Overseas students look forward to a colorful life at SCU in orientation program

The Office of International & Cross-Strait Academic Exchange (OIE) held an orientation program for all new overseas students of Soochow University in Pu-Jen Hall on Sep 1. Approximately 300 people attended the orientation, including 150 overseas Chinese students from ten countries, 25 non-Chinese overseas students from seven countries, and 75 Chinese students from eight Mainland provinces as well as some students’ parents. Some students said they felt a little nervous because it was their first time in Taiwan, while others looked forward to a colorful life at SCU.  

In his opening remarks, SCU president Wei-Ta Pan briefly introduced the history of SCU and mentioned Chong-Hui Wang, the late president of SCU for his great contributions to the school. For Pan, learning about the history of SCU and about Wang’s devotion, overseas students more strongly identify with SCU and become proud of being an SCU student. During the orientation, students learned about “First Mile Orientation” and the English language proficiency test. Two talks were given on the subjects of “sexual harassment prevention” and “regulations related to studying in Taiwan.”

Moreover, the speaker from OIE added that SCU has been developing partnerships with universities abroad, offering foreign exchange programs that give students opportunities to study abroad and thereby gain an international perspective. To encourage overseas students to apply for the programs, OIE said they would provide students with scholarships and learning resources for studying abroad.

Yi-Hang Shen, sophomore and current president of Mainland Student Association, and Shin-Nien Sun, a freshman from China, both considered the orientation program helpful in providing them with an picture of school life at SCU. When interviewed, they also mentioned that the reason they decided to study in Taiwan is because they have a strong interest in Chinese folk culture is better preserved in Taiwan than in China.

Shen and Sun, however, admitted the new environment made them feel nervous at first. The uncertainty of Cross-Strait relations was also a source of concern. “We fear that controversial policies might lead to growing enmity of local students against China students,” they noted. OIE said that overseas students could contact OIE should any question or problem arise, and OIE will be quick to address the issue.