【International Alumni】In Love with Taiwan, Study and Career

Michal Rýznar, who is originally from the Czech Republic, is now a Reliability Engineer at STMicroelectronics with a strong passion for Taiwan. Michal has obtained a wonderful life and precious memories on the island. Starting from not knowing anything about Taiwan during his first visit, Michal chose to return for his graduate degree and got settled in right here in Taiwan afterwards.

Splendid life at NSYSU

Michal first learned about Taiwan from the exchange program he participated at NSYSU during his last year of undergraduate education. During his first visit, the beautiful scenery and passionate people in Taiwan had deeply attracted him to look for possibility coming back for a master’s degree. With a target of advancing his knowledge in business administration and social skills, Michal decided to enroll in NSYSU’s Global Human Resource Management (known as GHRM MBA) program as suggested by friends who had graduated and who were studying at NSYSU then.

With useful academic and field knowledge gained from professors in class, Michal strongly recommends GHRM MBA program in NSYSU to whom may be interested. Michal developed a solid Chinese language ability by attending the Chinese Class offered by NSYSU. He was also keen in taking parts in the extracurricular activities after school. He was the vice president of the Student Association of the international programs, the captain of the International Dragon Boat Team. Michal made his school life sophisticated yet fruitful, and his dedication in learning led him to opportunities and a sense of accomplishment.

Experience of living in Taiwan

Before graduation, Michal was a user interface research and testing intern in a local company in Kaohsiung City for 4 months. He was responsible for developing English user manuals, researching on competitors, analyzing website data, etc. Chinese was once his nightmare for he was always worried that his Chinese ability is not good enough to be qualified for the job. Yet step by step, with courage he diligently worked his way through tasks and obstacles encountered during the internship. Michal believes that everyone has doubts and worries to the future, but things may not appear as they seem right now; so, don’t trouble till trouble troubles you, he said!

Michal was on board at his first job in Taipei City 2 months after graduation, and what seemed to be the key of getting hired in such a short time was to be open minded. Though the first job did not seem to be suitable for him, Michal got familiar with the business and workplace culture in Taiwan. While working hard at present job then, he continued looking for opportunities. He then received an offer from STMicroelectronics to work as a reliability engineer one and half years later. According to Michal, language barrier was much harder to conquer than cultural differences; yet these challenges motivated him to improve himself.

Suggestions to foreigners who intend to stay in Taiwan

The diverse society, convenient life, hospitality from the locals, and spectacular natural sceneries are some of Michal’s reasons falling in love with this island, and he especially enjoys his motorcycle rides in Taiwan. The graduate diploma helped Michal step into the professional field quickly, and the school life prepped him with a decent Chinese foundation. The job market in Taiwan is full of opportunities. As a friendly reminder to whom may consider staying in Taiwan longtermly, they can make good use of 104 Corporation to look for job vacancies. Linkedin is also an important channel that helps with building connections with professionals. Last but not least, Michael stated that language barriers could be the key challenge that they may encounter and should be well prepared.

Foundation for International Cooperation In Higher Education of Taiwan

【GHRM MBA】Reianthong Vongseangkam From GHRM MBA Shares His Internship Experience At The Rising Star Summer Internship Program of CTBC bank

Reianthong Vongsangkam from Thailand, currently studying at GHRM MBA, shares his exciting internship experience with us . Apart from his academic commitments , Reianthong has been engaged in the community, including founding the Hult Prize at NSYSU as a former campus director and currently serving as the IBMBA & GHRM MBA Student Association President.

Could you tell me why you decided to apply for an internship?

An internship can educate us on how to work and how to apply what we've learned at school to the real world. Furthermore, having international working experience enhances my resume.

Even though our program does not require us to do an internship, I received a lot of support from the College career consultation program, job postings on our department's Facebook page, and internship insurance, apart from the university's reputation. These are the key reasons I received this internship.

What is the Summer Internship Program for Rising Stars?

CTBC Bank, one of Taiwan's largest private banks, hosts the Rising Star Summer Internship Program. CTBC Bank created this two-month program to expand its services to Southeast Asia. As a result, it’s an international internship program that primarily recruits international students from Southeast Asia.

How was the recruitment process of this internship?

I first discovered this program through the Contact Taiwan Line group, an international recruitment platform run by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of China. At CTBC, there are three rounds to the recruitment process. I have to create an application and record a video for the first round. I made a video by pretending to be a news reporter. However, through the news report, I had to convince CTBC to hire me by letting them know the advantages of hiring me.During the second round, I was interviewed by the HR team. They primarily inquired about my past accomplishments .

Furthermore, because CTBC Bank is LH Bank's major shareholder in Thailand, they asked how Thais perceive LH Bank as an employer. The final round included an interview with the HR manager with whom I was going to work with. She asked further questions about the HR projects I had previously worked on.

How was your internship? , what did you take away from it?

The project that they assigned to me was the best part of this internship. They wanted me to create a report and give a presentation about manpower in Thailand's financial sector. I can combine the research method I learned in GHRM MBA class with my HR knowledge. My boss had given me a freedom by allowing me to work from home and develop the report in detail. However, every week, I had to update my work progress.

This program taught me how to work in a Taiwanese commercial bank. There are three keywords that come to mind for me:

1. Process-oriented:

Working in this role requires the preparation and submission of several documents. Every week, I need to update my work progress and keep track of what I did each day in an Excel file. In addition, when training is provided, interns must describe what they have learned and how they will apply it to their work.

2. Learning & Development

I'm impressed that interns receive training every week. The training mainly focused on how to strengthen our work skills. Even during the graduation ceremony, the LinkedIn Business Lead was invited to share useful tips for interns developing our professional branding.

3. Work-life balance

For full-time employees, there is a fixed work schedule. Their hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They must tap their name card to notify when they enter and leave the office. As a result, individuals can better manage their lives and allocate more time to their personal lives.

Who would be a good fit for this program?

It’s important for applicants to be fluent in Chinese because they communicate mainly in that language. Level A2 in TOCFL is the minimum requirement for this position. Also, if your Chinese level is greater, you will have a better chance of standing out and landing a job here after graduation.

Another thing to consider is that you must demonstrate your skills. Perhaps you can showcase your success through your work or an assignment at the university. The most essential factor is identifying how you can add value to them.

About 2021 Rising Star Summer Internship Program: https://careers.ctbcholding.com/en/recruit-job/Summer_Internship

【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!

《109-2》DIY Mini Sky Lantern Online Tutorial Held On The 29th Of July, 2021

On the 29th of July, 2021, a DIY Mini Sky Lantern Online Tutorial was held with Ms. Fannie Hsiao from the Chinese Language Center. The event started at 15:00, and the materials for making the lantern were provided beforehand with the Lucky July Energy Pack. The event was organized to introduce the indication of lanterns in Chinese society and the event was held ‘online’ as a way to help our students kill their boredom and also get to know more about Chinese holidays during such challenging times.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated in Taiwan to mark the grand finale of the Chinese New Year Celebrations and also symbolizes the coming of the spring season. Through a lively presentation, Ms. Hsiao talked about how the Lantern Festival is celebrated in Taiwan and what it represents. During the Lantern Festival in New Taipei City, colorful and decorative lanterns are flown into the sky. On the lanterns, people write their hopes and wishes for the coming new year. According to Ms. Hsiao, the lanterns are made to convey our wishes and prayers for luck.

During the event, Ms. Hsiao helped the participants to make colorful mini lanterns with her expert guidance. Using the materials provided, the participants didn’t struggle to make their own mini colorful DIY lantern that they could decorate their dorms and apartments with. At the end of the event, Limaonen Longkumer (2nd-year GHRM MBA student) remarked that the online event was a fun and safe way to learn about Taiwanese culture despite the limitations brought about by the pandemic.

GHRM MBA and IBMBA 2021 Graduation Ceremony: A 'Different' Kind Of Graduation For A Very Special Batch

After two years of indelible memories, the curtains fell, and it was time to bid adieu to the GHRM MBA and IBMBA batch of 2021. The graduation ceremony for the GHRM MBA and IBMBA  batch of 2021 was held on the 23rd of July via Zoom from 15:00-16:30. Due to the challenges brought about by the pandemic, for the first time, the graduation ceremony was entirely online. GHRM MBA alumnus Ryan Fernandez moderated the event. 

The ceremony started with a speech from the University Principal Prof. Ying-Yao Cheng. In his remarks, Prof. Cheng admitted that the graduation ceremony wasn't 'ordinary’ and said that he was proud of all the graduates and wished them the very best in their future endeavors. Following the speech by the University’s Principal, a message by the Dean of the College of Management, Prof. San-Yih Hwang, was delivered. In his speech, Prof. Hwang expressed his regret of not being able to meet physically due to the pandemic. He congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to visit NSYSU in the future. 

After that, International Program’s Director Assoc. Prof. Chien-Yuan Sher delivered his message and expressed his happiness for the graduates and wished them the very best for their future. It was then followed by a Speech by Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Thijs Velema. In his speech, Prof. Velema declared that he expected great things from the graduates and congratulated them. Deputy Director Assist. Prof Ho-Ting Wong said it was a privilege to have taught the graduates and wished them good luck for their future. 

Finally, Prof. Shyh-Jer Chen, Assoc. Prof Yih Jeng, Assoc. Prof. Hsiao-Wen Ho, Assoc. Prof. David Andersson, Assoc. Prof. Kim-Choy Chung, Asst. Prof. Jeeyeon Kim, Asst. Prof. Ryan Brading, and Asst. Prof. Francois Bouchetox offered their congratulatory messages and wished the graduates success and prosperity for their future. After that, a candid screenshot was captured to commemorate the event, and the roll call of graduates for the GHRM MBA and IBMBA batch of 2021 was conducted. 

For the year 2021, graduate representative speeches were given by Gary Yuan from IBMBA and Perry Kennedy from GHRM MBA. In his speech, Gary Yuan regretted that they couldn't meet in person but was grateful for the last two years. Gary thanked the professors, office members, and friends for the fantastic two years and wished that they'll revisit NSYSU. Perry Kennedy representing GHRM MBA talked about how time flew by so quickly and reminisced about the lessons learned, friendships, and memories forged in the last two years and wished that everyone will do well here on forth. 

A lucky draw was also conducted, and the winners were offered NSYSU T-Shirts. Finally, a tear-jerking video filled with campus memories from the last two years was presented. After the graduation ceremony, GHRM MBA alumni Michal Ryznar, Grace Kuo, and IBMBA alumni Sandy Chen and Trent Prestegar send their congratulatory messages to the graduates along with invaluable career advice to help them jumpstart their careers. 

The batch of 2021 will go down in GHRM MBA and IBMBA history as the first batch to have an online graduation ceremony. It isn't the 'ordinary' graduation ceremony one would expect, but it shows how 'extraordinary' every one of you is. Despite the hurdles brought about by the pandemic, all of you persevered and crossed the finish line, and graduated. Every journey must come to an end, and we hope the memories you made at NSYSU will last a lifetime. May you all forge ahead and succeed, but we hope you'll always revisit NSYSU. We are proud of all of you, and congratulations once again. 

《109-2 Internship Sharing》HRM must become a HR? Unlock Different Internship Opportunities!

GHRM MBA Student: Mandy Chen

Company: Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd.

The academic Field that one studies doesn't necessarily have to be related to their future career, but it can broaden their horizon. Studying at GHRM MBA enabled me to see HR management of a company or a department in a professional manner when I am at the managerial level. Instead of restricting my career to HR, I would like to try as many career paths as I can in my postgraduate life. Hence, this semester,  I became an intern in the planning department of Taiwan Fu Hsing, one of the top access controller manufacturers in the world.

The business model of Taiwan Fu Hsing is B2B. As a result they are less familiar with end-users. To enhance product and service quality, the company builds a stronger liaison with customers by optimizing the online service channel. Therefore, Stan, a 2nd-year IBMBA student, and I had to launch an online service channel prototype within 3 months. Due to the in-depth training arranged by HR, we knew the line-ups and the sales status of digital locks in the domestic market. To develop the most effective and feasible solution, we conducted comprehensive market research and benchmark to have a clear grasp of the industry’s status quo and market demand.

Inter-departmental communication plays an indispensable role in PM’s daily work, and it is also the most interesting part of the internship. We had several discussions regarding customers’ feedback collection, insurance policy, and brand image with domestic sales, QA, and the design team. PM’s versatility was shown when my mentor discussed the issues with the other teams. Besides mechanical design, my mentor is well-equipped with multimedia tools, website development, and lock installment. In addition to admiration, I also found my own shortcomings. "The more PM understands, the more willing other units will be to cooperate." The advice from my mentor guides me in a new direction.

Through internships, we can discover sides of ourselves that we didn't know before. To be honest, I hesitated to take the internship due to the commuting distance between Gangshan and Gushan, but my mentor and colleagues encouraged me to accept the internship. Thanks to the internship, I learned about one more industry, one small town, a group of warm-hearted supervisors and co-workers, and a new career path, and it was worth riding 150km every week. Regardless of whether we land our career in HR or not, as students, it is worthwhile to explore various internship experiences. We may end up unlocking another unexpected life path.

2021 NSYSU Virtual Graduation Ceremony Held On 19th June

On 19th June 2021, the National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU) graduation ceremony for the batch of 2021 was held. Due to the restrictions of the ongoing pandemic, the ceremony was completely online for the first time in the history of NSYSU.

Ms. Lai Hsiao-Jun and Mr. Ou Yu Shen served as the emcees. The ceremony began with an open address from the President of NSYSU, Dr.Ying-Yao Cheng. In his address, the President talked about the improvements and achievements of NSYSU. He congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to chase their dreams and enjoy the brilliance of their journey. Next, recipient of NSYSU Honorary Doctorate, AIT Director William Brent Christensen, sent his wishes to the graduates through a video. Mr. Christensen acknowledged the limitations brought about by the virus but also noted that the future was bright. He reminded the graduates of the importance of the values of compassion and the moral obligation to help others, especially the most vulnerable among us. Mr. Christensen encouraged the graduates to chase their dreams but to be cognizant of the fact that we all belong to a community and should work to uplift it. He encouraged the graduates to cultivate these qualities and wished them the best for their future.

To encourage the students, the Chairman of NSYSU Alumni Association, Tsu-Kang Lei, also sent his best wishes through a recorded video. Mr. Lei remarked on the strength and prestige of the NSYSU alumni association and wished the graduates success in their career but also reminded them to come back to NSYSU and visit their professors, offer support to the students, and welcome the newcomers to the NSYSU family. After that, Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Po-Chaio Lin recommended the graduates to the President. For the year 2021, there were 1220 graduates of Bachelor's Degree, 1795 graduates of Master's Degree, and 134 graduates of Doctoral Degree.

After that, the graduate representatives presented their speeches. First, Ms. Kong Shan (Hkawn San), a graduate of GHRM MBA, from Myanmar presented her speech. She began by thanking the NSYSU commencement organizing team for their tireless work in finding a special way to celebrate graduation in the midst of a pandemic. She talked about three things that she learned during her time at NSYSU; overcoming challenges, the secret of happiness, and the secret of greatness. Being from a beautiful country like Myanmar that is also marked by various challenges, the pursuit of studying abroad led her to Taiwan. However, this wasn’t without challenges. Being exposed to an all-English program in an education system that was more advanced than her country, she was filled with self-doubt. However, with the help and guidance from her friends and professors, she overcame these challenges and made invaluable memories at NSYSU.

At NSYSU, Ms. Kong Shan also learned the secret recipe for joy. She recalled one professor who was one of the busiest people yet one of the most joyful Ms. Shan ever met. The professor taught her that by counting the gratitude and acknowledging the goodness in her life, the professor found the strength to overcome challenges and move forward. She also talked about how she met one student who worked very hard not just for himself but also to uplift the underprivileged children in his hometown of Jiayi. As a final remark, Ms. Kong Shan hoped that the graduates of 2021 would act beyond themselves but also for others, particularly the most disadvantaged of society.

Following the inspirational speech from Ms. Kong Shan, domestic students Mr. Hsu-Hsuan Wang and Mr. Tzu-Sheng Lin from the Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering addressed the graduates. After their inspirational speech, they also presented a graduate song, "Used To Be." Next, the graduate representatives from various departments for receiving the diplomas were presented. For the year 2021, Mr. Gary Yuan and Mr. Limaonen Longkumer were the representatives for IBMBA and GHRM MBA, respectively. Finally, the emcees wished the graduates the best but also encouraged them to often visit NSYSU.

Congratulations! Graduates of 2021. May you succeed in whatever field you choose to foray into.

《109-2 SA Event》The Virtual International Lounge - Distance makes our heart grow fonder

11th June 2021, the Student Association of International Programs (SA) held the "International Lounge" activity. It is an important event every semester that is mainly for introducing the election candidates' teams for the following student association. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event can’t be held like every other year, but that didn't stop the SA from running this event. Where there is a will, there is a way. The SA holds it virtually by Google Meet, which empowers the chance to let our program's students know more about the candidates and realize which team is the most appropriate for the position.

The event started at 8 pm and began with a speech from the 7th SA president, Lim Yin Hui (Rossie), briefing the Term-end report and summarizing the events that have been conducted for the spring semester. Overall, they have organized 8 SA events in various types, such as Lantern Festival Activity, Photo Contest-Living in harmony with Nature, Language Exchange, Gathering with Faculties, Black Valentines Party, Resume and Interview Workshop, International Lounge, and finally the Election, and assisted 4 events for the College of Management, in total with 12 events during their term. Rossie thanked everyone for always supporting them throughout the semester and cherished the chance to be allowed to serve them. She was highly thankful for the efforts of vice presidents Sam Lee and Erica Liu. It would have been impossible to take on so many responsibilities and tasks without them.

Afterward, all of the 3 SA candidates' teams for the upcoming SA election presented their mission, future plan, and campaign promises. The first team was Team 3_M.T.M, with the slogan "Let's Make iT Marvelous" composed of Tomas Kejha (1st-year GHRM MBA student) running for president, Melody Hsueh (1st-year IBMBA student), and Michal Poláček(1st-year GHRM MBA student) running for vice presidents. If elected, they wish to become the bridge between students and faculty and help the students to improve expertise through the workshops. Some highlights of their plans include Sports Day Gathering & Buffet, Thanksgiving Day with turkey fight, Christmas Ball, and many more.

Team 1_We Hear You includes Reianthong Vongsangkam (Purm) (1st-year GHRM MBA student) for the post of president, Jonathan Yu (1st-year IBMBA student), and Cao Huynh Hong Phan(Rosie) (1st-year GHRM MBA student) for the post of vice presidents. If elected as the next SA team, they want to focus more on the academic parts. Their vision is to build an inclusive community, let students bring out their fullest potential, fulfill their university life's goals through social activities, Career Development, improve operational management, such as complete thesis, and earn more incentives and experience through the jobs. Lastly, Team 2_Y.S.J. with the slogan "make your MBA life valuable" consisting of Yvonne Liu (1st-year IBMBA student) serving as president, Sarka Horáková (1st-year GHRM MBA student) and Jennifer Chiang (1st-year IBMBA student) serving as vice presidents. If they are elected, they want to focus on building the network and the structure of students' future through academic programs and fun activities such as MBA High Table Gathering, Career Fair & Ph.D. Advising Workshop, Educational Virtual Conference, Abroad Study Advising, International Students Support, BBQ night, and social activities.

The International Lounge has been an avenue to gather 41 students of IBMBA, GHRM MBA, dual degree students virtually under the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many passionate and talented students would like to serve and help other students to gain better experience during their MBA life and promote the International Programs (IBMBA and GHRM MBA) with their creative and innovative ideas. This event was not only a great way to keep the relationships close between students and hear the students' voices, but also provides the ambitious students to leap at the chance for promoting their thoughts for the positions of the Student Association, which would make the program better.

《109-2》The Werewolves Of Miller’s Hollow: Having Fun While Maintaining Social Distance

As all of you probably know, Kaohsiung's ongoing pandemic and level-3 alert has brought most activities to a standstill. Yet, despite the challenges, NSYSU students still found a way to curb the boredom from isolation through a fun Friday night playing Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow. The event was held on the 18th of June at 7 pm by GHRM MBA alumnus Graham Dart.

In the game, some participants are assigned as werewolves, and there's also a healer who can protect other participants and a seer who can guess who the werewolves are. The game's goal is for ordinary people to figure out who the werewolves before they eat everyone else. Eight students from various departments participated in the online fun. During the first round, Ysanne Chen, IBMBA 1st year student, tactfully manipulated everyone and won the game as the werewolf. However, the participants wanted to have some more fun and enjoyed another game round of werewolves. Throughout the event, Mr. Dart narrated different scenarios making the game even more immersive and wholesome.

The night was full of laughter as the participants talked about their strategies to pinpoint the werewolves. In the end, the participants got to have some fun and also got to know each other despite the challenging times. Aurora Elsa, GHRM MBA 2nd year student, remarked that she had a lot of fun and hoped that more such events would be organized in the near future.

《109-2 SA Event》International Lounge Held on 11th June 2021: Team 'We Hear You' Emerges Victorious

On 11th June 2021, a virtual international lounge was organized to select the 8th Student Association Of International Programs. The event started at 8 pm, and the three competing teams presented their ideas for the upcoming semester.

The first team, team 'We Hear You,' consisted of Reianthong Vongseangkam (1st-year GHRM MBA) as the nominee for the post of President, Cao Huynh Hong Phan (1st-year GHRM MBA), and Yu Tzu Ching (1st-year IBMBA) as the vice president nominees. Their agenda included a vast list of 'Social Activity,' 'Career Development, and 'SA operation transformation' activities.

The second team consisted of Yvonne (1st-year IBMBA) as the presidential nominee and Sarka (1st-year GHRM MBA), and Jennifer (1st-year IBMBA) as the nominees for the post of vice presidents. They wanted to organize a 'real MBA life' for the students. Their proposed activities included 'MBA high table gathering,' 'career fair and PhPh.D.dvising workshop', 'educational virtual conference,' and 'abroad study advising,' among others.

Team 3 included Tomas Kejha (1st-year GHRM MBA) for the post of president, and Melody Hsueh (1st-year IBMBA), and Michael Polacek (1st-year GHRM MBA) for the position of vice presidents. Their proposals included 'sports day gathering and buffet,' 'ice braking trip', 'Halloween party (yacht party)' among others.  A lucky draw was conducted at the end of the event, and 15 participants received 100 dollar food panda vouchers.

After the campaigning period was over, the results were declared online by the outgoing president Rossie on 16th June 2021. Team ‘We Hear You’ consisting of Reianthong Vongseangkam, Cao Huynh Hong, and Yu Tzu Ching were declared as the 8th Student Association of International Programs. GHRM MBA and IBMBA look forward to the new team and their initiatives.

《109-2》DIY Fragrant Sachet Online Tutorial Held On 16th June: Celebrating Dragon Boat Festival The Online Way

Dragon Boat is one of the major festivals in Taiwan, and it's celebrated on 14th June every year. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, NSYSU couldn't celebrate the occasion like every other year, but that didn't stop the Student Association of International Programs from commemorating the event. On 16th June, a 'DIY Fragrant Sachet Online Tutorial' was held with Ms. Yufen Hsiao from the Chinese Language Center.

The event lasted from 4:00-5:30 PM. It started with a brief introduction to the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival. Ms.Hsiao also talked about what people do during the Dragon Boat festival, such as eating dumplings, egg balancing, watching the Dragon Boat, and making fragrant sachets. She also talked about the different types of dumplings and how different countries put different ingredients into the dumplings. The online event was attended by about ten students. The materials required to make the fragrant sachet were supplied beforehand with the energy pack.

Finally, the DIY fragrant sachet tutorial started. Initially, as most of the participants had never done it before, there were some difficulties. However, despite that, they were able to make their own sachets thanks to the instructions of Ms. Hsiao. In the end, a screenshot was also taken to commemorate the event. Limaonen, a 2nd-year GHRM MBA student who attended the online event, found it exciting and remarked that it was a great way to celebrate the festival despite the limitations brought about by the pandemic.

《109-2 SA Event》Language exchange in Spring 2021 –The Friendship Bridge

The Language Exchange is an annual activity which is provided by the Student Association(SA) of the International Programs. Its purpose is to connect individuals who want to practice and improve their English and Mandarin speaking skills. This Spring semester, this program attracted more than 30 participants who are from different countries and various departments of the National Sun Yat-sen University.

On March 15th, 2021, the SA conducted a “Gathering Time” for participants to meet each other and introduce themselves to all language exchange partners. After that, partakers were informed about Language Exchange guidelines and the benefits of joining it during the session. Besides, some students who took part in the program last semester participated in this program again and shared their experience to the new members.

The SA member introduced the guidelines of the language exchange program to the participants

Lima Longkumer, a second year GHRM MBA student from India said: “It’s a valuable chance for me to improve my Mandarin conversation skills. I can learn everyday terms and phrases in Mandarin with local friends”. Rosie Cao, a first year GHRM MBA student from Vietnam, stated that whenever she and her partner met, they shared their cultures with others, which helped them appreciate the differences and similarities between Taiwanese and Vietnamese cultures.

2nd year GHRM MBA student, Lima Longkumer, shared his experience to the fellow students

As a newbie of the program, Demi Wen, a Taiwanese IBMBA first year student, expected to build social networks through friendly interactions. “Besides improving my English skills, I would like to learn an additional language and know about their culture as preparation for studying abroad next year’’.

Following the “Gathering Time”, each group began their weekly meetings with various themes. They could proactively decide the location, time, and topics on their own. However, due to the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic development, all activities are impacted, and the Language Exchange is no exception. Partakers were recommended to use virtual platforms to exchange language instead of real interactions, such as Google Meet, Messenger, or Microsoft Teams.

Santosh Sharma, an Indian student from College of Science, shared “Yes, the pandemic is a difficult time for all of us, but we still can find other interests anyway. My partner and I use LINE to communicate with each other more frequently. We don’t talk only once a week any longer, and sometimes I message him every day to update news and our daily lives. When we chat, we use a lot of cute emojis. I feel like we are brothers in a family”

The Student Association continuously strives to organize activities that are not only entertaining but also educational. We are overjoyed at the overwhelmingly positive response during this term. In the future, the student association of the International programs plans to broaden the exchange by adding other languages and making it a platform for cultural interaction to make our learning environment and the campus more lively and internationally.

GHRM MBA Alumna And Former SA President Hkawn San Shares Her Job Search Experience In Taiwan

GHRM MBA is proud that our alumni are working in prestigious companies all across the globe. Today, we share the story of our prestigious alumna Hkawn San (Joy), from the beautiful country of Myanmar. Joy is currently working in the International Marketing department for the company SYNBIO TECH.

SYNBIO TECH is located in Kaohsiung Science Park and specializes in manufacturing and researching probiotics and distributing their products worldwide. Joy is passionate about health and wellness, which motivated her to apply for this company. However, Joy didn't land this job through luck but through her perseverance and hard work. She opened an account on the 104 portal, and after she sent her CV, SYNBIO TECH contacted her and requested her to do a presentation on industry and market trend analysis, followed by an in-person interview. When she started looking for employment opportunities, she sent her CV to nearly 50 companies and went for interviews with a wide range of companies ranging from small businesses to huge corporations and even the largest bank in Taiwan.

As for the challenges of finding employment in Taiwan as an international student, Joy says that she faced two hurdles; the first was the language problems as most companies in Taiwan predominantly conduct written tests and interviews in Chinese. The second is decision making says, Joy. As many companies offer various advantages and perks, it can be difficult to choose which company to choose. Through her job searching experience, Joy received invaluable advice from professors and her mentors, which helped her immensely which she shares with us:

“First, does the job Role excites you? If this kind of Role you imagine yourself loving and performing in the next 3-5 years. And will there be other companies needing this Role, ie, can you find a similar role in other companies. First on the Role. Then on the Industry - industry you are passionate about and why”

Additionally, Joy advises students to make good use of the resources that GHRM MBA offers, research the industry that you want to work for, reach out to people who have more expertise, and lastly to believe that everything will turn outright. From her student life in Taiwan to landing her Job, Joy only has immense gratitude for the GHRM MBA office, for her professors and friends that helped her every step of the way. Joy shares:

“All the credits go to GHRM and IBMBA family (professors, faculty members, and friends), and I will be forever grateful to them. The office and the people here really concern about their students. The International office arrange career consulting session, the consultant looked at my CV and provided very insightful suggestions on how to reorganize my CV so that it stands out.”

Joy is particularly thankful for her wonderful friends who went out of their way to help her:

“Moreover, so many friends from the program helped me during my job hunting, providing psychological support and many other job-hunting related Support. One friend from the program helping me translate my CV into Chinese. Another friend was like “Joy, lets practice interview in Chinese”, so he taught me how to answer interview questions in Chinese. And for every interview that I went, this friend helped me check the company’s reputation on online forum. And I cried (tears of joy) because I was overwhelmed by all their kindness.”

Joy loved her time at NSYSU and misses it immensely. Joy says, “NSYSU loves me, and I love NSYSU too( I am a bit cheesy, but it's ok, haha).GHRM is more than an educational program; it is a family to me. I hope that I will be able to contribute back to the program and to the school that has done so much for me.”

Congratulations, Joy, for your success, and GHRM MBA is confident that you'll only achieve more greatness.

《109-2_GHRM591》Guest Lecture - Ørsted Taiwan Ltd.

Chih-Chen, Lin

On 14th May 2021, Dr. Ryan Brading invited Mr. Lin Chih-Chen, the Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Ørsted, Taiwan – to be the guest speaker for the students attending the courses: ‘Sustainability of Global Enterprise’, ‘Entrepreneurship Management and Practice’, and ‘Productions and Operations Management‘. 

The topic of this lecture was Sustainable Energy, which is produced with wind turbines by this company. Ørsted is a global leader in offshore wind power plants.   This Danish energy sustainable company selected Taiwan as their base for the Asia Pacific. So far, they have completed a very successful project named  Formosa I, which is located in Miaoli County.    Currently, they are working on a huge project in Changhua County. 

Mr. Lin introduced their vision as a sustainable company, and hence their ambitions in  changing the global market with electricity. He also described the entire process and technology in manufacturing wind turbine towers. Students were asking about the foundations of the turbine wind towers.  Mr., Lin explained that Taiwan’s coastal seabed has a lot of mud sediments transported by rivers from the Mountains.  For this reason, they have to put a lot of rocks around the seabed where the tower is located. These rocks eventually become artificial coral reefs, which contributes towards the gradual improvement of Taiwan’s marine life.

The second part of the lecture was brainstorming. Mr., Lin asked students to think about how  Ørsted could plan effective CSR  strategies in townships, which are on Taiwan's coast, as this Danish company is planning to build offshore wind turbine towers near these towns.  Students were divided into three groups, and had  20 minutes to come up with some strategies. Each group presented their innovative ideas.  Mr. Lin expressed his views and appreciated their fresh ideas. 

We thanked Mr. Lin for his time to come all the way to NSYSU and give us a valuable lecture. 

《109-2_GHRM651》What I wish I knew when I first started my career - Korn Ferry Peter Yuan

On 3rd of May 2021 (Mon), Peter Yuan, a Senior Client Partner with Korn Ferry, was invited by Professor Chung Kim-Choy to give a speech with the topic of "What I wish I knew when I first started my career" at the College of Management, NSYSU. The main attendances of this speech are students from IBMBA and GHRM MBA department who take the courses of Business Strategy, Customer Relationship Management, and Strategic Business. Peter has many leadership experiences in the telecom, wireless, internet, software and consulting industries both in the US and China.

During the Speech, Peter used his career life and professional experience as an example to offer advices to students in their future career development. Peter applied the Learning Agility Model and his own experience to explain what should be done at different stages in career lives. Learning Agility Model is the main tools that Korn Ferry would adopt to distinguish whether the interviewees are talented according to five factors, including Mental, People, Self-Awareness, Results and Change. The five factors could be developed at different stages in lives, and Peter shared what ability should be focused at each moment.

Early year- Mental Agility:

During the first few years of one's career, Peter encouraged students to be curious about everything, and expose themselves to diverse countries, culture, language, which could help to expand their global perspective and improve communication skills. Moreover, Peter also mentioned, students should also be goal-oriented when they are at this level. These suggestions would enable students to build confidence which would benefit their future career development.

First 10 year - Self-Awareness Agility:

While students are at their first 10 years in career lives, students should Be self-reflective and honest about their weaknesses and strengths, which would help to confirm career directions. At this stage, People should know what their career plan is and what abilities they should improve since there are plenty of choices needed to be made at this level. Students have to know whether to take or scarify the opportunities.

Next 10 year - People Agility

At next 10 years in career lives, students would begin to focus on relationship development. Students need to understand others, enjoy helping others succeed and build long-term relationships. Peter suggested every student to build up their network even when they are still a student because it takes time to structure the completed networks. Meanwhile, Peter recommended every student to create a LinkedIn account and try to connect with others as early as possible because Linkedln is the most common tool for many headhunters to find suitable candidates.

Past 10 years- Results Agility

In the past 10 years, Peter suggested students to be flexible and adaptable. Peter shared people should never stop learning and improving themselves. When people is at this level, they should always look to the future, and get prepared for the opportunities since many challenges would occur especially at this level.

Into the future- Change Agility

When people are at this level, they need to understand the impact of change, manage it, and always have a purpose and mission in mind. There would be many difficulties waiting in the future, but people should not be afraid of making changes because life is about making a choice and difference. Peter encouraged student to improve themselves since The continuous improvement would make you better yourself.

Other than the Learning Agility Model, Peter also shared some tips about how to find a suitable job in the beginning: 1) Pick up the top10 companies and design different resumes according to their cultures and let them know your passion. 2) Do not waste time on things you are not interested in; find quality time and quality people. 3) Not to be afraid of finding people who are more brilliant than you because you will learn from them.

Roxana, an IBMBA student from Spain, asked Peter, "Is there any suggestion offered to foreigners who want to adopt the working culture in Asia?” Peter replied every company has different cultures, and Taiwan is a boss-oriented working culture. Thus, it’s important for the foreign students to make their native languages as the most significant strength and keep learning Chinese. The language proficiency of every foreign students should be designed as one of the most eye-catching advantages in the resume. The other French student raised another question about "Where is the opportunity in the world?" Peter shared his previous work experience in China, and thought there are still many opportunities there now because China would be the biggest market in the future.

Lastly, Peter concluded the speech by offering another suggestion to students: “As an employee, we should know what value we could provide to the company and never stop learning to grab every chance.” Students learned plenty of useful advices from Peter’s speech and would have a clear picture about how to plan their career lives. Another appreciation goes to Prof. Chung who arranged this guest lecture.

《109-2_GHRM591》Guest Lecture - H@l Architecture Research and Design

Tomasz Sniedziewski and Huang, Kuang Chung

On 30th April 2021, Dr. Ryan Brading invited our alumni IBMBA Mr. Tomasz Sniedziewski, as well as his business partner/architect Huang, Kuang-Chung – to share their experiences, strategies, successes, and current challenges – with the students attending the courses: ‘Sustainability of Global Enterprise’, ‘Entrepreneurship Management and Practice’, and ‘Productions and Operations Management’. This lecture described how architecture urbanism research and design is directly connected with key innovation and sustainability issues, which were to some degree analyzed and discussed during the syllabuses of the three courses. For example, how they designed traffic and sidewalk routes in order to promote the tourism industry in Kenting without affecting the environment.

The lecture was divided into three sections. Firstly, they introduced some of the projects they have completed by emphasizing how they successfully managed these projects. This was followed by a Q&A session. Students had many interesting questions. For example, they asked what the new modern attitudes in architecture are; what are the new sustainable materials in the construction industry; and what type of competition an architectural business has to deal with in this market. These diverse questions came from students from different courses. From Architect Huang and Mr. Sniedziewski’s experience and knowledge, students had this unique opportunity to learn new ways of analyzing in real life how sustainability projects, operational practices and entrepreneurial strategies take place.

In the last section, students were divided into three groups. The guest speakers asked the groups to brainstorm how they would solve an urban project in Hyderabad, India. This project consisted of creating new recreational spaces around the river of this city. As part of their plans, groups considered key issues such as religion practices, weather conditions and physical surroundings.

These groups came out with many interesting ideas. Architect Huang and Mr. Sniedziewski showed a lot of conviction and work ethics during this lecture. Students showed that they enjoyed this opportunity very much because it was very practical and unusual. 

《109-2_GHRM509》Dr. Qurie Kim From Yonsei University Delivers Lecture On “Experimental Studies And The Effects Of Narrative Advertising”

On the 27th of April, 2021, Dr. Qurie Kim (Yonsei University) delivered a lecture on the topic “Experimental Studies And The Effects Of Narrative Advertising” for the students of the Research Methodology course. 

Dr. Kim has vast research experience in the film industry. Dr. Kim emphasized the importance of research by asking the attendees how often and why people use Foodpanda before/during/after the pandemic. Additionally, she talked about the different types of research, how to conduct a successful experimental study in social science, etc. To reduce errors and research costs, she recommended students do a pretest before proceeding with experiments. 

Dr. Kim used the paper “Self-Referencing and Persuasion: Narrative Transportation versus Analytical Elaboration” (Escalas, 2007) to make it easier for the students to understand how to experiment. This analysis aims to determine the effects of narrative transportation that the viewer experiences in film previews of Over-The-Top media services. Attendees learned more about the context hypotheses used in various studies, the intent of various studies, and real experiments by viewing film trailers with or without describing text. Dr.Qurie Kim concluded her speech by emphasizing the importance of ethics in conducting science, especially in experiments involving humans and animals. 

Finally, Professor Jeeyeon Kim and all students from Research Methodology thanked Dr.Qurie Kim for her wonderful lecture, which equipped the students with valuable knowledge to write quality theses. 

《109-2_SA Event》Time to look back: Black Valentines Party

14th of April 2021, Black Valentine's Day is an unofficial holiday. Singles in South Korea originally observed it. On this day, singles who haven't received gifts from significant others on Valentine's Day and White Day (on the 14th of March) will gather together to 'commiserate' with each other. They will be wearing black color and having black-colored food, especially ‘jjajangmyeon’(noodles in blackbean sauce). However, the Student Association (SA) of the International Programs believes that Happy Valentine's Day is not just for couples, but to celebrate love in all forms. SA would like to remind us how much we love our friends, family, teachers, and other people around us, realize how important it is to seize the day.

To share the love and bond up the relationship among students, SA held the "Black Valentine's Party" on that day at the College of Management, NSYSU. This event attracted several students from IBMBA, GHRM MBA, and other students from the College of Management, NSYSU, with various activities and savored delicious foods, snacks, and drinks.

The night party started with the game "Guess the word by emoji!". Participants need to guess the correct answers after watching pictures of emojis with different topics to win this game. There are four categories, and each participant will have 10 seconds/ per picture to make a guess. One point for one correct answer, and the winners will be two people who get the highest scores. All students were excited to join this game, some answers were wrong, but most of them were correct. Finally, "Guess the word by emoji!" successfully ended with the champion from IBMBA 1st year student, Melody Xue, who got 11 correct answers.

The second game was "Flip Cup Tic Tac Toe". Participants have to use one finger of one hand to try to flip their cup over, so the cup lands on its open end. When it lands properly (open end down) on the table, then place it on the board quickly in a square to help advance their team in tic tac toe. Their teammate will help them to finish the game. All the attendees were divided into four teams competing to find the prizewinner.  Despite the difficulty of balancing the cup, we finally found the champion team of the game, which form by Lisa Chang (1st-year IBMBA), Stan Tsai (2nd-year IBMBA), and James Tseng(1st-year GHRM MBA).

At the end of the party, the "Ping Tac Toe'' required a range of movement. The player must bounce ping-pong balls into a grid of glasses to get a 3 in a row during the game. They also must alternate the color of the ping-pong ball thrown after a ball lands in cups. Once and for all, the night with lots of memorable moments ended with the victories from 2 teams, which are Team_ La Hanh Phuong (1st-year IBMBA) and Cao Huynh Hong Phan (1st-year GHRM MBA); and Team_ Andrey Tukmachev(2nd-year IBMBA), Reianthong Vongseanglam (1st-year GHRM MBA), and Ivan Wang. Last but not least, Sharon Huang from 1st year IBMBA bagged the prize for bones round after competing with the SA president.

Although because of the pandemic, we should keep social distance and some of us can’t get together with their love ones, today's event had made every participant put those longing aside, enjoy the heartwarming and funny memories, and make a fantastic night.

《109-2_GHRM522》Michael Lin Delivers Lecture On ‘Business Communication’

On the 20th of April 2021, Michael Lin, the vice president of Nutrition Life and general manager of Yu Yan Tang, served as a guest lecture for the Business Communication course offered by Professor Francois Bouchetox. He provided essential business communication tips and advice to the students to help them stand out in the hyper-competitive marketplace. 

Mr. Lin has vast working experience; before returning to Taiwan in 2021, he owned a toy business in the United States. Currently, he possesses four business partnerships in four different fields. First is a second-hand car business, and he mentioned that his good command of English helped him communicate with suppliers from the United States. Mr. Lin also noted that contracts are also a means of communication and advised the students to write down all the conditions, or one might end up losing their rights. 

His second business is the diatomaceous earth he had in 2014. He pointed out sometimes money plays a vital role in communication. Mr. Lin took an example of while he wanted to get the Disney licensing on his diatomaceous earth mat, they looked down on him because it was just a new business with less capital. The third business is the Guilu Erxian Gao and antlers; he emphasized how important communication is while importing the materials and doing business face-to-face. Lastly is the nutrition supplement business sold in Taiwan, China, United States, and Vietnam.

Mr. Lin also recalled his experiences of bad communication using bad words. He expressed that it isn't appropriate to do so but noted that, at times, it could be effective. He also talked about the business culture in China and said that drinking and having dinner is a form of communication in China. He also mentioned that, at times, the better the restaurant, the better the business result would be. At the end of the lecture, Mr. Lin advised the students to hang out and meet more people as friends will always give a helping hand when in need. The guest lecture was very fruitful as the students learned an indispensable lesson on effective business communication.

Gathering with Faculty-Picnicking at the Hamasen Railway Cultural

To forge a strong bond among students and faculties in IBMBA and GHRM MBA programs, the Student Association (SA) held “Gathering with Faculty” on the 10th of April 2021 at the Hamasen Railway Cultural Park. Due to the pandemic situation, the SA held the gathering outdoors with light lunch and a variety of activities to pull off unforgettable moments.

The gathering time began with a speech from Professor Frank Wong, the deputy director of the International programs. He thanked the SA for holding this great and creative event at Hamasen Railway Cultural Park and encouraged the students to participate in the future events held by the SA and the international programs office.

During the gathering, there were three games, including Bingo, catchphrase and untie the knots. The Bingo game required participants to answer some questions and find other members to sign on if they had the same answer. The winner is the one who marks the selected answers with tiles in the shortest time. From IBMBA, GHRM MBA students to the professor, all attendees were excited to take part in this game, they ran around to ask their friends’ signatures and tried their best to become the winners. Finally, the Bingo ended with the victory of five students – James Tseng, Reianthong Vongsangkam and Michal Polacek (the first-year GHRM MBA students), Elsa  (the second-year GHRM MBA student), Bruce Lin (the second-year IBMBA student)

The second game – catchphrase. All participants were divided into four teams (A, B, C, and D), three members per team with each question category. Each team would nominate one member to explain the target word out loud and let other members understand and guess the right word. The trick is, that person can’t say the word (or any variant of the word) or that team loses the round. The winner of the catchphrase was team C – Demi Wen (the first-year IBMBA student), James Tseng, and Michal Polacek (the first-year GHRM MBA students).

The last game was “untie the knots” - Starting in a circle, participants connect hands with two others people within the group to form the human knot. As a team, they must then attempt to unravel the “human knot” by untangling themselves without breaking the chain of hands. There were two teams in this game, and the first team was super-fast when finishing the game within 20 seconds and helped another team to untie the knots. Through this game, Rossie Lim – SA president shared a meaningful message. In our life, there are many “knots” – challenges that we have to go through. We can overcome some knots by ourselves, some we can’t, but we still have friends and family standing by our sides, so do not hesitate to ask them for help and help others when they need it.

In the end, International programs wished all students and faculties with a decent time at NSYSU and presented each participant with a cute gift. In the near future, the SA will hold many other events to create intimate time for both students, faculty, and staff in IBMBA and GHRM MBA programs.