Dr. Jer-Ming Hu胡哲明, National Taiwan University 國立臺灣大學
Deputy Dean of International Affairs
Associate Professor, Institute of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Deputy Dean of International Affairs
Associate Professor, Institute of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Jer-Ming Hu, Deputy Dean of NTU’s Office of International Affairs and Associate Professor at the Institute of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology says the goals of international students studying at NTU are diverse, arising from the wide array of countries students come from. Still, Dr. Hu says trends are noticeable. Many students from Europe and North America focus on learning Chinese and studying management. Such students focus on China and creating a network base from Taiwan.
Many students from South-east Asia, Central and South America focus on technology and management studies, planning to return to their countries. For them, choosing Taiwan arises from a variety of reasons: distance – Taiwan can be closer to home – or the generous opportunities Taiwan, and especially NTU, offers. Plus, in the case of NTU, the country’s pre-eminent research and scholarship.
Deputy Dean of International Affairs
Associate Professor, Institute of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
According to Dr. Hu the focused motivation – that international students know why they are on campus and what they want to do - often means international students find life at NTU easy. The campus’ location in the heart of metropolitan Taipei also adds to an comfortable studying environment.
Dr. Hu further noted that National Taiwan University is distinct from many of the campuses in Taiwan in that it is much more research and scholarship-oriented, with numerous graduates going on to carry out the county’s most cutting edge scholarly inquiries. NTU’s elite designation also translates into opportunity for international students in that one finds the local students at NTU are often the highest achievers in the country. This means that CEOs, industry and political leaders of Taiwan are often found to be graduates of NTU – alumni who support the campus with internships and opportunities offered to newest graduates. International students taking advanced degrees at NTU become those newest graduates.
Visiting Students Program
Dr. Hu indicated that he was interested in what makes students undertake a full 2-year, 3-year (or longer) degree program overseas and described the Visiting Students program as a newly-opened study option that heretofore in Taiwan had been missing and which may increase the number of students who come to Taiwan to study.
The Visiting Students program allows international students to take classes from any college or department for short-term study. With Spring 2009 the program has been opened at NTU. The Visiting Students enrollment allows international students to take specific courses they may be interested in – Chinese Philosophy, International Relations, General Biology, etc.– whereas before such study would require only be possible as part of a degree program.
Deputy Dean of International Affairs
Associate Professor, Institute of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
NTU’s Visiting Student Program is patterned after the EU’s ERASMUS (European Action for the Social Mobility of University Students) program, where students choose to study at 3 member countries’ elite universities within 2 years for credit at their own schools. The philosophy behind the ERASMUS program is that students can begin to appreciate different EU cultures by having the opportunity to experience them 1st-hand.
Dr. Hu also extolled NTU’s long-established tradition of welcoming international students & scholars. He described the broad English-Chinese environment found across the campus and the way NTU supports Chinese study for all international students. Combining these traditions with the newly opened Visiting Students program, Dr. Hu sees a new and exciting chapter of NTU’s history opening offering and an array of opportunities opening for international students at NTU.