《110-2_GHRM591》The Online Field Trip of Hopax

On 16th May 2022, the classes of Dr. Ryan Brading joined together for an online meeting, where the employees of HOPAX, a Taiwanese paper making chemicals manufacturer, delivered a guest lecture. Since the students came from Productions & Operations Management and Sustainability classes, the main purpose and topic of the lecture were working culture and working conditions in HOPAX and similar companies of its size, as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR).

In the introduction, students got a clear picture of the size and organizational system of HOPAX - they have 3 production sites; however, none of them is in Taiwan. Two sites are located in China and one is in Indonesia. Globally, they employ around 1,000 people, out of which 490 people work in Kaohsiung. The sales office is located in Taipei.

A big part of every modern company is its focus on SDGs as part of the sustainability plan that is being adopted not only by companies but entire countries and unions. The primary focus of HOPAX is on the environment - they recycle and reuse many materials and waste, and use water efficiently. Their goal is also to reduce air pollution; last year, they managed to reduce their footprint by 35.9%, same goes to waste recycling and management (electricity use reduction). Some technologies in their production were mentioned, such as wastewater treatment & VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) system, as well as flameproof and explosion-proof equipment. They also emphasized on their care about people and proper human resources.

The attention to previously mentioned CSR is significant - HOPAX focuses on CSR greatly because their goal is to be a responsible corporation for society. They are building their strategy on a three-values system model - focus and care (for Earth, society, and each other), innovation, and knowledge sharing. Their society-oriented activities are highly recognized - they often organize activities for children and the elderly. They cooperate with charities and care for animals and local communities. Moreover, they focus on USR (University Social Responsibility) as well and combine it with CSR.

Students enjoyed and appreciated the guest speakers and the lecture greatly. Despite being a chemistry-oriented company, it was very interesting and beneficial to hear about how the company manages processes and procedures. The team shared and answered all the questions. One of our students, Sarka Horakova said “ It was, indeed, an interesting sharing about the chemical industry, which is quite distant from our field, yet related to our courses since there are still management & sustainability relations. The experience of the foreign workers (ex-students) was eye-opening and proved what students should know: Taiwan is a hard place to find a job if you are not an engineer/IT. However, if you set your goal, you can accomplish anything, just like our alumni Jetsin and his focus on sales jobs.

《110-2 Program Event》‘Career Networking event’, June 12th, 2022

On June 12th, 2022, the SA, School of Management, conducted the highly anticipated Career Networking Event for the students of GHRM MBA and IBMBA. The event was organized in a talk-show manner with 5 guest speakers that covered a wide range of topics including Marketing, Branding, working in Taiwan, and so on.

The first speaker for the session Dr. Florian Fuhl, CEO/Chairman of the Board at BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group in Taiwan talked about “Marketing Strategy: How to Sell a Product If There Is No Market?”. Dr. Fuhl is an expert in his field and he shared some of the challenges of introducing products in a new market. He shared the importance of conducting a landscape analysis to understand consumer behavior, distribution channels, etc when entering a foreign market. He shared his experience of introducing the Bosch Dishwasher in the Taiwanese market which initially didn’t have a demand for it. However, the company used its marketing strategy to educate the consumers and make them aware of the benefits of the product and simultaneously designed its campaign with the slogan “Your family deserves your time, your dirty dishes don’t” to change the perceptions of the consumers.  He further shared the challenges of being a CEO, especially in a multicultural environment, and encouraged students to be open to new experiences and cultures.

Gogoro is becoming an increasingly popular brand in Taiwan and therefore it was an honor to have Mr. Kirk James, Chief Brand Officer at Gogoro Inc., talk about “Branding Power and Its Importance on the Market”. “Brand connects dots, Brand creates values, and Brand Drives Change”, shared Mr. Kirk. He emphasized that the brand has the ability to transform the way we use energy and to encourage change on a personal level. Companies, therefore, need to look at problems and identify the unique opportunity to then create a brand strategy based on it. Mr Kirk shared the importance of using technology and innovation to affect change in consumer behavior which can affect the environment. Brand should affect all aspects of the consumer experience and he illustrated how Gogoro has been successful at doing so, with its motto of “Smarter Vehicles-Smarter Energy”.

After a short lunch break, the session resumed with Ms. Saiana Andreeva, Sales Manager at GIGABYTE and GHRM MBA 105 Alumnus who shared her experience of working in Taiwan. She shared tips to find jobs in Taiwan for foreigners, like using online platforms like 104.com.tw or 1111.com.tw and focusing on improving Chinese language skills to have more opportunities. Some of the problems that she had to face while looking for a perfect job in Taiwan were mostly related to language barriers and cultural differences. However, she still chose to stay in Taiwan to work as there are also multiple benefits of working here. The strong labor laws, international experience, friendly working environment, and monetary bonuses are some of the reasons why foreigners would prefer working in Taiwan. Moreover, to have a fruitful working experience one can focus on developing certain skills like being adaptable and flexible to the culture of the country and showing perseverance in their ideas and opinions.

The fourth speaker, Mr. Trent Prestegar, Product Marketing Manager at Supermicro Inc. and IBMBA 99 Alumnus, gave the students an insight into the workings of a ROC Employment Gold Card and how one can get it. The Gold card is designed to attract foreign talent to work in Taiwan that offers multiple benefits to its holder including permanent residency and an open work permit. As it is highly desired, the Gold card has certain basic requirements that seekers must meet, such as having a salary over NT$160K and being an expert in a particular field. Mr. Trent highlighted that applicants should provide all relevant documentation and to have a faster application process, they should apply while in Taiwan.

The final speaker of the session, Jan Šťáva, Product Quality and Reliability Engineer at STMicro electronics and GHRM MBA 106 Alumnus, joined virtually and shared valuable insight into the Job position of Quality & Reliability and provided some tips for Job Seeking in Taiwan. Quality engineer positions and job roles can differ based on each company or location; however, the key idea is to uphold and keep a check on the product or service quality. Mr. Jan shared some tips that generally applicants overlook such as including all the language abilities irrespective of the popularity of the language or level. Similarly, mentioning the relevant soft and hard skills for the job is also beneficial. He also encouraged students to not get discouraged by the job requirements and apply anyway. Getting to know the company before applying and applying for jobs that are not published on the portals yet is also a good idea to be an early applicant.

The speakers answered the questions posted by students and the session was concluded. The Career networking event was a success and we hope the students got an excellent opportunity to interact with and listen to experts from diverse fields.

<110-2 SA> 2022 Online Graduation Ceremony

Written by Jan Souřezný

On Thursday, May 26, the Student Association of International Programs at NSYSU organized a graduation ceremony for students who are graduating from IBMBA and GHRM MBA programs in 2022, which, given the current COVID-19 situation, had to be moved to the online meeting via Zoom. The event lasted for one hour and all 58 graduates with their families, as well as numerous faculty members were invited to join this meeting.

Dean Yeh’s blessing for the graduates

The ceremony had been opened by a speech delivered by dean Yeh, who praised the graduates for all their hard work and effort and wished them lots of achievements in their careers. Blessings from other professors followed - along with the program director Chien-Yuan Sher and deputy director Jeeyeon Kim, we also heard nice words from professors Mia Ho, Francois Bouchetoux, Ryan Brading, and Wil Martens. Everyone has had nothing but good experiences with our graduates and wishes them a successful and fruitful future.

Faculty members give blessings to the graduates

Students were also very satisfied with the program and in their representative speech for all students of the College of Management, IBMBA student Yvonne Liu from Taiwan and GHRM MBA student Michal Poláček from the Czech Republic used the opportunity to thank all the professors, faculty members, and classmates for two unforgettable years of their lives.

Graduates' representative speech by Yvonne Liu and Michal Poláček

The event was finished with the graduates' roll call in both Chinese and English, followed by a photo slideshow - a little surprise made by the SA team. The video showed many photos which brought back old memories and it was a little challenging to hold back the emotions when watching it. Before we said goodbye, the graduates were given a small gift as a thank you for studying and contributing to NSYSU.

Slideshow for the graduates

Even though the ceremony was held online, we were very happy to see the graduates and our faculty members, at least through the computer screen. We wish all the graduates good luck and lots of achievements, no matter where they go.

Group photos from the ceremony

《110-2 Program Event》Now is the time to Study and Work in Austria: 20th May 2022 Austria Online Information session

Austria is considered one of the best countries in Europe to live in, due to its rich culture and mesmerizing natural beauty. In order to make students aware of the available opportunities in Austria, the Office of Career Development, College of Management, organized a Virtual Information session on May 20th, 2022, for students to learn more about studying and working in Austria. The key speakers of the session were Roland Rudorfer, Director, Austria Office Taipei; Daniel Aschauer, an alumnus of IBMBA currently working as a Deputy General Manager, Anton Paar Taiwan and Sarah Chiang, IBMBA alumnas who working in Austria as a Project Manager at Re-Teck Asset Management GmbH.

To give a brief introduction to Austria, Mr. Roland, shared some facts and figures about the country. Austria lies in the heart of Europe with a population of around 9 million people and the language most spoken in the country being German. It has a similar government structure to Taiwan and has a rich history of kings and queens. It is one of the 14 richest countries in the world and therefore has a very high standard of living. Austria is also home to some world-famous companies like Porsche, Swarovski, and Red Bull. 

Working in Austria, as explained by Mr. Roland, includes excellent social welfare practices like Competitive wage systems, participation in Workers’ unions, and various types of insurance. The monthly salary is paid 14 times a year, and the highest paid jobs are in the Chemical and Oil processing industry, IT and Internet, banking, and so on. Project Managers, Lawyers, and controllers generally have the highest wages in Austria. Living cost, on the other hand, is comparatively more affordable than in countries like Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Singapore. Mr. Roland also shared some informative websites, like workinaustria.com which can be accessed by everyone to look for suitable job opportunities in Austria. 

Regarding studying in Austria, there are 22 public universities, 16 private universities, and 21 Universities of Applied Science offering courses in a broad spectrum of academic subjects as well as professional disciples. To encourage international students, there are also multiple grants and scholarships available. Mr. Roland concluded by sharing a short video with a hidden mistake for students to guess, and Frank Lin from GHRM MBA 1st year guessed correctly and won a copy of a book about Austria.

Mr. Daniel Aschauer shared his experience of being part of the Global ACT Master Program which enabled him to study in Canada, Austria, and Taiwan. The Program provided him with the exposure to studying and living in different cultures and gave him an opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds. He encouraged students to focus on networking and gaining experience through internships whenever possible. He shared the differences in work culture between Taiwan and Austria and shared some valuable job searching tips. Having a career goal in mind is essential to finding jobs that fit your goals and he expressed how one should experience working in different fields to narrow what one likes or dislikes.

 For a foreigner looking for work in Austria, it can be quite difficult but not impossible as shared by Ms. Sarah Chiang. To guide the students, she shared some valuable tips for students hoping to work in Austria. She shared that one should identify their strengths and weaknesses before applying for jobs and if possible have their peers review and edit the resumes to make it more full proof. She also highlighted the importance of networking and being up to date with visas and other official information to apply for jobs effectively. The interview process in Austria can take up to a month and is very comprehensive. The key to shining in the interviews is to portray your best personality and be confident in yourself. 

The session was concluded after a quick Q&A session that helped clear students’ remaining doubts about living and studying in Austria. 

《110-2_GHRM509》Qualitative Research Methods by Dr. David C. McConville

Dr. David McConville is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), College of Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan

There are various kinds of methodology that have been applied in academic research. Qualitative methodology is one big theme among them and it is very important to know and learn from an expert in this field. It was a great opportunity for our students in the GHRM509: Research Methodology course, instructed by Professor Jeeyeon Kim to have a guest lecture from Dr. David McConville. His lecture was conducted in two sessions on Tuesday, May 10th and 17th. Qualitative research methodology is Prof. Conville’s specialty and through his experience he helped students understand what they need to know while pursuing qualitative research.

Dr. McConville’s background is a Ph.D. Degree in Organizational Psychology and Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society in the UK. He teaches and works on research about employee attitudes, human resource development, and work psychology. At present, he is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), College of Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. His lecture covered insightful research ideas such as the difference between qualitative and quantitative methods, especially data collection, reliability and validity in qualitative research. He also delivered how to collect, analyze and interpret qualitative data. Lastly, he did not forget to give students the key things that students need to consider when conducting qualitative research.

Dr. McConville’s lecture was organized through a virtual meeting due to the pandemic situation.

To inspire students that want to conduct research with qualitative methods, he provided a basic introduction to qualitative research. He also suggested the book, “Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners by Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013)”. Students were inspired and instructed about the unfamiliar point of this type of research. The guest sessions helped students to enhance their knowledge and be confident while doing their thesis.

Thank you, Dr. David McConville for giving an informative lecture to the students and Professor Jeeyeon Kim for inviting experts like Prof. Conville, to give students the opportunity to learn from the best in the field. Students learned a lot through the session and surely got some ideas as a quote that Dr. McConville shared, “The wisest is he who realizes, like Socrates, that in respect of wisdom he knows nothing” (Plato).

《110-2_GHRM526》Organizational Culture and Change -11th May - Michael Lin

On 11th May 2022, it was our honor to have Mr. Michael Lin, the vice president of Esmond Nutrition as our guest speaker of Organizational Culture and Change which is instructed by Professor Francois Bouchetoux. At the beginning, Mr. Lin first opened the session with a question for the students “Apart from a good salary, which benefits would you most like to receive in a job?” We discussed a lot of perks, such as insurance and yearly bonus. Since we are in an organizational culture class, some of the students also mentioned that values conveyed by one company are also very important to attract and to retain talents. The non-monetary elements are essential. "Culture" with respect to the set of values people share and believe in.

Then Mr. Lin shared his 20-year work experience in different companies and countries. He focused on the “Nepotism” and the Asian business culture. He mentioned one example from his friends, who worked in a big bank and had difficulties at first, but through the hard work and “some relationships’ help”, he got a good opportunity. 

One of the students from South America also shared her view of nepotism,” Nepotism is extremely political. In my country, even if the government realizes you are a normal citizen that voted for the other side, they would remove you from your position to put someone that supports them instead.” But there are also some advantages of Nepotism, in family business it might be good if the person is already trained or at least familiar with the business. It can save costs of recruiting, and the family pressure might result in better work ethics. To sum up, we could say nepotism is generally always there, to varying degrees, if we see it as a political aspect of any organization.

In addition, we also discussed the working hours and overtime culture in Asia. Not only Mr. Lin shared his experience, but one of the students shared an academic research with us.

“In the past, many academics have argued that by reducing the work week to four days, employees would be more productive and studies have shown that 78% of employees are happier and less stressed as a result. The Icelandic government previously spent four years testing this idea by having more than 2,500 workers reduce their work week to four days between 2015 and 2019 and observing the results.”

Due to the COVID-19, this session was conducted virtually. But all the students enthusiastically participated in the discussion and shared a lot of their viewpoints. Mr. Lin was very happy that everyone put forward their own ideas to make this speech more exciting and interesting. 

At the end, Mr. Lin emphasized the importance of “Cultural Intelligence, CQ.” If you want to join any organization, you must first understand the culture of the organization, whether you like it or not. He said “Respect is very important. When I’m negotiating with foreign customers, I always feel I need to be a role model for my partners.”

《110-2 Program Event》2022 Local Students Orientation: We Welcome You

Written by Teresa Chan

On May 6th, IBMBA & GHRM MBA held an online orientation event for the upcoming local students in Fall 2022-2023. At the local students' orientation, alumni Justin (唐學智； IBMBA 105), the event's host, started the event by sharing how studying in the International Programs enables students to win a ticket to explore everything. 

It was such a pleasure to have Program Director Sher and Deputy Director Kim deliver the greeting speech. Director Sher mentioned that the International Programs provide various resources for students to utilise. Students from diverse studying backgrounds can have opportunities to transform themselves in his data analytics lab. Even a student who majored in English could be a data analyst afterwards. In addition, Deputy Director Kim mentioned that after three years in the International Programs, she’s glad to have met so many hardworking and sincere students. She will be teaching courses including International Marketing, Research Methodology, and Seminar in Business Management next semester. She looks forward to seeing new students in her courses.

Later on, Alumnus Patrick (劉家誠； IBMBA 105) introduced the IBMBA program. He pointed out that maintaining harmonious relationships with classmates is vital because they were the ones who helped him to get employed in two jobs. Some to-be students were curious about dual degree and exchange program applications; all alumni pointed out that getting as high a TOEFL or IELTS score as possible makes the application process smoother.

Alumna Amber (許亞庭； IBMBA 105) encouraged first-year students to network with others. For instance, she got an internship offer based on social connections, in the same way as Patrick mentioned that classmates in the International Programs have a special relationship with each other. As for suggestions for choosing the thesis advisor, she recommended we consider our thesis's aim and meet with some professors before deciding. Her extracurricular experience of being a member of the Student Association improved her organizational ability, that has also helped in her career.

Alumnus Felix Chen (陳柏村； IBMBA 106) found it fascinating to meet different people studying here and to listen to their exciting life experiences. To properly exercise the resources at NSYSU, he chose to have an exchange with a  university in Japan to strengthen his language skills. It sharpened his Japanese proficiency by studying lectures taught in Japanese. After graduating from IBMBA, he started his business, Der ZÖMAR, in 2019 and he shares, “Nothing is more important than courage to start a business.” 

Gary (袁子修； IBMBA 108) shared his experiences participating in the Hult Prize business competition. Studying at IBMBA sharpened his presentation skills. Moreover, his team got first place at Air Liquide Summer School. The cross-cultural communication ability and teamwork of group projects at IBMBA made him stand out during the event. He interned at Air Liquide Manager Office, which benefitted him to network with higher positions managers and learn from them. He encouraged students to achieve their limits by taking challenging courses. 

Our beloved alumni, Justin, Patrick, Amber, Felix, and Gary’s shared that students should experience contrasting things to broaden their horizons. All in all, the time of being a student is a precious period of trial and error. we shoudl aim to try as many things as we can and learn lessons whether these trials are successful or not.

《110-2 SA》Monkey and Shoushan Mountain Exploration Trip

As part of the Student Association’s plans in organizing unique events for IBMBA & GHRM members, we realized that finding out more about the Shoushan maintain – so near NSYSU was a great plan. We particularly thought that we must know more about the “monkey-business lifestyle” of those creatures that, according to many people, are constantly harassing them around the dormitories, as well as stealing food on campus. We believe that this point of view is very unfair. To illustrate the significance of these attributes, we also thought that it would be a good idea to see if we can connect them with some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Looking for someone who could help us in finding out more about the mountain monkeys, Teresa Chan (President of the Student Association) remembered a former postgraduate student in the Department of Biological Science at NSYSU – whose personal interest and research was about the Formosa Macaques. After we managed to find and contact Ms. Lin Mei Yin（林美吟）, commonly known as the Queen of Monkeys, she was more than happy to take us on 22 April – which was Earth Day – to her Shoushan ‘secret spots’ and share her in-depth monkey knowledge.

Ms. Lin started to explore macaques at a very early age: nine years old. She has been continuously trying to protect the monkey’s Shoushan-ecosystem for more than 20 years.  During the tour, the ‘Queen of Monkeys’ described the mating season which starts in October till February. And from April till June monkeys give birth. For this reason, we saw several female macaques breastfeeding their newborn baby monkeys.  

The Formosan Macaques is native to Taiwan. Ms. Lin noted that not every macaque has a pink bottom. Adult female macaques usually have this feature. What shocked all of us was the way she communicated with all 33 macaque families, where she knew and recognized every member very well, with a loud howling technique. Macaque family groups nearby automatically knew she was around and wanted to see her. She howled twice. On both occasions, at different locations, families came over to see us. Ms. Lin asked us to sit on the ground so that we were at the same height as them.  

Ms. Lin pointed out that macaques at NSYSU are more aggressive than the ones we met at Shoushan. That’s because people on campus tend to scare macaques. With paintball guns or some weapons, people threaten them. Macaques are then forced to run away. This is why macaques have become very frightened of human beings, and naturally feel forced to fight for their own survival. This wonderful experience reminded us of the UN SDG: ’15. Life on Land’. We quickly realized that this is why Ms. Lin feels sad because there have been too many tragedies. The ‘Queen of Monkeys’ doesn’t want macaques being mistreated. She wants people to know more about them: if we don’t attack or frighten them, they wont cause harm to us. 

After Ms. Lin’s monkey exploration tour, some of us, including faculty member Dr. Ryan Brading who joined us, decided to hike to another part of the Shoushan mountain called Qimanzhan.  This is a  place with a wonderful view of Kaohsiung where many local hikers (mainly retired and senior individuals) meet and drink a cup of water or hot tea – free of charge.  What we found inspiring is that the water is transported by community hiking volunteers carrying on  their backs large heavy plastic canisters.  We wondered, why are these volunteers doing such a service for others with nothing in return? 

 The only way to find out was by asking a hiker transporting water to the Qimanzhan hut. Mr. Gary Chou said: ‘I carry this water container to Qimanzhan three times a week.  Besides trying to keep fit, I very much enjoy serving fellow hikers the water I bring here. I believe that it’ll give me Good Karma. New and good things will come’.  Gary also said: ‘I am 56 years-old and retired.  My health is precious, and it is very enjoyable to do good deeds’.  As seen in the photos, we also met other senior health-conscious hikers who appreciated our interest in their effort to stay healthy and in the work of community volunteers in maintaining Shoushan Mountain as a great place for everyone to enjoy. 

Our experience made us remember two of the 17 UN SDGs, which are: ‘3. Good health and well-being’ and 11. Sustainable cities and communities’.  Mr. Gary Chou, also pleased with our interest in his ‘health’ training work-out combined with his community ‘Good Karma’ initiative, recommended taking us to the peak of the mountain which was not far.  One of the senior health hikers – happy to see our presence – decided to follow us to the peak. 

The amazing weather enabled us to see the city of Kaohsiung at its full beauty. The hike was physically challenging. It was great to observe seniors climbing to the peak so easily and with grace. They left us questioning our unsustainable lifestyle. These days, young people spend too much time on social media platforms and doing very little healthy exercise.  We must rethink our priorities and follow the SDG: ‘3. Good health and well-being’.

《110-2》GHRM MBA Alumni Update: Robin Slootmaker Reminisces About His GHRM MBA Experience And Current Life In Taiwan

GHRM MBA and IBMBA attract students from all across the globe and from all walks of life. Many of our alumni are excelling in their chosen fields and today we share the story of our GHRM MBA alumnus Robin Slootmaker.

Getting To Know Robin Slootmaker 

Robin grew up in the sunny state of California and completed his bachelor's from the state of Washington. He owned a printing business for a few years and wound up traveling to Taiwan, fell in love with it, and since then, he has made the tiny island his home for more than a decade. Robin remarks, 

 “I came to visit Taiwan and I fell in love with the place, I just can’t seem to leave.”

Robin is currently working as an International Business Development Manager at Biotek Environmental Science Ltd-a company that manufactures disinfection equipment for applications from pharmaceutical factories to chain restaurants to household appliances. His job entails a lot of responsibilities and covers everything from sales, account management, contract negotiation, and market strategy to regulatory compliance. 

Time At GHRM MBA-Fond Memories And Lessons 

After working in Shanghai for a brief period, Robin returned to Taiwan and wanted to expand his opportunities and further hone his business acumen. After one of his friends recommended 中

山大學, Robin got in touch with Cindy and applied for the GHRM MBA program. Reminiscing about his GHRM MBA days, Robin fondly remembers Professor David McConville’s classes and the way he impacted students to think more broadly. In fact, Robin still applies some of the tools and lessons he learned from Professor David’s class in his daily work.

Robins's time at GHRM MBA was full of unforgettable memories and invaluable career and life lessons. When asked about the most valuable thing he learned from the program, Robin shares, 

“The most valuable thing I learned in a general sense, the degree gave me a good foundation for cross-cultural and international work environments.” 

Robin credits GHRM MBA for opening doors for him and for helping him forge a professional career in Taiwan. 

Falling In Love With Taiwan-A Country Unlike Any other

According to Robin, Taiwan is unlike any other place. It’s the elusive combination of safety, opportunity, stability, and fun that made Robin fall in love with the island. According to Robin, 

“Nowhere else I have lived or visited offers such safety, opportunity, stability, and fun. It is cutting-edge advanced yet rough around the edges with that island feel. It has the modern metropolis, tropical beaches, and beautiful mountains all in a nice, albeit not neat, package. People here are welcoming, kind, and go beyond to be helpful.  It’s an extremely unique place.” 

For the current students, Robin advises them to be patient and open and to challenge themselves and others' perceptions. 

College of Management is proud of Robin’s achievements and delighted to know that he’s having a great time in Taiwan. We wish him the very best and we are sure he’ll achieve even greater things in the near future. GHRM MBA will continue to share our alumni’s inspiring stories in the days to come. 

《110-2 SA》Make Money Work for You

Written by Teresa Chan

We were honored to have Mr. Teddy H. Tsai, the chairman of Markis Capital Ltd., deliver the investment basics speech on April 1st. Held on April fool's day, we aim not to be fooled in the investment field. “Money can actually work for you.” Mr. Tsai said. Instead of being stressed because of money, investing can multiply it. In the beginning, Professor Jeeyeon Kim introduced the speaker and IBMBA 1st-year student Sapna Goyal (葛莎娜) was the host of the event.

Mr. Tsai is a professional investor with over twenty years of experience in investments, research, private equity, strategic planning/consulting, and operational management. Apart from that, he is a versatile person who joined a band in highschools (and owns a music company now), started an earlier career in marketing research, and is also a “BDI shipmaster.” He is the example of “FIRE,” which means “financial independence, retire early;” he retired at 35 when his son was born.

Mr. Tsai asked, “Why do we invest?” as a hook to trigger participants’ thinking to start the sharing. One participant considers investing as financial freedom achievement, and another thinks of it as a secure future. Mr. Tsai introduced investment concepts, tools for financial planning, financial products, and final tips and warnings to commence investment. Based on the idea of risks and returns,he said “Investing has risk; there are no ‘no loss’ investments.” However, it is not likely to invest with low risks. To lower the risk and make money work for us, we shoul better allocate resources and diversify our portfolios which stands for allocation between different investment products. 

As for the time value of money, a rule of thumb ‘Rule of 72’ is applicable to estimate the time to double our money. In addition, to deal with the depreciation effects, gold is an inflation hedge that is easy to buy in Taiwan. Money will lose its value, and cars will depreciate, yet gold will not. Given that a sum of money is worth more now than the same will be at a future date, we must invest as early as possible. “Don’t overthink,” Mr.Tsai encouraged participants to invest every month consistently. The power of the average dollar will demonstrate its ability. We also conducted the test for our risk tolerance during the workshop, a tool for our financial planning. For those under 30, Mr. Tsai suggested investing as soon as possible and taking aggressive investment actions since young people can bear risks.

“The workshop helped me view the investment as a long-term strategy and clarified that we should invest quite a big part of our income monthly if we want to see significant results. I also found out that stock selection is not as important as asset allocation and regular investment. We also got to know about various assets that we can invest in and discussed their advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the workshop, we were recommended to invest more aggressively when we are young and still have time to gain back the potential losses.”

— Participant feedback from Thomas Kejha (康樂思; GHRM MBA 2nd-year)

The investment workshop ends with the Kahoot game to examine how much participants learn about the investment concepts. The top three players who won the NT$100 Family Mart vouchers are Erin Ashley McCoy (穆苒苒; IBMBA 1st-year), Nick (林威修; IBMBA 1st-year), and Sunny (范友慈; IBMBA 1st-year). There were also waffles provided for every participant. 

It was an excellent opportunity to attend Mr. Tsai’s investment speech for new investors. “Good investing is knowing when you are wrong and learning from your mistakes.” The SA hopes that everyone acquired something from the event.

《110-2_GHRM507》Field trip to Lung Soon Ocean Group

Date: Mar. 29th, 2022 (110-2)

The "Consulting Methods and Practices" course provides students with opportunities to work with local companies. "Lung Soon Ocean Group," located close to the harbor of Cianjen, is the company that students will work with this semester. The problems Lung Soon have encountered, such as the expansion of overseas chain stores and how to attract international talent and set up an incentive and motivation system, are some issues that the students would aim to solve this semester. Furthermore, Lung Soon Ocean Group also wants the international students to provide them with some solutions to their problems in a more diverse way.

With the company of Professor Sher, Professor Chang, and Professor Tsai, students followed the lead of Mr. Lin, special assistant to the managing director of Lung Soon Ocean Group. He showed us the cold storage, which is below zero degrees and enables the employees to process, package, and deliver tuna to different places.

Following that, Mr. Wang, the manager of Lung Soon, invited us to taste the fresh sashimi while introducing the background of the company and brought out the challenges they face nowadays. During the Q&A session, students were curious about the HR selecting system of Lung Soon, especially what kind of talent they wanted to recruit, what kind of characteristics they are finding at the moment.

At the end of the field trip, students exchanged ideas with the HR and Brand departments so that they could further recognize the problems and be ready to provide some real suggestions and solutions to the company in the following few weeks.

《110-2 Event Sharing》Product Manager Workshop, Office of Career Development

Written by Aastha William

 On 25th April 2022, our students from the College of Management got an interesting opportunity to learn more about the career of a Product Manager (PM) at the workshop organized by the Office of Career Development. The office invited two of its outstanding Alumni from IBMBA, Johnny Chen and Patrick Liu, who are currently working as Product Managers at HP and ASUS respectively. The purpose of the workshop was to introduce the students to what the job of a PM entails and what qualifications and skills are necessary. Professor Kim from the College of Management shared opening remarks and facilitated the speakers with a token of appreciation and Melody Hsu, senior student from IBMBA was the host of the event.

Mr. Patrick opened the session and shared his experience of working as a PM with ASUS in Taiwan. He shared that the job generally revolves around the Product Development Process wherein they define or control product specifications, determine the schedule, cost, orders, marketing, and so on. It involves a lot of decision-making, collecting feedback, and communicating with various departments and external vendors. At the same time, in some companies especially small-scale businesses, the PM might be responsible for taking care of other tasks that are not being taken care of by anyone. For Junior PM, the main role would be to handle the Development stage of the Product development process, which includes having meetings for Bug reviews, marketing kick-off, and monitoring the schedule.

The skills that one needs to focus on to be successful as a PM, are Logical thinking, Time Management, and Communication or Social Skills. It is a job that requires a lot of persistent effort and time but at the same time PM gets to enjoy ownership of the product they create and be the best and first fan of the product. To conclude his sharing, Mr. Patrick shared the advertisement of the product he has worked on and encouraged students to be the best at their jobs and be proud of what they have created.

To give further insight into the job, Mr. Johnny Chen, who is currently working as a PM at HP, shared his valuable experience. He has diverse working experience with companies like ASE Group, Whetron Electronics, and ASUS. To start his sharing, Mr. Johnny shared some important tools that every PM must be familiar with. He categorized it into the Basic tools we must know, Advance tools that would be nice to have, and Premium tools that can make us shine like a pro as a PM. The basic tools that one must know, include Google docs and Office for managing Daily routine tasks and other apps like Zoom, Evernote, and OneDrive to make our life easy as a PM. The Advance tools can take us to another level and this includes tools for creating presentations like Prezi and apps for ERP Systems. And finally, the Premium Tools include Program Language tools, Data Analysis tools, and so on.

Mr Johnny interacted with the students and answered their queries and offered some tips and tricks for those hoping to become Product Managers. He emphasized having an open-minded attitude and investing time to build relationships through respect. PMs should also be passionate about what they are doing and have a curious mind to come up with creative solutions. As he has had considerable experience in applying for jobs, he also shared some tips for interview preparations that students greatly appreciated.

To conclude the event, Mr. Patrick Liu and Mr. Johnny Chen gladly answered students’ questions and took a group picture with all present.

《110-2_Student Sharing》Tiny Island, Big Lessons: My Taiwan Experience- Limaonen

Studying abroad is a dream many people have but very few can afford. From learning about the Taiwan Miracle during my previous masters to reading about Taiwan’s liberal and democratic culture and recent push to attract international students, Taiwan was undoubtedly my top study abroad destination. My study abroad experience in Taiwan was everything I hoped for with a few pleasant surprises. 

Life In Sunny Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a unique blend of modernity and tranquility. Life is super convenient yet it isn't marked by the hustle and bustle of a cosmopolitan city. There were various tourist destinations nearby and best of all, people were friendly, polite, and never shied away from lending a helping hand. Whether I wanted to spend a night out, spend some quiet time alone or relish some local cuisine, the perfect place to do that was just a few minutes away. For my study abroad destination, I couldn't have chosen a better place.

Academics At GHRM MBA 

Academics at GHRM MBA NSYSU was different from my previous university in India. Whereas in India we utilize the rote system, GHRM MBA was more practical with a lot of group activities. The class lecturers provided me with knowledge that I never knew before and the presentations and projects inculcated practical skills and also boosted my self-confidence and communication skills. The credit requirements were also lower than most universities in India, offering me ample time to explore the beautiful island, have fun with friends and pursue my hobbies and interests.  Experiencing a different style of education was an enriching experience. 

I was also one of the lucky few students that had part-time responsibilities along with the usual course load. I had the privilege of working as a Social Media Content Writer for the GHRM MBA Program and Office of Career Development as well as a TA for Professor Jeeyeon’s courses. Overwhelming at times, but it sharpened my skills and also gave me a glimpse of what work culture in Taiwan is all about and I have no doubt it’ll be beneficial when I enter the real workforce.

Beauty In Diversity 

NSYSU is a melting pot- you have people from all across the globe like Indonesia, India, Philippines, Hongkong, USA, South Africa, and many more. And if I could pick just one thing that I like the most about life at NSYSU, it would be just that-the diversity. I also had the opportunity of sharing the culture and history of my state, Nagaland, during the Cultural Sharing program organized by the SA in 2020 which I consider to be one of my most memorable moments at NSYSU.  

Being in a diverse setting teaches you how people from different cultures are so different from each other but in so many ways, are so alike. Studying in an international program like GHRM MBA allowed me to work and understand people from different countries and embrace their flaws alongside their perfections. 

Future Plans In Taiwan 

Instead of restricting my career to HR, I would rather consider an HR major to prepare the future career as a leader and manager that can be applied to the work organization. Professor Jeeyeon’s course E-Commerce and working on GHRM MBA’s social media and recruitment instilled in me a passion for analyzing data, marketing and providing results. Thanks to this, I not only acquired new knowledge and refined my skills but became certain that the marketing field was where I wanted to foray into. I consider Taiwan my second home and plan on staying here for as long as possible. 

Learning a new language and culture, making friends from all across the globe, becoming a better person, and gaining a better understanding of the word-my study abroad experience at GHRM MBA Taiwan, has been life-changing. 

Limaonen Longkumer 

《110-2_GHRM507/IB612》 8 Mar. The Guest Lecture: Dr. Shih-Ming Kao “Taiwan and High Seas Fisheries Governance: Status Quo and Challenges.”

On the March 8, 2022, Professor Hung-Jeng Tsai invited Dr. Shih-Ming Kao, the Associate Professor at Graduate Institute of Marine Affairs at National Sun Yat-sen University, to offer a guest lecture for the students of Consulting Methods and Practice, taught jointly by Professor Chien-Yuan Sher, Professor Heng-Yen Chang, and Professor Hung-Jeng Tsai. 

The objective of this guest lecture was to provide students with the basic concept and introduce them to the fishing industry environment in Taiwan, and, the situation of Taiwanese fisheries politically and economically before their field trip to the Lung Soon ocean group. 

Dr. Shih-Ming Kao started his lecture by introducing the background and origin of international fishing governance. First of all, the United Nations conference on the law of the sea in 1958 in Geneva, which was the first conference worldwide on this topic. Second, a conference held from 1973 to 1982, the United Nations convention on the law of the sea. Thirdly, the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement was adopted in 1995. Lastly, the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). These regulations and organizations have committed themselves to protecting the ocean and the international fishing industry. 

Following that, Dr. Shih-Ming Kao introduced Taiwan’s fisheries industry. He emphasized more on distant water fisheries, which account for the largest number of fisheries activities in Taiwan. It encompasses a variety of techniques such as longline fishing and purse seine fishing. Additionally, we watched a documentary about the people who work in the risky deep-water fishing industry, even if their salary is relatively high. However, this is a challenging and dangerous job, and it does not allow them to visit their family and friends for a long time. During the documentary, students were impressed by the resilience, patience, and experience of distant water workers. 

At the end of the lecture, Dr. Shih-Ming Kao reminisced his participation in several international conferences on behalf of Taiwan. He brought out the problems and challenges we are facing right now in terms of high seas fisheries, and the risk of having no fish in the ocean by 2049. We all need to act to protect our environment at this point. After the lecture, a group photo was snapped to commemorate the event.

《110-2 GHRM524》Leadership & Decision Making- 23 March - Michael Lin

On 23 March 2022, it was our honor to have Mr. Michael Lin, the vice president of Esmond Nutrition as our guest speaker of Leadership & Decision Making which is instructed by Professor Francois Bouchetoux. At the beginning, Mr. Lin first mentioned “We are Individuals, so we have different thoughts about Leadership.” And shared with us his 20-year work experience and what his leadership was. 

“Try to earn respect from others, you can be a good leader.”-Michael Lin

“You will be a good leader if you respect and care about other people.” Mr. Lin stated and shared his stories to us. Recently, he found the words on advertisements for hiring has changed from “Wanted employees” to “Seeking Partners”. What is the difference? “A company that gives their staff respect, treats them not like an employee but a partner. And in response, the staff would work hard because of the sense of belonging at their workplace.” he said. 

“Leadership is always about teamwork.”-Michael LIn

“Once you earn the respect from others, teamwork will be AMAZING!” He spoke in a fascinating way. He showed his company website to students, and started to explain the story behind it about a group of people who work hard and take care of each other just like a family. “Sometimes, it’s hard to run a company, but I still devote myself, I know there are so many precious friends around me, I feel so grateful. ” Mr. Lin made students feel so touched, what a good leader he is! 

“Language is a good tool for leadership”

Mr. Lin emphasized how learning languages is an important skill. Because of his education background in the United States, he can speak fluent English, and interact with foreign customers. “When I’m negotiating with foreign customers, I always feel I need to be a model to my partners.” He also mentioned that the International Program at NSYSU really provides a good environment and faculty to students. 

At the end of the lecture, Mr. Lin shared his favorite motto from Bruce Lee (李小龍) ”Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water.” and emphaised to be  “flexible to everything that comes to you, and that will make you a good leader.” 

《110-2 SA》Speed Dating Event: A night full of laughter, interaction and lots of good food

Written by Jan Souřezný

The Speed Date Night (閃電約會) had been held on Sunday, 20th of March, as a result of the students’ wish survey, to strengthen bonds between current students, meet new people, and (for some people) find a potential romantic relationship, which would also lead to a happier life and therefore better overall productivity. The original definition of the speed date is an organized social activity in which people seeking romantic relationships have a series of short conversations with potential partners to determine whether there is mutual interest in knowing others in a short period via asking questions. The Student Association of International Programs took the concept to the next level; the event's bottom line was to get closer to other classmates, tailoring the process to be less romantic and more casual - there was no gender-based segregation, romantic atmosphere, or typically romance-based questions. 

The main requirement of the SA for the event was the maximum comfort for everyone - the dating rounds were shorter than usual, students weren’t forced to speak in English if they share common mother language, and they could pick from 3 questions provided for every round with the alternative of discussing personal mind maps, which they prepared as an introduction activity, in case the questions would make them uncomfortable.

The event took place in 沾먹고마시고 (Mogomashigo) Korean Restaurant, which the kind owners agreed to provide only for us for the whole evening - the overall duration was slightly over 3 hours. The event did not comprise only of dating - there were three dating rounds in total for the whole evening, lasting no more than 30 minutes. Inbetween the dating rounds, the Student Association also organized two games for selected volunteers, which aimed for communication skills and the ability to react quickly and skillfully. Each game had one winner, who received a FamilyMart voucher.

Halfway through the event, all participants, including the SA members, alumni, and professor Ryan Brading, who attended the event, enjoyed a Korean food buffet dinner. The restaurant offered a wide variety of food and beverages, including a vegetarian version. 

A fun surprise was ready for the participants in the form of little challenges as an added value for the participants. It was fascinating and funny to deliver the answers only by whispering or maintaining eye contact with the colleague for 30 seconds!

The event ended at 9 pm, and participants left for home in a perfect mood, with new friends and a great experience. All participants confirmed that they enjoyed the night and are looking forward to more events the SA is planning for them.

We want to thank all participants for coming, as well as NSYSU alumni and Dr. Brading, for supporting the event. The big shout out certainly belongs to the 沾먹고마시고 Restaurant for providing the whole place for the event, preparing fantastic food, and giving the SA team the complete freedom of deciding about the restaurant arrangement, which would provide the highest convenience and comfort for this type of event.

《110-2 GHRM650 》Microsoft: Modern Digital Marketing Transformation by Dr. Hedy Ho

Dr. Hedy Ho, Director of Category Management, Microsoft at Singapore.

In the International Marketing Management class on Thursday 10 March, Professor Jeeyeon Kim invited Dr. Hedy Ho, Director of Category Management, Microsoft at Singapore. Due to the pandemic situation, Dr. Hedy gave her interactive speech and provided discussion activity for students via an online channel, Microsoft Team. Her lecture incorporated ideas on modern digital transformation and marketing from her 20 years’ experience at Microsoft, an industry leader.

Dr.Hedy reviewed student’s idea on the group brainstorming for creating a 3-day Hybrid Tech Conference.

Dr. Hedy shared that she understands the important role of Digital Transformation, that takes place significantly between her company, partners and customers. She also has working experiences in multicultural workplaces around the globe such as New York, Beijing, Taipei and Singapore. Her sharing covered both actual business practices and state of art ideas of the modern marketing world. It was a splendid opportunity for international program students to learn business knowledge from industrial practitioners like Dr. Hedy.

The Group of students presented their idea from discussion to the classmates and Dr. Hedy as a commentator.

In the beginning, Dr. Hedy delivered the concept of “Transformation” to make students understand where the modern market trend is going, and why leaders need to transform their business to survive. Even Microsoft faced big challenges from today's changing market, but a better understanding of Digital Transformation can help businesses to perform well. The main point of the lecture focused on B2B Modern Marketing, which includes People and Technology. Moreover, the process supports the connection between humans and new innovation. Last but not least, Dr. Hedy mentioned ‘Customer’ which is the most important goal of a marketer. Knowing the customer data assists the company to gain an insight into  customers’ behaviour. improving customer experience will push the brand to aim for higher revenue and market share. Understanding modern customers through modern marketing techniques can certainly enable businesses to attract new customer demand in the current competitive market.

In the last session, Dr. Hedy made an interesting group discussion for the students by creating an idea for a 3-day Hybrid Tech Conference. Each group brainstormed ideas and then made a presentation to their classmates and Dr. Hedy as a commentator. This knowledgeable activity was interactive and helped the students to practice the application of Integrated Marketing Solutions in reality. Students participated and worked in a diverse group of members from different countries. Finally, Dr. Hedy gave very insightful feedback to every group giving suggestions on what they can do to improve in the future as a marketer.

Dr. Hedy had a photo shooting with all students in the class of International Marketing Management

When the speech had finished, students and the professor took a group photo with Dr. Hedy. This activity really showed that the application of technology and digital transformation overcomes boundaries in education as well. Thank you, Dr. Hedy Ho, for giving your  valuable time for teaching students and Professor Jeeyeon Kim for conducting this guest lecture.

《110-2 Event Sharing》“A Career in HR: Headhunter” Alan McIvor, Paul Wright Group

For international students, finding a suitable job in Taiwan can often seem like a challenging task. So, to give an insight into the prospective industries and how to land a job successfully, the office of Career Development, College of Management invited reputed HR Head-hunter Alan McIvor from the Paul Wright group to guide the students and share his valuable experience of working in Taiwan. Mr. McIvor has worked in many countries around the world including the UK, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and therefore has considerable experience working overseas. 

The virtual event was organized on February 24th, 2022 and more than 40 students from GHRM MBA and IBMBA department attended the webinar. Mr. McIvor provided insights into the day-to-day life of a Head-hunter and shared that the job involves regular communication with clients and candidates to identify ideal candidates for a particular job and company. Extrovert personalities and those who enjoy working with people can have a successful headhunting career. 

Mr. McIvor suggests that while looking for a job, students first need to understand what they want from their career and should not overlook any crucial aspects like salary, job satisfaction, or work-life balance. Job Hunting requires active networking through various platforms such as LinkedIn and using these connections to land interviews. He highlighted that at the onset of one’s career one should not make the mistake of changing jobs too frequently, but doing internships to gain experience will add great value to the CV. Moreover, Mr. McIvor shared some great interview tips like researching about the company and job scope before the interview and focusing on soft skills.  

The session was informative as well as interactive as the students had some interesting questions that Mr. McIvor answered patiently. For management students, it was a great opportunity to learn more about what their future careers might look like. The College of Management will continue to have many such sessions to help students learn more about their dream careers.

《110-2 SA》Land Ethics: Red Quinoa Harvest

Written by Teresa Chan

The Red Quinoa Harvest activity was held on the 23rd of February, 2022 in collaboration with the Student Association of International Programs and International Program Office. Last semester, students of the course IB520 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility planted red quinoa, a native Taiwanese species, neat the field of Sizihwan Art Gallery. As the crops matured, the students and professors harvested the crops. The event was organized with an aim to inculcate land ethics values among the students. 

Profs. Chien-Yuan Sher, Yuh-Yuh Li, and Yi Lu, lecturers of the course Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, were also in attendance. Prof. Sher, Director of the International Program, delivered the opening remarks. He noted that while the actions we take now may not provide immediate results, they will pay off in the long run. Planting is analogous to learning; with proper care and attention, it thrives; similarly, the effort and time we put in studies will be valuable and yield rewarding outcomes.

Prof. Li demonstrated how to harvest the plant to encourage students to learn land ethics. Participants could gather all of the fruits they grew last semester with pairs of scissors. To collect red quinoa fruits, seventeen attendees were divided into three groups. Harvesting was completed in half an hour and after thal. The students were so happy to see that what they planted last semester had grown into full crops with beautiful leaves and whole fruits. The SA team had prepared healthy lunch boxes for all participants which was shared at the end of the event. The SA team's goal is to enrich students' lives while caring for each student's health.

"On the harvest day, it was astonishing to see how beautiful red quinoa is. Previously, I only ate red quinoa products, not knowing what they looked like. The power of nature is magnificent, and it inspires me that ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’” (George Chang 張傑志, IBMBA 1st year student)

“This event inspired me a lot. As what Prof. Sher said, ‘planting is like studying; you will not see the results at first. With the endeavor devoted every day, we will see the fruitful results of our effort.’ I did not understand the purpose of planting red quinoa originally, yet I was willing to volunteer to water them. After three months, I saw the mature red quinoa fruit, and I realized that what I did paid off. Moreover, I also experience the superpower of nature. Once we respect and take good care of the land, it will reward us. Thanks to professors, the International Program office, and SA for organizing this event which moved me.”
(Angela Wu 吳含茵, IBMBA 1st year student)

Business ethics and social responsibility are critical for businesses. To succeed as a businessperson, we must learn to maximize earnings while also taking care of the environment and society. To accomplish Corporate Social Responsibility, academic knowledge alone is insufficient; we must exercise autonomously and learn via experience. The International Program's mandatory subject Business Ethics and Social Responsibility focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethics.

In the CSR section, lecturers discuss concepts and case studies and allow students to develop a commercially viable global challenge that will also benefit stakeholders of students’ potential business. The fundamental concepts of ethics are discussed, but the emphasis is on land ethics or humans' moral responsibility to the natural world. Work ethics and cases that students may encounter in the future in the workplace.