FEATURE: Malaysian student at NCKU realizes his pursuit of higher education - CNA
FEATURE: Malaysian student at NCKU realizes his pursuit of higher education
Kelvin Lye Kwong Loong is from Malaysia and currently studying and working as teaching assistant at the AACSB-accredited Institute of International Management (IMBA) at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan.
Unlike most Malaysian Chinese students who were enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs which are taught in Chinese, Kelvin studying English-taught IMBA program at NCKU. “This is a unique experience I am proud of having till now,” said Kelvin who is a doctorial candidate after having completed the two-year IMBA program at NCKU.
“I think that my experience at NCKU can be summed up in two words, diversity and dynamism, according to Kelvin adding that based on Taiwan’s aggressive approach in internationalizing her own tertiary education system, foreign students from literally all over the world can be found in this Asian island of treasure.
He regarded the establishment and growth of NCKU IMBA is a clear evidence of this approach, where students from over 30 nations are currently pursuing Master’s degree or PhD degree under one roof at this department.
Having the opportunity to mix around with people from North, South and Central America as well as various parts of Asia, primarily Southeast Asia, was something Kelvin would cherish in his entire life. “I remembered my thesis advisor told me that he has never seen such a diverse group of students studying together; not even when he was studying in U.S.A.,” Kelvin said while recalling his conversation with Professor Shao-Chi Chang, his thesis advisor at NCKU IMBA.
It was due to this so-called “diversity” that exchanging ideas on any topic among students became a daily norm at NCKU IMBA, which usually happens over meals, during classes or even while chilling at the 7-11 store near the university.
He revealed that international students seemed to establish friendships and bonds among themselves more easily as they share the same experience of studying in Taiwan. “You will see us organizing events together, enjoying together and also helping each other in difficult times,” added Kelvin who seemed to savor the ups and downs he had experienced during his time at NCKU.
On the other hand, Kelvin referred “dynamism” to the openness in improving teaching and learning (T&L) approaches in Taiwan. According to him, professors at NCKU IMBA have presented refreshing approaches in communicating ideas to students.
The case study approach has interested Kelvin the most, where students are led to discussion of cases by the professor who takes on the role of a facilitator instead of a traditional lecturer. He credited Professor Don Jyh-Fu Jeng and Professor Shao-Chi Chang for the experience he acquired through their case study sessions, which he said, had given him inspiration and aspiration to become an educator in the future.
When being asked about his advice for Malaysian students pursuing their tertiary education at NCKU, Kelvin said, “Have an open mind, be brave and tough and make full use of your time in NCKU and Taiwan.”
Taiwan was Kelvin’s top destination among Asian nations for continuing education. Indeed, his choice somehow reflected on a growing trend shown by Malaysian students, especially of Chinese descent, where more and more of them are now choosing Taiwan as their top destination for tertiary education.
According to 2012 statistics from MOE Taiwan, 6896 Malaysian Chinese students formed the largest group of overseas Chinese students studying in Taiwan, thus indicating a growing importance of Malaysian students in Taiwan’s effort to attract international students to further studies in Taiwan.
As Kelvin explained, Chinese education is highly regarded among the Chinese community in Malaysia and efforts to uphold it is very strong. Despite the different accents and slangs used, most Malaysian Chinese students can easily adapt to life in Taiwan within a short period of time.
However, Kelvin who had the opportunity to experience Malaysia’s tertiary education at University Technology of Malaysia (UTM) during his undergraduate days, was of the opinion that Taiwan’s tertiary education system is comparatively more competitive and assigns much heavier workload to students.
Yet, he feels that the Taiwanese university culture will help students maintain a balanced lifestyle at varsity level, one which enhances both academic achievements and generic skills required in the real world. “You can see NCKU students dancing, playing sports, organizing events, learning music and others within the campus every day.
This basically indicates that students studying in Taiwan universities do have a life outside the classroom,” Kelvin pointed out as he took a glance at the NCKU Student Activity Center.
Kelvin Lye Kwong Loong is from Malaysia and currently studying and working as teaching assistant at the AACSB-accredited Institute of International Management (IMBA) at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan.
Unlike most Malaysian Chinese students who were enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs which are taught in Chinese, Kelvin studying English-taught IMBA program at NCKU. “This is a unique experience I am proud of having till now,” said Kelvin who is a doctorial candidate after having completed the two-year IMBA program at NCKU.
“I think that my experience at NCKU can be summed up in two words, diversity and dynamism, according to Kelvin adding that based on Taiwan’s aggressive approach in internationalizing her own tertiary education system, foreign students from literally all over the world can be found in this Asian island of treasure.
He regarded the establishment and growth of NCKU IMBA is a clear evidence of this approach, where students from over 30 nations are currently pursuing Master’s degree or PhD degree under one roof at this department.
Having the opportunity to mix around with people from North, South and Central America as well as various parts of Asia, primarily Southeast Asia, was something Kelvin would cherish in his entire life. “I remembered my thesis advisor told me that he has never seen such a diverse group of students studying together; not even when he was studying in U.S.A.,” Kelvin said while recalling his conversation with Professor Shao-Chi Chang, his thesis advisor at NCKU IMBA.
It was due to this so-called “diversity” that exchanging ideas on any topic among students became a daily norm at NCKU IMBA, which usually happens over meals, during classes or even while chilling at the 7-11 store near the university.
He revealed that international students seemed to establish friendships and bonds among themselves more easily as they share the same experience of studying in Taiwan. “You will see us organizing events together, enjoying together and also helping each other in difficult times,” added Kelvin who seemed to savor the ups and downs he had experienced during his time at NCKU.
On the other hand, Kelvin referred “dynamism” to the openness in improving teaching and learning (T&L) approaches in Taiwan. According to him, professors at NCKU IMBA have presented refreshing approaches in communicating ideas to students.
The case study approach has interested Kelvin the most, where students are led to discussion of cases by the professor who takes on the role of a facilitator instead of a traditional lecturer. He credited Professor Don Jyh-Fu Jeng and Professor Shao-Chi Chang for the experience he acquired through their case study sessions, which he said, had given him inspiration and aspiration to become an educator in the future.
When being asked about his advice for Malaysian students pursuing their tertiary education at NCKU, Kelvin said, “Have an open mind, be brave and tough and make full use of your time in NCKU and Taiwan.”
Taiwan was Kelvin’s top destination among Asian nations for continuing education. Indeed, his choice somehow reflected on a growing trend shown by Malaysian students, especially of Chinese descent, where more and more of them are now choosing Taiwan as their top destination for tertiary education.
According to 2012 statistics from MOE Taiwan, 6896 Malaysian Chinese students formed the largest group of overseas Chinese students studying in Taiwan, thus indicating a growing importance of Malaysian students in Taiwan’s effort to attract international students to further studies in Taiwan.
As Kelvin explained, Chinese education is highly regarded among the Chinese community in Malaysia and efforts to uphold it is very strong. Despite the different accents and slangs used, most Malaysian Chinese students can easily adapt to life in Taiwan within a short period of time.
However, Kelvin who had the opportunity to experience Malaysia’s tertiary education at University Technology of Malaysia (UTM) during his undergraduate days, was of the opinion that Taiwan’s tertiary education system is comparatively more competitive and assigns much heavier workload to students.
Yet, he feels that the Taiwanese university culture will help students maintain a balanced lifestyle at varsity level, one which enhances both academic achievements and generic skills required in the real world. “You can see NCKU students dancing, playing sports, organizing events, learning music and others within the campus every day.
This basically indicates that students studying in Taiwan universities do have a life outside the classroom,” Kelvin pointed out as he took a glance at the NCKU Student Activity Center.
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