It was a heart breaking time for the eight visiting students of Zhe Jiang University (ZJU), after a two months stay, to leave Tamkang last week to return home. These Finance and Banking majors had been at TKU for two months studying at the Department of International Trade, thanks to an exchange program existing between these two departments. That means, there will be 7 students from TKU studying at Zhe Jiang for the same amount time returning to Taiwan this week.

It has been an unforgettable experience for all of the eight students from ZJU both as visitors and students. As they had never been to Taiwan before, they arrived here 2 months ago with great anticipation. They had already planned out their trip carefully back home. As visitors, they did some “homework” prior to this trip working out scenic places to visit and exotic things to do, so that they could optimize their time here. For instance, in their relatively short stay, they managed to see Lanyang Campus, Taipei 101, Yang-ming Mountains, and most of the tourist attractions in and around Tamsui. They were not disappointed, of course. In particular, they found the panorama view of Lanyang Campus rather spectacular and the architecture unusual.

They were equally impressed by the students here who they found very friendly and helpful. Taiwanese students, they remarked, do not need to work as hard as they do in ZJU where they have a lot of workload given by the professors. However, because of this difference, Taiwanese students are given more opportunities to have hands-on experiences with local industries or businesses. As a result, they added, Taiwanese students seem to be more creative and organized. Hence, ZJU students were very appreciative that they could experience this kind of education in Taiwan where practice and theories are equally emphasized.

Students aside, they were also deeply impressed by the faulty members in the department, such as Dr. Lin Yi Nan, the Chair of the department and another professor, Dr. Chang Chun Hui. Teng Yu Ying, one of the ZJU students, spoke of the kindness and entertaining lessons they received from these professors who they would never forget.

In sum, they all seemed to agree, their two months’ life in Taiwan gave them a valuable opportunity to experience a different culture, mentality, and way of life that will stay with for the rest of their lives. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )