By Carol Song
On May 21, 2018, Ming Chuan University extended a warm welcome to the Roberts Fellows (RFs) Class 19 from Saginaw Valley State University, a long-term sister institution in the United States. The welcome reception took place in Q501 on Taoyuan Campus, where the delegation of 11 (3 faculty/staff and 8 students) first met the participants in MCU’s 2018 Learning Away From Home (LAFH) Program. The representatives of both universities enjoyed culture and language exchange plus sharing their learning experiences.
During the campus visit, the RFs were inspired by a speech entitled “Leadership in the Age of AI.” The speaker, Professor Walter Wang, Director of the Office of International Student Service (OISS), argued that quality leadership will not be replaced by AI and challenged the audience to discern, cultivate, and value their own strengths over the threat of robots.
The RFs also enjoyed a Taoyuan campus tour, visiting the Virtual Studio, Art Center, and Chinese Cultural Center, having a first-hand experience of MCU’s situational education. Outside of their MCU experience, the delegation also toured Northern Taiwan during their stay (May 19-24), exploring the natural wonders and cultural heritage of the country such as Yehliu Geopark, Mt. Datun Natural Park, National Palace Museum and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Their cultural immersion was also extended to a culinary journey through Shilin Night Market, Taipei 101 Food Court, a contemporary seafood restaurant, plus a tea-cuisine restaurant.
Institutional relations are enhanced and deepened through face-to-face interactions. All the LAFH members are fired up to prepare for this summer’s one-month-long stay on SVSU campus. More opportunities of networking and academic growth await, as the delegates travel to SVSU, attend classes on campus and host a Mandarin Camp for the local community.
Under the visionary leadership of President Lee, MCU’s hospitality and internationalization are unbounded in expanding partnerships with outstanding institutions. The relations with SVSU stand out as a strategic success as Ming Chuan has launched its first overseas location at the home of the Cardinals in Michigan. This puts MCU ahead of most institutional peers in Taiwan and secures the fruit of further internationalization in other regions of the world. Retrospectively, the visits of RFs over the past 11 years have aided in paving the way across the Pacific Ocean for Ming Chuan to expand to the Great Lakes State. And the footprints of the LAFH members have broadened the path for more interactions in between.
Trans-Pacific Pathway – Two Sets of Footprints
