After winning a 42,000-Euro (about 1.88 million NTD) scholarship offered by European Commission to study abroad in Universite de Reims, French, and Universitat de Roviral i Virgili, Spain, for double master degree, Wu Yin-shi, a third-year PhD student of Graduate Institute of the Americas (GIA), recommended by his professor in Spain, went to Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, to get a PhD degree in political sciences. Dr. Chen Hsiao-chuan, Director of GIA, indicated that Wu is the first student of GIA who study abroad for double master degrees and double PhD degrees. “He always spares no effort to improve himself and gives any chance for further education his best shot. We are so proud of him,” said Dr. Chen.

Appling Erasmus Mundus Master Courses Scholarship in 2007, Wu stood out from about 200 applicants worldwide, and got the biggest scholarship money among 18 winners. Wu indicated that he had learned French in Language Center for one year first before he applied the program, and his ability in English, French, and Spanish, plus abundant experience in practical training, were the main reasons for winning the scholarship. “The procedure of applying the scholarship is very tedious and complicated. I am really grateful to Dr. Lee Thomas B., Emeritus Prof. professor of GIA, for his support and encouragement during the process,” said Wu.

Wu indicates that studying abroad in Europe is very different from studying in Taiwan. In European universities, students come from various countries of the world, and their cultural difference makes them think diversely on the same issue. “The biggest difference is that they emphasize the ability of independent research a lot. You can only contact teachers by email, so you have to learn how to solve problems on your own,” pointed out by Wu. He suggested that students who want to study abroad should improve language ability first so that they can adapt to the new environment more quickly and be able to deal with any situation they meet. He also encourages students to study abroad when they are still young to get in touch with different cultures and broaden their vision and global view. ( ~Shu-chun Yen )