Thought this winter is especially cold, the Teaching Excellence Project has provided students a solid winter vacation. To promote international competitiveness, Office of Vice President for International Affairs and Office of International Exchange and International Education co-held the “2008 Tamkang University and World Development Student Seminar” in Tamsui Campus. There are about 90 students joining the seminar, including Tamkang students, and foreign students from famous universities such as Oxford and Harvard.

The whole activities were proceeded in English. The activities include academic discussions and outdoor tours. The themes of the former encompass history, economic, and trade status of Taiwan, World Economic, and the International Trade Organization.

Lee Yi-hsuan, senior of Department of French, expressed: “the western students are more active in their thinking and have their own specific ideas on things. They ask questions directly when they encounter points they do not understand. Their open-mindedness and different viewpoints inspire me to think in alternative perspectives.” Vice President of International Affairs, Dr. Tai Wan-chin indicates “This seminar is the first one in Taiwan to take the students as the main research objects. Many foreign students come from overseas, which reveals TKU’s academic attraction. The range of TKU participants is wide, varying from undergraduate freshmen to students of Ph. D programs. Through the activities, students could learn from each other to improve their researches.”

Hsu, Hong-chong, Teaching Excellence Project full-time assistant of Office of International Exchanges and International Education, and, who takes charge of the whole activities, remarks that “with these activities, TKU students could observe how the foreign students host a discussion, initiate and respond to questions in an academic meeting. Such activities help not only to improves students’ foreign language ability but also to expend their world view..”

In addition to academic activities at school, the organizers also bring the foreign students to experience Taiwan culture on holidays. They visited Fort San Domingo, Fishermen’s Warf, Tamsui Old Street, National Palace Museum, Yangminshan National Park, Taipei101 Building, and Shihlin night market. The tours enhance TKU students’ awareness their own culture and help to build good friendship with foreign students. Chong Yi-fen, sophomore of Department of History, happily points out, “This activity is so great! It makes me realize foreign students’ ideas on Taiwan. The program of the camp is rich and everyone makes good friends. With the help of the internet, we still keep in touch with one another. After all, the friendship is forever.” ( ~ Shelley Tang )