National Chi Nan University 國立暨南國際大學 - Leading Force in Southeast Asian Studies
International Students at National Chi Nan University
Iva Vrzic
Age: 29
From: Slovenia
Program: 1st year, Master of History, NCNU
In 2007, Iva Vrzic entered NCNU to start a Master's Degree in History, studying under Dr. Chinyun Lee, a well-known scholar of the Economic History of Modern China and the Economic History of Modern Central Europe.
Vrzic's undergraduate majors were Sinology and Anthropology. She chose NCNU due to its reputation, her professors recommendations and its proximity to her areas of scholarly interest.
Vrzic speaks six languages: Slovene, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian. She pointed out that she has made fast progress in her Chinese skills and has easily made friends among both classmates and people off campus.
In the future Vrzic hopes to gain a position related to culture, languages or anthropology either in the private sector, or perhaps an NGO.
Olive Mee Yan Choong
Age: 30
From: Malaysia
Program: Senior, Foreign Languages and Literature, NCNU
Olive Mee Yan Choong entered NCNU in the fall of 2006 through a sister school arrangement with the Southern College of Malaysia.
Choong finds courses at NCNU much more diversified than those she said she could find at home. For example, the drama class offered by the Department of Foreign Languages is the one that the Department of English in Malaysia doesn't have. She also visited some well-known cultural areas while taking the Anthropology of Sightseeing Tourism and Travel.
Choong feels that the professors at NCNU encourage and respect students' independent modes of thought and lines of inquiry.
Choong finds the environment of NCNU's campus delightful. She plans to stay in Taiwan for her master's degree, hoping to focus on teaching Chinese.
Gary Vore
Age: 45
From: the U.S.A.
Program: Ph.D., Comparative Education
Gary Vore is an English lecturer at NCNU. Vore received his B.A. from Wright State University and his M.A. from University of Findlay. He worked as lecturer in Japan for 14 years.
In 2004, Vore took an opportunity to teach in a high school in Puli. In 2007, he enrolled in NCNU and soon after also took a position at the school as a lecturer. In addition to NCNU's clear mountain environment, Vore particularly enjoys sculling on Sun Moon Lake.
National Chi Nan University is located in the mountainous heart of Taiwan: Nantou County, Puli Township. Founded in 1995, the school's administrators and faculty quickly set about establishing a strong reputation, especially in the area of Southeast Asian studies. The school's programs and reputation have been attracting students from around the world.
After a little more than a decade, National Chi Nan University stands at the very top among schools in Taiwan and in the region and has rolled out a tremendously attractive package of scholarships, stipends, housing and outreach for overseas students.
Center For Southeast Asian Studies
Dr. Yuhlong Oliver Su, Professor of Chemistry and Dean of Academic Affairs, NCNU indicated that their school administration is well developed and their courses and academic research continue to expand and be recognized.
NCNU's Center for Southeast Asian Studies continues to pursue ground-breaking research on the world's foundry of factories and labor. Research so well-regarded that, in addition to academics and industry - the center is regularly consulted by Taiwan's government regarding national policies and projections.
Considering the influence of Taiwan industry in Southeast Asia - as the 3rd largest investor in the region - overseas students with an interest in Southeast Asia will gain not just the field knowledge of the area, but also have immediate proximity to among the largest corporate actors in the region.
Award-Winning & Well-Subsidized
National Chi Nan University's development and leading position in Southeast Asian Studies has not gone un-recognized. In 2005 the Ministry of Education cited the school as the Best Newly Established University in Taiwan.
The school's performance has also meant a boon to the university's funding. It was selected to be among an elite group of schools to receive funds under Taiwan's national Plan to Encourage Teaching Excellence in Universities. To be so recognized after just 13 years was a huge compliment to the school. NCNU was the youngest institution to be included in the very short list of grantees despite competing with campuses around the island with almost a century of existence.
The program's deep reservoir of funds means that National Chi Nan University can continue to develop at a furious pace - strengthening its already top-flight Southeast Asian Studies program, and founding new research centers focusing on the Economics of the Southeast Asia, investigating communities of ethnic Chinese in countries around the world as well as domestic cultural studies.
Recruiting Overseas Students
National Chi Nan University is now actively pursuing students from around the world to enroll. The school offers generous scholarships and tuition waivers which when combined with housing grants mean that most overseas students are receiving stipends as they attend NCNU. Programs from undergraduate through Ph.D. can be tailored to meet students' specific needs.
In addition to the school's strong academic standards, the campus itself could not be more inviting - set in Puli Township of Nantou County with an average elevation of between 600-700 meters. The summertime temperatures stand at just around 22C/72F. The school's extensive green campus offers students the widest possible range of activities - from archery to an on-campus golf course. National Chi Nan University's Nantou County location is also the site of among the island's leading natural attractions, including Mount Hohuan and Sun Moon Lake. Students get to make the most of these places as well - there is even sculling on Sun Moon Lake. Crystal-clear night-time skies shine with rivers of starlight.
Elite-level and precedent-setting research, the most robust package of funding for overseas students and a vast, lush campus in the cool sub-tropical mountains - National Chi Nan University presents an tremendously attractive setting for international students to enjoy total scholarship packages while getting a forward-looking undergraduate, master's or Ph.D. level degree.
Contact Information
National Chi Nan University
University Road
Puli, Nantou Hsien
Taiwan, 545 R.O.C.
Application Form: Click here
Tel: +886 49 291-0960, Ext. 2236
e-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://english.ncnu.edu.tw/