From mountain to sea: ASU students experience NSYSU's bilingual campus
2026-05-21
To enhance Taiwanese students' global outlook and international mobility, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has launched the Fulbright Taiwan EMI Test Waiver Partnership Program. The initiative enables students from Taiwan and the United States to participate in short-term exchanges at each other's universities. It aims to explore how well Taiwanese students can adapt to U. S. classroom environments while also showcasing the quality of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses in Taiwan. During the 2025-26 winter break, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) sent three students to Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) for short-term study visits. From March 9 to 14, NSYSU also became the first among Taiwan's bilingual benchmark universities to host ASU students Ryan La Ra and Allison Cheon as part of this reciprocal exchange.
This exchange is part of a broader collaboration among Taiwan's four leading bilingual benchmark universities-NSYSU, National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) - working together with Fulbright Taiwan and the Fulbright Taiwan Higher Education Consortium. Partner universities in the United States include Arizona State University (ASU), the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Teachers College at Columbia University (TC), and New York University (NYU). The program not only examines whether Taiwanese students can successfully engage in U. S. academic settings, but also highlights the quality of EMI teaching in Taiwan. "The valuable practical experience gained from this exchange will serve as an important reference for selecting outstanding students for future study in the United States," said Shu-chen Sherry Ou, Vice President for Academic Affairs of NSYSU. She added, "The Program signifies international recognition of Taiwan's bilingual education. Through reciprocal exchanges with top universities such as ASU, students can build international learning experiences and broaden their perspectives through cross-cultural engagement."
The two visiting ASU students, Ryan La Ra and Allison Cheon, specialize in electrical engineering and robotics and autonomous systems, respectively. NSYSU offered a range of EMI STEM courses for them to attend, notably "Design, Test, and Applications of Highly Reliable Systems" taught by Department of Electrical Engineering Professor Tong-Yu Hsieh, and "Introduction to Robotics and Its Applications" taught by Assistant Professor Kai-Yi Wong. In addition to domain-specific courses, they also attended a general education class, Living Well in a Changing Climate, and participated in the English-language exchange activity "English Table." Through both classroom learning and informal discussions, Taiwanese and American students exchanged ideas on topics such as environmental sustainability and digital communication, while also sharing their cultural perspectives and learning experiences.
As their visit coincided with NSYSU's annual Sports Day, the university also arranged activities, including macaque sightings at Shoushan Mountain and canoeing at Sizihwan Bay. By moving from mountain ecology to coastal experiences, the students gained a well-rounded sense of southern Taiwan's natural environment and the vibrant energy of campus life. Beyond attending classes, they actively joined discussions, hands-on activities, and English enhancement programs. From STEM classrooms and Si Wan College to Chaishan Mountain and Sizihwan Bay, the students experienced NSYSU's distinctive bilingual campus and its unique mountain-to-sea culture.
Reflecting on their one-week visit, Ryan La Ra praised NSYSU's bilingual learning environment and the diversity of its courses and activities. He noted the strong sense of collaboration among students, as well as their ability to balance academic work with extracurricular engagement. Allison Cheon shared that NSYSU students' English proficiency exceeded her expectations, and that the level of classroom interaction and teaching style was comparable to that of U. S. universities. Vice President Ou emphasized that through substantive exchanges with students from top institutions such as ASU, NSYSU students not only build international mobility through classroom learning but also develop broader perspectives through cross-cultural interaction.
To enhance Taiwanese students' global outlook and international mobility, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has launched the Fulbright Taiwan EMI Test Waiver Partnership Program. The initiative enables students from Taiwan and the United States to participate in short-term exchanges at each other's universities. It aims to explore how well Taiwanese students can adapt to U. S. classroom environments while also showcasing the quality of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses in Taiwan. During the 2025-26 winter break, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) sent three students to Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) for short-term study visits. From March 9 to 14, NSYSU also became the first among Taiwan's bilingual benchmark universities to host ASU students Ryan La Ra and Allison Cheon as part of this reciprocal exchange.
This exchange is part of a broader collaboration among Taiwan's four leading bilingual benchmark universities-NSYSU, National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) - working together with Fulbright Taiwan and the Fulbright Taiwan Higher Education Consortium. Partner universities in the United States include Arizona State University (ASU), the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Teachers College at Columbia University (TC), and New York University (NYU). The program not only examines whether Taiwanese students can successfully engage in U. S. academic settings, but also highlights the quality of EMI teaching in Taiwan. "The valuable practical experience gained from this exchange will serve as an important reference for selecting outstanding students for future study in the United States," said Shu-chen Sherry Ou, Vice President for Academic Affairs of NSYSU. She added, "The Program signifies international recognition of Taiwan's bilingual education. Through reciprocal exchanges with top universities such as ASU, students can build international learning experiences and broaden their perspectives through cross-cultural engagement."
The two visiting ASU students, Ryan La Ra and Allison Cheon, specialize in electrical engineering and robotics and autonomous systems, respectively. NSYSU offered a range of EMI STEM courses for them to attend, notably "Design, Test, and Applications of Highly Reliable Systems" taught by Department of Electrical Engineering Professor Tong-Yu Hsieh, and "Introduction to Robotics and Its Applications" taught by Assistant Professor Kai-Yi Wong. In addition to domain-specific courses, they also attended a general education class, Living Well in a Changing Climate, and participated in the English-language exchange activity "English Table." Through both classroom learning and informal discussions, Taiwanese and American students exchanged ideas on topics such as environmental sustainability and digital communication, while also sharing their cultural perspectives and learning experiences.
As their visit coincided with NSYSU's annual Sports Day, the university also arranged activities, including macaque sightings at Shoushan Mountain and canoeing at Sizihwan Bay. By moving from mountain ecology to coastal experiences, the students gained a well-rounded sense of southern Taiwan's natural environment and the vibrant energy of campus life. Beyond attending classes, they actively joined discussions, hands-on activities, and English enhancement programs. From STEM classrooms and Si Wan College to Chaishan Mountain and Sizihwan Bay, the students experienced NSYSU's distinctive bilingual campus and its unique mountain-to-sea culture.
Reflecting on their one-week visit, Ryan La Ra praised NSYSU's bilingual learning environment and the diversity of its courses and activities. He noted the strong sense of collaboration among students, as well as their ability to balance academic work with extracurricular engagement. Allison Cheon shared that NSYSU students' English proficiency exceeded her expectations, and that the level of classroom interaction and teaching style was comparable to that of U. S. universities. Vice President Ou emphasized that through substantive exchanges with students from top institutions such as ASU, NSYSU students not only build international mobility through classroom learning but also develop broader perspectives through cross-cultural interaction.
Click Num:
Share