【Article by International College of Innovation】
NCCU Baozhong Tea Festival was held with great success on October 30, 2021. Unlike what its name suggests, NCCU’s Baozhong Tea Festival is not a gathering of tea enthusiasts. The name of the festival is derived from a fine tea produced in Wenshan District where the university is located. The event aims to provide high school students and parents with a better understanding of programs taught at NCCU, application procedure, and NCCU student life. The student body has been actively promoting the school at the BZT festival for the past two decades. In order to reach out to as many students as possible and to mitigate participants’ health concerns, this year’s BZT festival was held in both physical and virtual formats.

The International College of Innovation (ICI), being one of the newest colleges in the university, had a lot to offer to future students of NCCU at the festival. ICI’s physical booth was located in front of the main library and the online event was delivered through Gather Town. At the physical booth, numerous students from all across Taiwan, from Kaohsiung to Taipei, had opportunities to talk to ICI students in person. Participants showed a great interest in cross-disciplinary curriculum provided by the college. A student from Hsinchu said that the ICI is probably the only higher education institution in Taiwan that can fulfil his broad range of academic interests encompassing global studies, technology, and management. To express gratitude towards the people who visited the booth, free drink coupons that can be used at a nearby Korean restaurant were provided.

ICI’s online event on Gather Town was a perfect place to obtain a hands-on virtual campus experience. Seminars addressed by Professor Ou and Professor Chen provided a comprehensive outlook of the ICI curriculum and course aims. In the afternoon, several ICI sophomores have shared their invaluable study experiences at the college along with useful admission information and tips for interviews. Participants with further questions were able to directly ask ICI students through Q&A sessions. It was incredible to witness active engagements and interests demonstrated by the guests.

Overall, last Saturday’s event was a remarkable occasion that bonded prospective and current ICI students. Members of the ICI community have strived to provide the best possible BZT experience. There is no doubt that future students will benefit from innovative teaching mechanisms of the ICI and in return, the college would benefit a lot from prestigious students joining the program. Having met numerous extraordinary students at the BZT festival, it is exciting to anticipate what the future holds for NCCU ICI.