FEATURED NEWS

Date of Issue: May 1, 2017

 

FCU has carefully constructed an international academic environment. There are, for instance, 1500 international students at FCU—a number that is one of the highest among all universities in Taiwan. At the same time, FCU arranges international exchanges and other international opportunities, such as internships at overseas companies and international volunteer services.

 

Particularly noteworthy is the President Chang Pao-Long Memorial Scholarship, which provides financial aid to underprivileged students so they can study overseas. The Scholarship is a tribute to former FCU president Chang Pao-long’s lifelong devotion to education. The scholarship funds are donated by alumni and Chang Pao-long’s family.

 

Chang Pao-Long’s widow, Wang Shu-xian, recalls that her late husband was born in a time when attending university was simply out of the question for most people. Only because Chang Pao-long received a scholarship was he able to complete his master’s and PhD degrees in the United States, an experience that she says changed his life for the better. This is the original intention of scholarships, says Wang Shu-xian: “If more and more students are given opportunities to study overseas, they too will be changed for the better.” She hopes that the scholarship that bear’s her late-husband’s name will plant a seed in the minds of its recipients, and instill in them an international perspective.

 

This year, four students received the President Chang Pao-Long Memorial Scholarship. They are Department of International Business student Liao Wan-pei, who is studying at The Hague University in the Netherlands; Department of International Business student Tsai Hui-ying, who is studying at the Technical University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic; Department of Chemical Engineering student Zhao Yi-qing, who is studying at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia; and Department of Marketing student Xu Jia-wei, who is studying at the Tampere University of Technology in Finland.

 

According to Liao Wan-pei, “My family’s financial situation means I would never be able to study abroad if I didn’t receive financial aid; I am grateful for the financial assistance that has allowed me to realize my dream.” At The Hague University Liao is studying International Business and Management Studies in a class that includes both local and international students. The academic challenges are many, she says, but so was the challenge of leaving her home to study in a foreign land: “There were times when I felt blue, but this has helped me grow up and mature.” She is looking forward to finding employment in the Netherlands after she graduates.

 

Department of Marketing student Xu Jia-wei is taking management-related courses in his time away from Taiwan. Xu set up a Facebook Fan Page so he can share his remarkable experiences and passion for the northern European lifestyle. Xu knows that after only one semester abroad, his language skills and professional abilities will not improve in leaps and bounds, but he remains cognizant that the most important part of being overseas is to understand new ideas and to “open myself up to the world by learning how to cooperate and communicate in a different culture.”

 

Each year the President Chang Pao-Long Memorial Scholarship offers NT$500,000 in funding for tuition, cost of living, and flights. Students from any department can apply, so long as they do not have a failing grade on their previous semester’s transcript. Students must also provide proof of language abilities. In the event that two applicants are judged to share the same application standards, the priority shall be granted to the student who demonstrates a greater need for financial aid.

President Pao-Long Chang Memorial Scholarship recipients: Department of Marketing student Xu Jia-wei (top left); Department of International Business student Liao Wan-pei (top right); Department of Chemical Engineering student Zhao Yi-qing (bottom left); and Department of International Business student Tsai Hui-ying (bottom right) (Photos provided by the students).