IMAS Graduation Week: From the Track to the Stage, and Then to the Sea

Track Events: Struan Freeborn (left) and Felix Leuner (right) competed in the 5,000-meter long-distance race. In the relay race, Alexander Hilliker passed the baton to Emma Sampson-Green.(Article by IMAS)
Track Events: Struan Freeborn (left) and Felix Leuner (right) competed in the 5,000-meter long-distance race. In the relay race, Alexander Hilliker passed the baton to Emma Sampson-Green.(Article by IMAS)
Field Events: Daniel Gombos and Aileen Towner both won awards in the shot put competition.(Article by IMAS)
Field Events: Daniel Gombos and Aileen Towner both won awards in the shot put competition.(Article by IMAS)
IMAS students showed great teamwork and unity.(Article by IMAS)
IMAS students showed great teamwork and unity.(Article by IMAS)
(Left) Katharine Bostick delivered a speech on behalf of the graduates’ parents. (Right) Two IMAS female students with military training: Ja Seng Hkawn, who previously served in the Kachin Independence Army, and Christina Ellis, from West Point.(Article by IMAS)
(Left) Katharine Bostick delivered a speech on behalf of the graduates’ parents. (Right) Two IMAS female students with military training: Ja Seng Hkawn, who previously served in the Kachin Independence Army, and Christina Ellis, from West Point.(Article by IMAS)
Formal and candid group photos from the graduation ceremony.(Article by IMAS)
Formal and candid group photos from the graduation ceremony.(Article by IMAS)
IMAS students traveled along the old coal railway route to the Marine Science Museum and learned from Professor Tung-Wei Shih about the history of the former thermal power plant.(Article by IMAS)
IMAS students traveled along the old coal railway route to the Marine Science Museum and learned from Professor Tung-Wei Shih about the history of the former thermal power plant.(Article by IMAS)
Khanh Nguyen Phuong Huynh and Claudia Garcia shared how Vietnam and Mexico are working to protect the marine environment.(Article by IMAS)
Khanh Nguyen Phuong Huynh and Claudia Garcia shared how Vietnam and Mexico are working to protect the marine environment.(Article by IMAS)
With translation assistance from Korean students Soolim Nam and Eunhae Lee, IMAS students learned from Mrs. Kim about the development of the local Korean community after World War II.(Article by IMAS)
With translation assistance from Korean students Soolim Nam and Eunhae Lee, IMAS students learned from Mrs. Kim about the development of the local Korean community after World War II.(Article by IMAS)
Professor Seik Kim (left) and Professor Jae Hyeok Shin (right) of Korea University joined the sea-fishing activity.(Article by IMAS)
Professor Seik Kim (left) and Professor Jae Hyeok Shin (right) of Korea University joined the sea-fishing activity.(Article by IMAS)
Enjoying dinner while fishing at sea.(Article by IMAS)
Enjoying dinner while fishing at sea.(Article by IMAS)
Anezka Karpfova and Nathaniel Thomas show off their fish.(Article by IMAS)
Anezka Karpfova and Nathaniel Thomas show off their fish.(Article by IMAS)
Date : 2026-06-12 Department : International Master’s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies

【Article by IMAS】
The end of May is always one of the most important times of the year for IMAS, with Sports Day and the graduation ceremony taking place. This year, we also added a boat trip for sea fishing.

First came the annual Sports Day. In the individual events, Aileen Towner won first place in the shot put; Daniel Gombos placed fifth; Felix Leuner won third place in both the 800-meter race and the 5,000-meter long-distance race; and Struan Freeborn placed fourth in the 5,000-meter long-distance race.

In the team events, IMAS placed sixth in the relay race. In tug-of-war, the first-year and second-year students won second place and fourth place respectively. IMAS also placed fifth in Giant Ball Relay. Although the two IMAS cohorts together have only a few dozen students, they were among the most active international graduate programs in the competitions, and therefore won the Team Competition Championship.

One week later came the graduation ceremony. This year, at the College of Social Sciences graduation ceremony, the parent representative speech was delivered by Katharine Bostick, mother of IMAS graduate Christina Ellis, who came to IMAS from West Point. Katharine Bostick is a senior executive at Novartis Singapore and previously served as a U.S. federal prosecutor in Northern California, Washington, D.C., and New York.

In her speech, she quoted U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and emphasized that the person who truly deserves respect is the one who is willing to face failure and still keep trying. Drawing on her own experience interviewing candidates, she also explained that if someone cannot talk about any experience of failure at all, that can actually be worrying, because it may mean the person has spent too much time staying inside their comfort zone.

In addition to working hard, Katharine Bostick also reminded the graduates not to pursue titles alone, but also to treasure their family and friends. Quoting Maya Angelou, she noted that people may not always remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel. In the end, she offered a very practical reminder: “As you go through life, be kind. Make sure people never forget how you made them feel.”

On the day after the graduation ceremony, IMAS students first traveled to a mountain railway station. This railway was built during the Japanese colonial period for the purpose of transporting coal. Its final stop was a thermal power plant, which has now been transformed into a museum of marine science.

Students listened to Professor Tung-Wei Shih of National Taiwan Ocean University introduce the U.S. bombing of the power plant during World War II, as well as the changes that took place afterward. IMAS students Khanh Nguyen Phuong Huynh, Alexander Hilliker, Claudia Garcia, and Yuval Hason also exchanged ideas with students from National Taiwan Ocean University on sustainability experiences in Taiwan, Vietnam, Mexico, Norway, Indonesia, and the Netherlands.

IMAS students then visited the historic site of Korea Street together with two visiting professors from Korea University: Professor Seik Kim, Associate Dean of the College of Political Science and Economics and Professor of Economics, and Professor Jae Hyeok Shin, Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Policy Studies. There, they listened to Mrs. Kim, who married and moved to Taiwan from Korea in 1970, as she recalled why the street became a gathering place for Koreans after World War II and how it later developed.

The final activity took everyone to the fishing harbor. After boarding the boat for dinner, the group headed out to sea for fishing. With strong winds and rough waves, many people became seasick, but the experience also became an unforgettable memory. The group returned to campus around midnight, marking the end of the day’s cultural program, the final week of the semester, and the graduates’ last week on campus.

IMAS Director Philip Hsiaopong Liu noted that because IMAS students come from all over the world, one of the most effective ways to bring them together is through sports and competition with other departments. Whether they win or lose, these activities help strengthen students’ spirit of teamwork.

He also emphasized that IMAS places great importance on off-campus learning. By experiencing local culture firsthand, international students are able to see and feel the connections between Taiwan and the wider world. With this team spirit and cross-cultural training, many IMAS students continue to maintain deep transnational friendships even after graduation. He hopes that more international students in the future will come to IMAS and experience this distinctive approach to learning.

Visit IMAS: https://imas.nccu.edu.tw