【Article by Kuo Yu-hsuan】
At the beginning of a fresh semester, the new Vice President for International Cooperation at National Chengchi University (NCCU), Professor Tang Ching-ping, said he would like to invite international students to meet locals and encourage them to explore their
communities.

“In Taiwan, mountains and beaches are never too far away from you,” said Tang, “same as the diversity of cultures and the richness of life.”

Professor Tang mentioned that he knew of a Polish student, Meg, who succeeded in climbing 100 mountains while studying in Taiwan. He also shared the story of how Manu, a former PhD student from India, visited over 100 elementary and junior high schools on his bike to promote Indian culture.

Tang said that, due to cultural ignorance, some Taiwanese may have hygiene concerns about Indians eating with their hands. In fact, people in India eat with their hands because they consider that each finger represents one base element of the universe and eating as such makes them enjoy the whole process more.

“Manu challenged people’s stereotypes and triggered their curiosity about Indian culture,” said Tang. He added that NCCU provided Manu with scholarships to finish his project and encouraged other students to make use of the school’s resources, too.

Tang said he expected the Office of International Cooperation would become a service center for international students and support those who are not fluent in Mandarin. “Making them feel that OIC Is the place to go whenever they need help would be our top priority.”

In return, Tang said, OIC hopes international students can inspire changes by cultivating local students' multicultural literacy, expanding the boundaries of their imagination, and bringing NCCU to the world stage.