural awareness and communication.

In this module, 80% of the grade were based on the group assignment, and only 20% on your individual report. Therefore, it is very important to get along with your team and to start to work together as earlier as possible because everyone has a different schedule, and most of the work would need to be done outside of school hours. During workshops, we worked in groups with case studies using our own experience, and knowledge we received at the lecture. For the final project, we had a consulting project, where we had to analyse the company, find issues (hint, company does not have problems, they have challenges or issues) or gaps, and based on the theories and academic literature provide solutions and suggestions. It is very important to show that every member participates and contributes as you will be evaluated by ability to work well as a team. Your goal will be to persuade the committee that you are the best consulting team to get this job. You will be competing with another team at the formal meeting, and at the same time with the rest of the teams. Remember to be professional. 

What this course taught me is it is very important to develop listening skills. You have to be patient and a good listener, not just hear but listen. Communication is the key. This module will also require you to build organisational skills and time management, as you only have less than 4 weeks to learn and accomplish the task. Don’t waste your time on distractions, absorb everything that lectures provide.  

As being chosen as a team leader I got also a very valuable lesson for the future. After the assessment, I reflected on what had been done well and what not and what I could do differently as a leader. It is very helpful to avoid mistakes in the future at work. So my suggestion for the future students who will come to the NTU use this time to go out of your comfort zone and try your leadership skills or build them if you have never tried, don’t be afraid to make mistakes now because it is just training before you step in into a real job. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Sabina Ou Reminisces About Her Dual Degree Program At Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom)

GHRM MBA program offers students the chance to get a Dual Degree from prestigious universities like Nottingham Trent University (NTU). Today, we share Sabina Ou’s experience in NTU (United Kingdom).

Sabina is from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She has a bachelor's in applied English of hospitality and tourism from National Kaohsiung University Of Hospitality And Tourism. Currently, she is working on her Dual Degree from GHRM MBA (Taiwan) and International Business (NTU). She found out about the Dual Degree program through the university website, and after doing her research, she considered it the best choice for her. As to why she chose NTU, it wasn't just the first-class education but the opportunity to see the other side of the world. She shares:

“I believed that the programme was a precious learning opportunity to see the world. By studying abroad, I could immerse myself in a Western culture with incredible, unique outlooks, customs, activities and go beyond a purely academic experience. The benefits include the opportunity to see new terrains, natural wonders, museums and landmarks of the host nation. In addition, I won't be limited to traveling in just the nation but get to see neighbouring countries as well, including travelling through various parts of Europe.”

During her time in Nottingham, she found ‘International Human Resource” to be the most interesting course. It allowed her to meet different people from all corners of the world and learn about each other’s cultural differences. From the course, she learned how to build a strong team. However, she also considers the cultural differences to be the biggest challenge during her dual degree experience. As most of her teammates were from different countries, the cultural norms, accents, and lingo acted as barriers, but they all took the time to understand each other. Eventually, they were able to overcome the obstacles and perform exceptionally.

NTU Dual Degree experience was also full of beautiful memories for Sabina. As for the most memorable one, she shares that it was the 'peer-to-peer language gathering’:

“The peer-to-peer language gathering was my favourite part of the programme. Studying in the UK grants me the chance to completely immerse myself in new languages, and there is no better way to learn than to dive right in. In addition to the considerable language practice I get solely in day to day life, Nottingham Trent University also offers peer-to-peer language learning activities (such as Global Lounge) for a more formal education of language learning.”

Throughout her dual degree experience, Sabina learned various things that will be advantageous for her future career. She considers the experience as a one in a lifetime opportunity and encourages GHRM MBA students to participate in the Dual Degree program. She says:

“For most students, this time may be the only opportunity they ever get to travel abroad for a long period of time. Eventually, we will find a job, and the opportunity to study abroad may turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is of vital to take this opportunity to travel the world with no commitments but to study and experience new cultures. Studying abroad is an experience that will blow our mind.”

GHRM MBA is delighted that Sabina had a wonderful time in Nottingham and found the Dual Degree program valuable. GHRM MBA is one of the few premier programs in Taiwan that offers a Dual Degree opportunity. Having a Dual Degree allows more professional options, and we encourage our students to grab the opportunity and make the most out of it. 

GHRM MBA students studying in the UK - NTU treasures

We all go to university to gain knowledge and qualification, but not only this can it offer us. Apart from the study, we all enjoy meeting new friends, like-minded people, and finally, have full feelings of student life. Thus, in order to diversify the academic side and promote comprehensive development and support students’ well-being, the university provides many additional options you can find interesting and helpful.

As for the start, NTU has NTSU (Nottingham Trent Students’ Union) which can help you stay connected, organized a lot of different events and trips to explore the UK.

Every Thursday NTSU organised Lounge Lunch where you could grab some free food and drinks and have a chat with other students, discuss the topic provided by the Lounge staff from the NTSU as an icebreaker for people to start a conversation and find new friends. I did really enjoy that and find it very helpful, especially for new students who have just arrived and do not know anyone.  You also can visit the Lounge any time during office hours just to relax or work on your stuff, it is cosy and has a lot of free space. In addition, there were different events every week like workshops, where you could learn even how to knit and make a small scarf by yourself in one session over there for free. It is always great to try something new that you even never think of, and again, meet new friends.

Connections are very important in our lives and you never know what that new friendship or connection can bring you in the future, sometimes it can change all your life for better. That’s what I realised here after some sessions organized for students by the Employability team. It helped me to take a look back and analyse my previous experience and think of future perspectives. NTU Employability service is another useful tool that you will not want to miss. There are people to support you and help to improve your CV, cover letter, your skills for future interviews. It also proved a lot of sessions worth to visit including lectures by specialists from different industries and researchers. The team would support you even after graduation for the next three years. In addition, you still would have access to all the resources.  I have visited several sections that gave me more understanding of the hiring process worldwide and in the UK particularly. I have attended the session which prepares you for the assessment centre where I had the opportunity to practice interviews with real people who have experience of hiring employees and knowledge what employers are looking for giving you feedback right away. It gave me a real-time experience of how assessments centres work and how to get ready for it as well as more confidence in myself.

I have also taken the challenge of doing Acceler8 (extra-curriculum activities outside of your studies) that helps me to develop myself personally and professionally. It is beneficial to add to my CV later as well. Acceler8 has three levels: bronze, silver and gold. And it is totally up to you which level you want to achieve. At the moment I am working on silver but my goal is to achieve gold, obviously.

GHRM MBA students studying in the UK - NTU platform

Today I would like to share with you my experience with the technology used in NTU that I admired when I started to use it. I haven’t had this experience before and I think it is an experience that can be utilised by other educational institutions. Especially in a new world of technologies.

NTU implemented a nice platform for the university and students which has a smartphone app version and it is called “My NTU”. In this platform for each student and faculty is created an account.

The platform is full of different useful features that make your life a bit easier and organized. In this app you can find all information about your courses (NOW) and timetable which is real-time. All changes in your class schedules would be automatically shown in there and if you forget the number of the classroom or it was changed just before the day of the lesson you easily can check it through your phone.

You cannot study in NTU without this app as even your attendance is through scanning a QR code by using your own account for most of the classes. As long as you scan the QR code that would be displayed on the screen just before the lesson starts using your app it would be automatically recorded to the system. Because attendance is controlled very seriously here. Of course, in case, for some reason you do not have a phone professor can add it manually to the system.

To-do section for the Dropbox Deadline submissions would also automatically displayed as long as it set by the module.  It also gives you real-time information about PC availability in every university building including the library. Through this app, you can check what books did you take from the library, and when do you need to return them or you can extend the loan online.

It is very important to check your school email every day because a lot of information and communication would be through school email and not your personal one, which you can easily find there without each time signing in.

The same dashboard would appear on the university’s computers when you sign in with your account. So it is very easy to navigate and quickly access. Maybe this idea would inspire someone to create their own.

Cheers.

Utilizing resources wisely when studying abroad! Olga the travelnista in Nottingham.

來自白俄羅斯的Olga（歐樂佳）在他的人生中已經面對過從離鄉背井、面對不同的文化與四處旅行等等各式各樣不同的挑戰；起初，她為了工作來到台灣，但在得知中山大學GHRM MBA的機會後，為了職涯與個人成長，加入了中山大學的行列。Olga在班上是同學們公認的努力狂，從來不怕問錯的問題，而是怕不問問題，她也都全心全意的投入課堂中的討論與作業。身為外籍生的她在工作與求學期間即使生活辛苦，也需要在金錢上完全自給自足，這樣的經驗也幫助她未來在英國參加雙學位的生活活得節儉，但也活得聰明。

在去到英國諾丁漢以前，多數的學生都會經歷困難的找房期，更難的是，由於雙學位學生在每年的一月下旬抵達英國，很多搶手的學生住宿點早就已經被搶先一空。「你真的必須早點開始找。」她表示便宜又方便的地點除了很難有空房以外，由於多數住宿點希望能優先服務需要長期住宿的學生（一年或以上），使得雙學位學生的處境略顯尷尬。後來，她依著在台灣的同學建議，找到了在市中心的小單人雅房，然而，問題在於她二月中旬才能入宿，前面的空床期又該如何？此時，Olga豐富的旅行經驗幫了她一把—- 她選擇沙發衝浪，既省錢又有彈性。除了時間困難以外，學生們在意的另一點無非就是價錢了。整體來說，要找到可以負擔的住宿是可能的，但英國諾丁漢的房價與租屋價相較起台灣還是高出許多。另外，由於多數住宿點都需要學生在入住前就結清房租，早早抓好並擠出預算是非常重要的。

在Nottingham Trent University（諾丁漢特倫特大學）的學生生活跟在台灣有許多不同，除了課程緊湊以外，許多過去的雙學位學生都分享過的「Module system」也讓學生們需要發展出良好的時間管理能力，才能習慣一個月之中都上一樣的科目，也正因如此，學生們可能會在校園中待上很長的時間，Olga認為，此時便是靈活運用學校提供資源的好機會，這樣的能力也是NTU學生必備的生存妙招，「學校的Boots Library圖書館提供學生包含學術期刊、教科書、電腦與軟體等等非常多的資源，學生們甚至可以借用多樣化的討論空間，也就不用去外面的咖啡廳花這麼多錢。」一開始剛進到NTU時，或許學生們都會對於學校圖書館提供的五花八門資源感到有點困惑，但進一步了解以後，圖書館就會變成NTU學生們重要的幫助。

Olga在諾丁漢求學的期間不幸地遇上新型冠狀病毒在英國爆發，但學校運用其本身豐富的網路資源，繼續提供教育給學生們，搭配上在學校期間體驗的頂級硬體設備，Olga對於加入GHRM MBA-NTU雙學位的決定感到無比開心，「或許學校不會特別提醒你他們能給你什麼，但身為研究生，學習運用手邊的資源是必要的第一課。」她說。

Coming from Belarus, Olga Sakhatskaya has taken on challenges of living in multiple countries, various cultures and traveling to different destinations. She first moved to Taiwan for work but later discovered GHRM MBA an opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally. She was the hard-worker among her class, always raising questions fearlessly and putting full commitment into her class works. As a person who has to support herself when living abroad, she learned to finance herself and be budget-wise, which helped her tremendously after being admitted to the dual-degree program in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University.

Before arriving in Nottingham, students will have to face the harsh accommodation-hunting process, and oftentimes, it is even harder for dual-degree students who arrive in late January, during a study year. “You really have to start early” said Olga. Fair-priced and better-located housing options get booked almost right away. Furthermore, most student accommodations seek long-term leases, which makes it more difficult for dual-degree students like Olga. She eventually went for what her classmates in Taiwan recommended and reserved herself a room starting mid-February. But then she faced the dilemma of where to stay before moving into the accommodation and that was when her traveling experiences came in handy, she decided to couch surf to save money. Other than time, one also has to pay attention to price. In general, it is possible to find affordable accommodations nearby the campus. However, the rent is still significantly higher than what people are paying in Taiwan. Additionally, most student housing sites require student to pay upfront, which makes it important to stretch that budget in the beginning. 

Life as a student in NTU can be very different than in Taiwan. Due to the intense studying schedule, time management is pivotal. You may have already heard the “module system” in NTU, with which courses are taught in blocks instead throughout the semester. One might have the same course topic during the day and stay on the campus for a significant amount of time. Olga considers utilizing the resources provided by NTU an essential skill whilst studying there. “You have access to a large collection of academic journals, text books, computer pools, software and more via the library, which can really save you the cost what you don’t necessarily want to spend so much. Students can also borrow the fully-equipped, versatile discussion space, so they won’t have to fo to cafes and spend money” said Olga. When first navigating through NTU’s Boots Library and its system, things can be a little confusing due to the varieties of services the library has to offer, but once understanding it, the library serveices are great helps to NTU students.

During her stay in Nottingham, it was unfortunate that the United Kingdom suffers from the COVID-19 (Wuhan virus) outbreak. Reacting to the ongoing pandemic, Nottingham Trent University allocated its online resources in order to continue providing its students the education. Along with the top-tier environment and equipments the school provides, Olga couldn’t be happier for her decision of joining the NSYSU GHRM MBA - NTU dual-degree program. “Maybe the university won’t tell you what they offer, but being graduate students, to understand what resources you can get and to utilize them are the quintessential lesson you have to learn”. 

#MotivationMonday ：Two years later--- Ariel reflects to her NTU journey

「如果用一個形容詞總結整個在英國的經驗，你會說什麼？」

「Pleasant吧。」她回答。

2016年入學中山大學力資源管理全英語碩士 (GHRM MBA) 的王婕 (Ariel) 在班上就像獨角獸一樣，獨特、有氣質但同時又集想法與趣味於一身。在西子灣度過第一年的時光以後，Ariel前往法國里昂高等商學院(EMLYON Business School)交換，但旅程沒有到這裡就結束，在歐洲開始思考未來的她知道GHRM MBA與Nottingham Trent University合作推出雙聯學位，意識到這或許不只是學生生涯的轉捩點，也可能給自己看到未來的機會，於是決定提出申請，並順利地在2018年一月去到英國諾丁漢。

說到在英國求學，或許每個人對這樣的經驗有著不同的想像，Ariel在諾丁漢看到英國身為移民大國多元的一面，「不只是學生，連工作人員與教師都可能來自不同的國家與文化背景」，於是，在學習的過程中能夠理解國際化的觀點，在生活上更是浸淫在各式文化之中。

Nottingham Trent University所設計的課程中，幾乎都會碰到團體作業，但同時也透過個人的書面報告挑戰學生們對於團體報告的反思能力；每個課程都會從理論出發並且帶向實務經驗，用workshop的方式激盪學生與學生間、學生與老師間的想法，這樣的方式也帶到作業上，例如情境式討論與實作；「對我來說，International Expreiernce的作業是我以前想都沒想過的挑戰。」Ariel表示，當時學校安排到義大利移地教學，要以小組形式與當地公司開會，嘗試以顧問的角色在兩週之間提出解決辦法，就像遊走在理論與實務之間，更具挑戰性的是當時的公司指定專案需要金融背景，透過特定監管報告做市場建議，因為從來沒有接觸過金融業，更沒有想過要以顧問的角色親自做，「沒想到我走著爬著也活下來了。」Ariel笑說。

經過了兩年，回想起那段在英國的時間，縱然在過程中心境沒有太大的不同，但挑戰是一個接著一個來。「我認為在英國求學最大的挑戰是成為思考者 (to be a thinker)，我的專業背景是翻譯，也就是用不同的語言重複別人的話，是比較技術性的挑戰，但在英國，我必須像思想家一樣，從無到有解釋自己的看法與邏輯。」帶著這樣的經驗回到台灣，她一改過去浪漫主義的行事風格，用務實思考者的角度看待回台灣後的生活與挑戰，她也在2019年初春從GHRM MBA畢業。

當然，甫回到台灣與畢業後的現在相較起來是人生中進入不同階段的重大轉變，Ariel確立了自己的志向、配合志向做了接下來十年的人生規劃，她更覺得要夠努力才能追上自己的野心，多方面的補充各式技能 (Computer language等) ；她回顧求學過程後說：「認真想想，我現在的樣子、我的思想都跟去英國的時候不同，有種不知不覺更成熟的感覺。」她認為人從自身的角度與狀態出發看待事物、甚至看待自己固然正常，但跳脫固有的濾鏡，以別人的角度看自己，可以更實際且有效率的洞察事物，「走過論文的辛苦、求職的掙扎，就是如此的心態轉變幫了我。」她說。  

「如果用一個形容詞總結整個在英國的經驗，你會說什麼？」

「用一個詞來形容太難了！但我會說這是個 Awakening personal development journey。」

最後，問到未來，她說：「Ask me again in ten years！」

“If you were to conclude your experience in the UK with one word, what would it be?”

“I'd say… pleasant.” She said.

Ariel Wang joined GHRM MBA in fall 2016. She is the unicorn in her class--- unique, graceful and the combination of thoughtfulness and lifelines. After spending her first year next to Siziwan, she left for EMLYON Business School in France for an exchange semester. However, her journey didn’t stop there, she started thinking about her future whilst staying in France and saw the opportunities lying behind GHRM MBA’s dual degree program with Nottingham Trent University and realized that this can be a turning point for her future. She then submitted her application and successfully arrived in Nottingham, United Kingdom in January 2018.

Speaking of studying in the UK, perhaps everyone can have different impressions. Ariel instantly saw the diversity in a migration state such as the UK. “It is not only the students, but the faculties can be from different countries.” Hence, she absorbed visions and opinions from an internationalized perspective and was immersed in diverse cultures in her daily life.

In the courses (modules) designed by Nottingham Trent University, one will most definitely be working in groups and at the same time, reflect to their group assignments by working individually on their physical reports. Starting from the theoretical backgrounds, the courses would be led to the practical aspects with workshops designed to stimulate critical thinking among students, and between students and course instructors. The school dedicated itself to bring students into actual business settings and to Ariel, the “International Experience” module was the ultimate challenge. “I didn’t think I would ever face such a challenge.” Ariel and her group were assigned with a consultancy case that required financial background knowledge to monitor markets; due to lack of experience in the finance industry, she never thought she would have to get her hands on the field as a consultant. “Never thought I could survive.” She smiled.

After two years, as Ariel reminded herself the experience in the UK, although her state of mind did not change significantly, challenges arrived one after another. “I would consider becoming a thinker the biggest challenge to study in the UK. My professional background is translation and interpretation, which is basically repeating others in different languages and is more of a technical challenge; but in the UK, I had to be like a thinker, explaining my own opinions and logics from scratch.” With this experience, she came back to Taiwan with a different way of thinking, transformed from a hopeless romantic to a practitioner in life. Ariel also graduated from GHRM MBA in spring 2019.

Needless to say, she entered an entirely new stage in life comparing her life when she just came back to Taiwan and after graduating. Ariel found her ambition and planned her career accordingly for the next ten years. She considers hard-work essential to comply with her ambition, she started consuming knowledges in various fields such as computer languages. She looked back on her student life and said: “Now that I think about it, how I am as a person and my thoughts are all different from when I first arrived in the UK. It in a way feels that I have matured.” She thinks that it is perfectly normal for people to think subjectively towards things and towards themselves. However, taking off the lens and examining ourselves from others’ perspective can help us observe more effectively and more efficiently. “Walking through hard times of my thesis and the struggles of job-search, it was this mindset that helped me.” Said Ariel.

“If you were to conclude your experience in the UK with one word, what would it be?”

“Describing it with one word is impossible! But I would say it was an awakening personal development journey!”

Finally, when asked about the future, she said:” Ask me again in ten years!”

Jay Wang (NTU dual degree)

Dear Friends,

Have you already thought of a great opportunity to obtain two Master diplomas in around 2 years! Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has a partnership with NSYSU to provide students with dual degree opportunities!

Jay Wang from Pingtung has recently came back from the UK and is sharing his experience both at NSYSU and NTU. He studied foreign languages and literatures during his bachelor’s degree. The College of Management, NSYSU provides a multinational learning environment where students can immerse themselves in the mixed cultures without going abroad. The strong connectivity to industries and amazing foreign professors and colleagues, and as a result opportunity to familiarise yourself with multi-cultured workplace have motivated Jay to apply for GHRM English MBA Program.

“In the first year of GHRM, I joined NTU dual degree program, which was quite different from GHRM in terms of teaching styles. In NTU the approach to courses tends to be more practical-oriented. Not only NTU students had to attend theoretical classes, but also, they had to attend seminars to apply what they had learnt to the real commercial situations. The professors at NTU always encouraged students to study for the sake of application.” – says Jay and explains what the differences between approach at NSYSU and NTU are.

“The best thing to study here (NSYSU) is the fact that there are many full-English specialised courses regarding management, which reinforces our language abilities in addition to academic knowledge gaining, since NSYSU aims at building an international learning environment to make students possess global visions. Apart from this, there are so many foreign exchange opportunities provided for students to choose from.” – shares Jay and encourages students to apply for studies at NSYSU College of Management and GHRM English MBA Program particularly.

Jay’s favourite course at NSYSU is Organisation and Politics taught by Professor Ryan Brading. This course guides students to explore the organisation management from the perspective of politics and understand how politics affect daily life. There are always discussions and presentations in the class for students to strengthen their cognition.

“Initially, I had very little knowledge about research methodology, and this caused to lower the speed at which I read and understood academic journals. When I asked professors, they were always patient to instruct me and suggested what textbook I ought to study in order to complement the academic common sense, such as statistical method and so forth. Thus, if you are a student who is willing to learn more except for the class, NSYSU is a right place for you. Besides, studying international programme is like working in a multi-national company. Apart from commercial knowledge, teamwork and cross-culture communication skills are two important points for us to learn about. So, be open-minded and optimistic.” – Jay cheers and motivates new students.

When asked about future career opportunities and plans, Jay shared the following: “Since the college of management in NSYSU is ranked within top 3 in Taiwan, obtaining NSYSU Diploma is definitely going to strengthen my chances to look for an ideal job due to its academic reputation. Other than that, the theory utilisation, research methodology, useful consulting course, etc. all play key roles in elevating my working abilities.”

Derrick interview

Dear Friends,

Today we would like to tell you a story of Derrick – second-year GHRM English MBA student, who is currently doing his dual degree studies in France and is glad to share his experience.

Derrick is from Taichung City, Taiwan. He has a wide range of interests which include traveling, extreme sports (e.g. racing, karting & BMX, etc.), playing basketball & badminton, photography, playing music/drums, beatbox, appreciating arts and he is also an animal lover.

When Derrick was a sophomore at National Chiayi University, he saw an ad about the Program and after a lookup found that GHRM English MBA Program could provide:

a. An English-speaking environment

b. An international studying environment which consists of students from different countries

c. A dual-degree opportunity

d. An experience of studying abroad (which is mandatory for local students)

These characteristics pretty much met Derrick’s interests, as he has always loved English and learning languages, traveling and experiencing different cultures. That’s why he immediately chose GHRM English MBA Program at NSYSU. “You get to meet a lot of foreign people and learn from each other! This is not something that every university could provide. Besides, NSYSU has the best view of the sea!” – Derrick shares his impression.

Currently, he is studying at ESSCA in France: “To be honest, French people and the French language are difficult. I do enjoy staying here and experiencing all the diverse French/Western cultures because I get to see, to feel and to learn a bigger world that I didn’t have the chance to know before. What happens here is just so different from what we have in Taiwan. If you think you are an extremely open-minded person and you really have the desire to experience and embrace a totally different world no matter what difficulties you may encounter, then ESSCA is probably one of the best choices you could have from NSYSU. By the way, you should not have a positive expectation regarding the academic side at ESSCA.

“Being a consultant is always one of my career goals and I think obtaining this master diploma will definitely increase the possibility to find a better job which relates to HR because a lot of advanced positions in Taiwan require applicants to have a master's or even doctoral degree.” – Derrick concludes his interview.

When asked to give advice to freshmen and prospective students, Derrick said the following: “Be open-minded and positive to embrace the diverse environment and opportunities in our program. It’s not an ordinary and typical master program in Taiwan so you should also adapt to make the best use of the program”.

YuYu interview

Another GHRM English MBA student - Enchanting Ms. Yu-Yu has recently returned from the dual degree Program at the Nottingam Trent University (NTU) and is glad to share her experience!

“Due to my parents’ jobs, I grew up in a multicultural environment that made me like to explore different things and places. Therefore, except for going to school, I enjoy participating in international volunteer events for as extracurricular activities in my academic life. These experiences not only gave me opportunities to see the world but forced me to go outside my comfort zone and challenge my limits. Although most of the international volunteer programs made me stuck in challenging situation, I received real happiness through the process of conducting the project. Therefore, I wish I can measure my success by the number of hugs I give and smiles I bring to people's faces once I grow up.” – that’s how YuYu describes herself :)

After getting her bachelor’s degree, YuYu chose a job which could pursue her dream and do what she enjoys. YuYu worked as project manager for sustainable development in medical industry. The main content of the job was organizing personnel training programs and overseas medical services. However, the more YuYu immersed into it, she felt the more there is still to improve in her skills: “For example, when it comes to decide who should be dispatched or finding partners, there are tons of considerations needed to be taken, such as personality, cultural differences and even leadership style. The process of working on these challenging tasks and often with limited resources has sparked my interest in Human Resource Management (HRM), which I believe can accelerate work efficiency even in a critical environment. Hence, I decided to come back to school for learning HRM and chose GHRM English MBA Program as it has two main advantages: (1) I can learn HRM in (2) a multicultural environment!”

YuYu enjoyed her stay at NTU being part of Dual Degree Program. Most of the courses at NTU cultivate students to build up critical thinking. YuYu took a course named “International experience”, in which Professor has brought students to ESIC (Business and Marketing School) in Spain and cooperated with local company. This course gave students an opportunity to conduct industry analysis in real business and adapt to cultural differences.

YuYu thinks the best thing is building up academic knowledge in HRM: “Before I joined GHRM English MBA Program at NSYSU, I learned and improved my work from making mistakes because my major in undergraduate school was not in the field of management. Now I can apply my experience and combine academic learning on the work, which makes me more efficient employee. That is the most important reason why I chose to come back to school. I believe if I can learn more about management, I can do more things in effective ways”.

Jane (NTU dual degree) interview

Dear Friends,

Another GHRM English MBA Program student is glad to share her impressions and experience after coming back from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Dual Degree Program in the UK.

Jane is GHRM English MBA Program student since September 2018 and after one semester at NSYSU, she joined the NTU Dual Degree Program.

Jane is very happy and thinks NTU Dual Degree Program which is a really great opportunity to study abroad and also can attain dual degree in the UK with less expense and time. Study abroad is not only about experiencing different culture; but also a challenging journey and self-development. “If I did not attain NTU Dual Degree Program, I would not have the chance to explore UK, punting in Cambridge, seeing world heritage in Stonehenge, watching musical Mamamia in London, walking bare feet on Valencia beach, riding camel in Sahara desert and lots of other moments providing unforgettable experience” – says Jane.

Experiencing different educational environment can provide students with a big favor in further study, as education in the UK is more focused on in-group discussion and practice. Students have one hour lecture and two hours practice and tutoring time. Each topic would have different activities that need students to participate. Though studying at the NTU is quite intensive since it is usually six-hours of courses a day, students only need to focus on one module at a time for one week, for comparison at NSYSU students focus on several courses at the same time in one semester.

Jane is now back to NSYSU, and she will continue her studies and then start working on her Master Thesis.

We encourage students to apply for dual degree and exchange programs as besides the studies it is also a great opportunity to explore the world and yourself, your abilities and skills with less time and expense.

GHRM students at NTU

NTU IB dual degree students mountaineering teambuilding activity

Valencia consulting project final presentation

Aaron Lu: Be Open-minded, Learn to Embrace at NTU!

Aaron was born and raised in Chiayi. He obtained his bachelor’s degree at National Chi-Nan University with major in Foreign Language (English & Japanese) and minoring in International Business. Soon after completing bachelor’s degree, Aaron took his first job and worked for a pump manufacturer (Stairs Pumps) based in Chiayi. He was a salesperson dealing with customers from abroad (mainly from Central and South Asia). The next year, he relocated to Kaohsiung and started working for China Airlines, where he has been and is working through the years of his studies.

*Aaron (Second to the right) and NTU teammates in Spain

“I had worked for three years before working on my master’s degree in NSYSU. The reason I chose GHRM program was quite simple－it enables me to obtain another master’s degree in the UK at minimum cost. Nevertheless, GHRM program granted me much more than that! I met a bunch of people who inspired me a lot either in the academic field or personal life. Moreover, it enabled me to bridge the three-year gap (during which I stopped studying) with up-to-date skills as well as hands-on experiences in HRM field. Besides, I found it undoubtedly a great place to study thanks to its diverse environment (foreign lecturers and students, international programs, and abundance of academic resources).” – explains Aaron.

Aaron has just finished his studies at NTU, and he is very excited about his experience: “It was amaaaazing!!! As a Taiwanese student, I would say I hardly know what a master course is truly like until I set foot in NTU. However, studying at NTU would not make any differences if you do not keep an open mind. The fact is that you could learn much more than you expected once you get out of your comfort zone and start a discussion with someone you are not familiar with. Overall, I had countless unforgettable life experiences in the UK and my master study would not be completed without them.”

During his first year at NSYSU Aaron really enjoyed the “Independent Studies” class instructed by professor David McConville, as the opportunity to work closely with an operating business as a HR consultant is very valuable. 

“I had difficulties adapting to new technologies widely used by other students at first. For example, I could not use Google to create documents for group editing as I usually made slides on my laptop. Fortunately, my teammates taught me how to do it later. Time management is a common issue for most of the students in this program since if we want to graduate on time, we may have to take at least 3 to 4 courses each semester while most of them are quite demanding. From scheduling, prioritizing, to letting go is the process I used to deal with my time. I planned my school schedule based on my work roaster and prioritized the school tasks based on their deadlines. And letting go was sometimes inevitable when things went beyond my control.” – these are the challenges Aaron faced and successfully dealt with being part of GHRM MBA Program.

After graduating from GHRM English MBA Program, Aaron thinks with the Diploma in HRM, it would be easier to get a position in the HR department via internal transfer in his current company. Similarly, he is convinced that students with this diploma will be able to find a decent job thanks to NSYSU's reputation in industry as well as in research.

The following are some facts and tips for the new blood (from Aaron):

(1) You would learn mostly by yourself and a lot from your peers. 

(2) If you are highly interested in HRM or your main purpose of study is to explore it, taking courses across programs would be suggested.

(3) Communication comes first in every social context. Sharpening your language skills would make your study more fruitful.

(4) Setting short, medium, and long-term action plans (as required to state in the study plan) would help clarify your initial purpose of the study, track the progression during the study, and review the takeaways in the end of the study.

(5) Always be positive and prepared for shocks, challenges, and failures as they would help you grow.

Dual Degree of NSYSU + NTU = Fantastic Life Experience

謝依儒 (Lulu) from Miaoli, Taiwan would like to tell about herself and share her experience of being a dual degree program participant. She is currently first year student of NSYSU GHRM program and a dual degree exchange student at Nottingham Trent University.

She likes to travel and meet new people, discover new cultures as well as both gain and share experience. Lulu likes NSYSU for its friendly atmosphere and very supportive, caring Professors and staff, who are willing to help in solving any kind of problem and answer any question.

Meanwhile, Lulu enjoys her student life at Nottingham Trent University - full of academic discoveries and new approaches combining it with experience of meeting people from all over the world (more than 80% of students in her class are international students) and exploring Europe - she already had a great chance to visit some of the European countries while participating in internship program.

“NTU has a fabulous learning environment. Enjoy your time here and don’t hesitate to apply for dual degree program, it will be the most fantastic experience in your life” – Lulu advises to NSYSU students.

Lulu would like to encourage students, whose native language is not English, not to be afraid, and challenge themselves to speak and practice as much as possible even if it is not very easy to express yourself at the beginning you will start to feel the language and the words will just flow.

The same advice could be given to international students, who came to Taiwan and started learning Chinese. Although Chinese is not that easy for reading and writing but our speaking is quite easy without complex grammar. Chinese is full of our culture content so it is a way to learn local culture” explains Lulu.

“More possibilities ahead!” Grace Kuo in Nottingham

  2017年初，Grace 郭芳瑜（左）收拾好行李，帶著在GHRM一年半的經驗前往英國諾丁罕，準備攻讀Nottingham Trent University的國際企業管理 (International Business) MSc學位。Grace坦言其實本來沒想過申請雙學位，但因交換學校的志願排序結果不理想，轉而覺得GHRM提供的雙學位機會既可以作為出國交換的畢業標準，又可以取得英國學位，「一石二鳥，何樂而不為呢？」她笑說。

  在Nottingham Trent University的雙學位計劃中，學生可以選擇兩種不同的課程路線，喜歡發想的Grace選擇了Innovation Route。 在英國，上課的方式跟在台灣很不一樣，路線中的每個課程以密集班的形式，在一段時間集中上課，「那邊課業其實不輕，雖然集中上課很好吸收，但一段時間後就很像被作業跟資訊追著跑。」Grace也順帶點出了時間規劃的重要性，為了取得學位，自然不能像交換一樣自在玩樂，但也因為課業壓力大，學習到有效率的自我管理。

  對選擇碩二下才進行海外學期的Grace來說，論文也是不能忽視的重點。由於二年級上學期待在台灣，論文已經有一定的進度，為了配合英國的課程，同時也繼續撰寫論文，Grace需要付出更多的心力與身在台灣的指導教授保持聯繫，另外，Nottingham Trent也會指派一位老師針對論文做輔導，讓她持續維持進度。

「在英國生活開銷不小，財務規劃非常重要。」在當地的許多學生會藉由打工來補貼生活所需，如果沒有打工，在出發之前就做好完善的財務計畫才能確保攻讀學位之餘不用擔心生活壓力。Grace選擇一週固定幾天自己下廚，但諾丁罕是一座學生城，不會煮飯的人或許可以到學校附近的吃到飽餐廳發揮學生的本能。

  最後想對未來計畫申請英國雙學位的同學說什麼呢？Grace建議提早開始找實習，Nottingham Trent的雙學位計畫規定在學期後需要有12週的實習經驗方可取得學位，但英國找實習大不易，如果在英國找不到實習，可以往其他國家發展，但學校方不建議在自己的母國實習。「在得知獲選的時候就可以趕快開始丟履歷了，才不會最後急得像熱鍋上的螞蟻！」

  Nottingham Trent的經驗對Grace來說是意外的收穫，因為本來研究人力資源，Grace原先計劃在畢業之後尋求HR的職缺，「到了英國之後，我覺得自己多了更多可能。」

不再限制自己，自由展翅！More possibilities ahead!

Spring, 2017, after one and a half year in GHRM, Grace Kuo (left) packed her belongings and headed to Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, ready for her dual degree studies in International Business MSc. Grace had never thought she would apply for the dual degree program, but after the result announcement of exchange studies, she decided to apply for the dual degree program in the UK and fulfill the graduation requirement at the same time. “It’s two birds with one stone. Why not?” She said.

With the dual degree program at Nottingham Trent University, students are able to choose between two course routes, and Grace, who has tons of ideas, chose the innovation route. The way of how semesters roll in the UK is very different from how things go in Taiwan. All courses in each route are taught in “blocks”, in other words, one course in a period, intensively. “The loading of the studies there is actually heavy, although, with blocks, it is more efficient to absorb the information. After some time, it kind of feels like you're caught up with all the assignments and information load.” Grace brought up the importance of organizing time. To successfully get the degree, one can not enjoy themselves as if they are only doing a semester abroad, but with the heavy loading of studies, she improved self-management effectively and efficiently.

To Grace, who chose to go abroad during the second semester of her senior year, making progress on her thesis is one of the most important objectives. Without going on exchanging during the 3rd semester, Grace had already completed a part of her research, but to work with the schedule in Nottingham, she had to keep in contact with her thesis advisor in Taiwan despite the time difference. Furthermore, Nottingham Trent usually assigns a supervisor to each student to oversee their progress of theses.

“The expenses in the UK is something one should pay attention to. A well-organized financial plan can be helpful.” Most local students support themselves with their part-time jobs, but if one is not planning to seek for part-time jobs, it is important to think thoroughly about how one can support themselves financially, in assuring the effectiveness of the studies while living abroad. Grace decided to cook by herself several days in a week, but for people who are not comfortable in kitchens, they can always go to the all-you-can-eat restaurants around the campus to let out their student instincts, eating!

Final suggestions to future dual degree students? Grace suggests some early preparations for international internships. In Nottingham Trent, it is required that students perform a 12-week internship outside of their home countries. “Finding internships in the UK is more difficult than expected. You can most definitely start to send out CVs right after getting nominated for the dual degree program.”

The experience in Nottingham Trent University is a windfall to Grace. She planned to seek for opportunities in the HR field due to her studies in Taiwan. “After my studies in the UK, I think there more opportunities ahead!” she smiles with ease, not limiting herself anymore.