Asia Magazine #19

asiamagazine 2012 NO 19 A MAGAZINE BY CHALMERS STUDENTS IN ASIA

SINGAPORE - LET’S CELEBRATE!

EXPATS IN KOREA - LIVING FAR AWAY FROM HOME SHANGHAI – THE CITY OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!

Chalmers International Taiwan Office

asiamagazine WHAT IS CHALMERS international taiwan office?

Chalmers International Taiwan Office, CITO, was opened in March 2003 and is the result of a bilateral exchange agreement between National Chiao Tung University, NCTU, and Chalmers University of Technology. CITO is strategically located at NCTU, near Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park.

PURPOSE - Increase awareness at Chalmers about the development in East Asia, with focus on Taiwan.

- Support mobility of students and staff between NCTU and Chalmers.

- Enhance Chalmers’ visibility in Taiwan and the neighbouring region.

A part of CITO’s mission is to enhance opportunities for Chalmers students in Asia.

To do this we search for internships, master theses or other cooperation.

If you are looking for assistance to grab the opportunities in Asia, do not hesitate to contact us today!

THE CHALMERS ASIA MAGAZINE The purpose of this publication is to increase the awareness of Asia among the students and the staff of Chalmers. The articles are written by the Chalmers’ exchange students within the World Wide prorgramme in Asia.

EDITOR ANDREA SJÖBERG

andrea.sjoberg@chalmers.se ART DIRECTOR VIKTOR ANDERSSON

andvik@chalmers.se CONTACT ADRESS CITO, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Rd., Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, R.O.C. WEB www.asia.chalmers.se PHONE +886 (0)3 573 73 69 +46 (0)31 780 41 55 FAX +886 (0)3 573 74 69 Front cover: Dragon Painting, Hsinchu, Taiwan, photo by Andrea Sjöberg Back cover: Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong, photo by Andrea Sjöberg Page 1:Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia, photo by Viktor Hallman

asiaContents asiaOffice 2 ASIA LETTER 3 ASIA STAFF 30 ASIA PROFILE 34 EXPLORE ASIA 36 ASIA APPLY

asiaReport 4 TRAVELLING IN TAIWAN 6 SHANGHAI – THE CITY OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES! 9 SINGAPORE, LET’S CELEBRATE! 12 FEEL THE BUZZ FROM SCOOTERS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN HO CHI MINH CITY 14 EXPATS IN KOREA - LIVING FAR AWAY FROM HOME 16 CANTONESE CUISINE 18 HONG KONG - A CITY OF DIVERSITY 20 BEING SWEDISH AT SKF IN SINGAPORE 22 LIFE AS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT IN TAIWAN 24 SINGAPORE – ELEVATED CITY PLANNING 27 EVOLUTION OF ASIAN ECONOMIES 30 ASIA PROFILE - LOUSIE BYSTRÖM 32 THE CAPITALS OF CHINA

asiaLetter

T

he spring has arrived in Taiwan with flourishing flower beds and beautiful blossoming trees, and the CITO members are yet again gathered after a long winter break. The office is up and running with regular visits from students who are interested in studying at Chalmers, events are held to display the joys of studying in Sweden, and the mid-terms are soon approaching.The typical life as exchange students in Taiwan continues.

During the winter break all of us have grabbed the opportunity to further explore Asia. When travelling around in East Asia for several weeks one really realizes what an incredible diversity of cultures, people, traditions and scenery Asia has to offer. And after several company visits and inspiring meetings I have to admit that I am utterly impressed by Asia; the optimism the continent is bursting with, the fast economic growth and development, the international business climate, and of course the warm and welcoming people.

The reports from back home regarding the recession and hard times are barely noticeable here. Of course Asia is enormous, and the recession has definitely left its mark on the economies, but the people are just as positive and enthusiastic as ever, and the development does not seem to have declined. In Asia nothing is impossible, and the old Swedish saying ‘problems exist in order to get solved’ truly permeates the attitude of the region.

as professionally. I am also proud to present our new contribution to the magazine, Asia Profile, where we give you the chance to get acquainted with a person who inspired us during the year.

Furthermore, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the magazine and made the publication of this edition possible.

The semester is proceeding and the time really flies by. The end of the exchange is approaching and we are all beginning to understand that nothing lasts forever. Nevertheless, we will not leave Taiwan empty handed. To our next destination, whether it is home or towards another challenge, we will bring many wonderful memories and experiences that will truly enrich our life. I am utterly grateful that I had the privilege of spending a year in Taiwan, and I think I speak for all of us at the CITO office when I say that Asia has reserved a special place in our hearts.

2012-03-26 Andrea SjĂśberg, Editor in Chief

The economic growth in Asia is incredible and my picture of Asia before going to Taiwan, as a soon-to-be developed region, has changed. There are of course huge differences among the countries, however, in some locations the development and the modernity is definitely at the cutting edge and can truly be pitted against that of Europe. I have for example never seen as many electric and environmental friendly scooters as I saw in Shanghai this spring. And I had never heard about the advanced actions toward environmental hazards that the Chinese government initiates. Neither did I know that many of the large cities in East Asia have such developed transportation systems, nor that many countries invest so heavily in expanding their railways with way faster trains than SJ has to offer in Sweden. Asia is definitely facing large challenges in the future and has yet to reach the same standard of living as in Europe, however, I think that we in Sweden and Europe have a lot to learn from this continent..

In this issue of Asia Magazine I hope that you will obtain an idea of the diversity we have experienced here, and of the adventures and challenges this continent offers you, personally as well Photo by Viktor Andersson

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asiaStaff Simon Fellin

Robert Ingemarsson

Head of Office

Deputy Head of Office and Treasurer

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design and Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Industrial Design and Engineering.

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management and Economics of Innovation.

Email: simon.fellin@chalmers.se

Email: robert.ingemarsson@chalmers.se

Andrea Sjöberg

Viktor Andersson

Editor in Chief of Asia Magazine

Art Director of Asia Magazine

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management and Economics

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management and Economics

of Innovation.

of Innovation.

Email: andrea.sjoberg@chalmers.se

Email: andvik@chalmers.se

Saamet Ekici

Vlad Månsson

Responsible for Corporate Relations

Responsible for Corporate Relations

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management.

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management.

Email: saamet.ekici@chalmers.se

Email: vlad.mansson@chalmers.se

Viktor Hallman

Carolina Ståhlberg

IT Responsible

Responsible for the Alumni Group

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from Chalmers University of Technology.

Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a

Wireless, Photonics and Space Engineering.

Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management

Email: viktor.hallman@chalmers.se

Email: carolina.stahlberg@chalmers.se

Emma Grönlund

Linnéa Petersson

Responsible for Academic Exchange

Responsible for Academic Exchange

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management and Economics of Innovation.

Email: emma.gronlund@chalmers.se

Email: linnea.petersson@chalmers.se

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Travelling in Taiwan – A lot of things to see in a small country Text & photos:Viktor Hallman, NCTU Taiwan

This article is focusing on traveling in Taiwan and what Taiwan has to offer. When travelling around in this country, you can experience everything from top modern metropolitans to small primitive mountain villages.

Taiwan is also a country with very diverse and beautiful scenery. A major part of the east coast is impassable due to steep mountains and rough vegetation.The west coast, however, mostly offers lowlands, larger cities and well-developed infrastructure.

The capital city Taipei is located in the northern part of Taiwan, with around 7 million citizens. The city is completely different to all other cities in Taiwan with its European-city atmosphere.

One of the main attractions is Taipei 101, one of the highest buildings in the world, measuring 509 meters. The building has been the world’s highest building from the end of 2004 when it opened until the beginning of 2010.Taking the elevator from the entrance floor to the top only takes 39 seconds with a speed of 60 km/hour. When it comes to nightlife, no other city in Taiwan can really compete with Taipei.The clubs are of high internation-

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al standard and regularly host big names such as Snoop Dogg & Dr Dre, Calvin Harris and LMFAO. Just 30 minutes bus ride outside Taipei is Yangmingshan national park, a very popular place to see the azalea blossom in the spring. The name of the park was originally Caoshan, 草山, which means grass mountain and refers to the highest mountain in the park that is covered with grass.

Kaohsiung lies in the southern part of Taiwan and is the second biggest city in Taiwan, with almost 3 million citizens. Kaohsiung is of great importance to the Taiwanese economy because of its large harbour. The original name of the city, Taoko, derives from the Japanese colonisation. Writing Takao in Japanese it is composed by the two Chinese characters 高雄, which in Chinese is pronounced Kaohsiung. For being the second largest city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung is rather different compared to the capital Taipei, with a much slower-paced lifestyle. For instance people look more relaxed in Kaohsiung and it does not feel as crowded as the capital. These differences can be due to the fact that Ka-

“The landscape, with its deep valleys and waterfalls, is amazing.� ohsiung is an industrial city. The difference between the cities is even more apparent during wintertime, when Kaohsiung has a much warmer climate than the capital.

Kenting, located at the southernmost part of Taiwan, is the place to go if you are looking for a beach, and it is just a two hour bus trip from Kaohsiung. Taiwan offers a surprisingly variation in climate, considering how small the country is. While Taipei in the north has cold and windy weather, Kenting can offer beachfriendly temperatures in the south.

Situated at the east coast of Taiwan, Taitung lies a few hours north of Kenting. However, make sure you have had enough of beaches before visiting the east coast, since this coastline mostly offers rocks and mountains. The coastline is at many places incredibly beautiful, with high mountains rising high straight out of the Pacific Ocean. Taitung is for many adventuros visitors the starting point when climbing the Jade Mountain. Eleven peaks compose this mountain and with the highest one reaching 3952 meters. Furthermore, Green Island lies in the vicinity of Taitung and is a very famous tourist attraction.

Further up the north coast, you will find the city of Hualien and the beautiful Taroko National Park. Taroko is mainly steep mountains, and just the fact that is it possible to drive a bus through this terrain is amazing. However, the steep cliffs in Taroko can cause you trouble if you are unlucky. Falling stones from the cliffs is not a rarity, especially not after heavy rain and earthquakes. So when taking a guided tour you are required to

wear a helmet. The landscape, with its deep valleys and waterfalls, is amazing though.

Travelling on north from Hualien on the east coast, some would recommend you to go by train instead of car. The reason for this is that the highway here is extremely dangerous and a very unfortunate road with heavy traffic. However, if you are looking for great scenery this might be your favorite because the road runs along the coast of Pacific Ocean and, some of the scenery is really astonishing.

The places described in this article are just a glimpse of what there is to see in Taiwan. For being such a small country the wide variation in scenery and climate makes it feel much bigger than it really is. This in addition to the relatively well-developed infrastructure makes it a perfect country for travelling.

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Shanghai – The City of Endless Possibilities!

Text & photos: Emma Grönlund & Andrea Sjöberg

Shanghai is an amazing city of contrasts. It is a city where the remains of an old time meet the modern monuments of a new one. It is a multicultural city with an impressive mix of people from around the whole world. It is a city blooming from years and years without a recession and where people have an inspiring ambition. But above all, it is a city where anything is possible.

We had the privilege of travelling to this remarkable city on behalf of the CITO office, and we encountered several people and business representatives in inspiring meetings, which made us amazed by the positive attitude that characterises Shanghai.

As one of the largest cities in the world, famous for its tremendous growth during the last decade, Shanghai has captured the position as one of the world’s major financial districts. But Shanghai is also a city holding on to the remains from world history. You can for example take a walk in the old Chinese districts with remainders from the 16th century or go to a nice restaurant in the former French Concession, where memories from the French settlement are revealed. However, the contrast are perhaps most vivid when you stroll along The Bund, with the impressive buildings of old British banks on the west side of the Pudong river and the view of the top modern financial dis-

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trict of Pudong on the other.These contrasts are just as evident when observing the people in the city. International business people dressed in suits are walking on the same roads as the classic Chinese street shop owner and the old lady from the countryside selling homemade bread.

During the last decades the businesses in Shanghai have been blooming.The city is one of China’s major business hubs, located on the east coast. It is one of the cities where the Chinese government has helped kick-start the industrialisation and financial development within the country, which has helped Shanghai grow into one of China’s most modern and international cities.

Shanghai has therefore become a hub for multinational companies and professionals creating an exciting environment to work in. Hence, many Swedish companies with ambitions to expand to China have chosen to establish in Shanghai. Large Swedish companies have been present within the Shanghai area for decades, but the number of Swedish firms on the market is still growing steady. The Swedish companies which are trying to expand to this emerging market today are mainly middle and small size firms.

Due to the large number of multinational companies present in Shanghai, people from all over the world are gathered in the

city. Among these are several thousands Swedes, and of course a group of former Chalmers students. These Chalmers alumni can, as all students who have graduated from Chalmers, join Chalmerska Ingenjörsföreningen, CING, which is a network for Chalmers alumni with worldwide presence. We got the opportunity to join one of CING’s informal gatherings in Shanghai, where we met Andreas Sigurdsson, a Chalmers engineer and chairman of CING China, who runs two own companies in Shanghai. We were struck by Andreas’s enthusiasm and were delighted that we got the opportunity to talk to him about living and working in Shanghai.

After graduating from Chalmers in 2006, with double Master’s degrees from Industrial Engineering and Management as well as from Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship, Andreas bought a one-way ticket to Shanghai. It was, however, not the first time that Andreas moved to Asia since he spent a year as an exchange student at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan during 2003 and 2004. He decided to move to Shanghai since he was eager to return to China, a country which had inspired him during several earlier trips with its scenery and lively cities. He chose to return to Shanghai since his previous visits had allowed him to establish a wide network of people whom he knew in the city, and who could help him to find a job.

Andreas told us that what he enjoys most about Shanghai is that “the city has a strong pulse of optimism”, which makes it an exiting place to be. There is a positive and entrepreneurial feeling in the city since the inhabitants in Shanghai has never experienced a recession, hence there are no limits and anything is perceived as possible. As a result of this positive spirit, Andreas has met a large amount of people who have come to Shanghai and been inspired to pursue their dream. ”You can come here and be who you want to be; I have seen engineers who become photographers just to follow their dreams”.

Andreas has worked at different companies in Shanghai until last year when he decided to fulfil his life-long dream of starting his own business. His passion for clean-tech led him to start Lychee partners together with two Swedish partners. Lychee is a consultant and investment company that focuses on introducing and establishing Nordic cleantech and mobile-tech in China. Andreas is very positive about running his own business in China but he faced many challenges when starting the company. The competition on the Chinese market is high, making it important to always be a step ahead when you run your business. This can, however, be difficult as personal relationships are important in China when seeking funding and licensing, and to build these take time.

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Shanghai is, according to Andreas, going through a phase of change. The wages for workers in the city has gone up over the years and the factories located in Shanghai are therefore moving to the western parts of China. Andreas believes that the companies operating in the area will be more and more service oriented and he also sees the development of the finance district coming up. Shanghai also has to deal with its pollution in order to withstand the competition from other large cities in China.

Andreas has some advice to other Chalmers students who plan to work in China. He says that there is not only a high level of competition among the companies in Shanghai but also among newly graduates looking for jobs. Hence, it is essential to show the company what makes you stand out from the crowd. One way in to the market is to write your Master’s thesis at a company in Shanghai. This will give you a great opportunity to meet people and establish contacts.The importance of using contacts and personal network cannot be stressed enough making Chalmers alumni network a great asset in finding a job. Also, Chinese language skills will not only make life in Shanghai and other parts of China more pleasant and enjoyable, but it is as well becoming more of a standard among applicants compared to a few years ago.

Shanghai truly is an amazing city, and it is impossible to go there without being pulled into the positive entrepreneurial feeling surrounding the city. The fast development of the market, the vast amount of successful companies, and the old, traditional Chinese culture mixed with the new, modern and international spirit makes Shanghai the place to be!

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Singapore, let’s celebrate!

Text & photos: Maria Edenbrandt and Anna Sandberg, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

ligions and nationalities seem to be not only accepted, but also very welcome and celebrated in the country. Since everybody is also free from work on the public holidays, many take the opportunity to celebrate even when it’s not their own culture or religion.This shows a deep understanding of each other’s cultures; something that is rare in the rest of the world. During our year of exchange, we took the opportunity to open our minds and celebrate these holidays with the Singaporeans.

National day of Singapore The National Day is celebrated on the 9th of August, which is the day of independence for Singapore. The theme of last year’s National Day celebration was “Majulah! The Singapore Spirit”.

Majulah is Malaysian and means onward. Even though the actual celebration occurs on the 9th we could spot the Singaporean flag everywhere weeks before and weeks after this day. It was seen on cars, hanging out from peoples’ windows and on peoples’ clothes.

We once asked a Singaporean friend whether she celebrates Christmas or not. She smiled at us and said: “In Singapore we celebrate everything!” After having spent half a year in Singapore we truly know what she means.

Singaporeans really do celebrate everything, and during our year as exchange students, so have we. In this article we want to describe how we as foreigners experience the Singaporean celebrations and holidays.

On the 9th of August the Singaporeans listen to the yearly speech of the Prime Minister and then watch the National Day Parade, consisting of a military performance and a spectacular show of hundreds of actors. The parade was like nothing we

This February, the Chinese year of the dragon started and thereby a 15 days long celebration came to an end.The Chinese New Year is only one of ten national holidays in Singapore. In addition to the common holidays such as New Year’s Eve, Labour Day and National Day, the largest ethnic groups of Singapore have one or two holidays each. Deepavali for the Hindus, Vesak Day for Buddhists, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha for Muslims, Christmas Eve and Good Friday for Christians, and Chinese New Year for the Chinese.

When we just had arrived in Singapore and started our exchange program here, we were continuously surprised when the lectures were cancelled due to different public holidays, some of which we had never heard of before. However, after spending some time in the country we started understanding how multicultural and diverse Singapore is. All the different re9

had ever seen before. Three helicopters were flying a giant Singaporean flag over the arena, five skydivers jumped from a plane forming red smoke stripes over the sky and landing on the scene, a fictional bomb was detonated by remote controlled robots and hundreds of performers were forming the most spectacular scenes in the theme of Singapore. The whole thing was accompanied by the theme song “In a Heartbeat”, and everything ended with a massive firework.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha The Islamic holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar and occur on different dates every year, Eid al-Fitr in the late summer and Eid al-Adha in the late autumn. Since most Singaporean Muslims originally are from Malaysia, the Malay Village in the city area Geylang becomes very alive during these holidays with several night markets where clothes and cookies can be bought.

When the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, comes to an end Eid al-Fitr is celebrated. The Muslims wake up early in the morning and visit a mosque. After the praying they gather all their relatives and enjoy a large breakfast together. Later in the day they visit their friends.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated to remember the day when Abraham made sacrifices to God and on this day only the closest family is gathered to sacrifice a sheep as a memory of the historic day.

The family keeps one third of the meat of the sheep for them-

selves, gives one third to their neighbours and donates one third to the poor.

Deepavali The main Hindu holiday, called Deepavali, is celebrated by Hindus because it is the day when one of their gods, Lord Rama, returned from his exile. Deepavali is also called “the festival of lights” and it occurs in the autumn. The exact date depends on the Hindu lunar calendar. During Deepavali the Singaporeans celebrate by lighting candles in oil filled clay pots, visiting relatives and friends and eating sweets. Since a large part of the Hindu population is originally from India, the area Little India is totally crowded on the night of Deepavali, and lots of people are participating in the celebration.

Christmas For a Christian Singaporean it is not uncommon to go to church every Sunday. However, no matter what your religion is, Christmas is a huge commercial holiday, and it is almost impossible not to admire the excessive Christmas decorations in the country.This fact is obvious on the main shopping street of Singapore, Orchard road, where the Christmas decorations can be seen everywhere several months before Christmas. Shopping is, of course, huge during this time of the year and even some non-Christian Singaporeans exchange gifts during Christmas.

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“In Singapore, we celebrate everything!”

Chinese New Year The Chinese New Year begins the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, and it is celebrated for 15 days. This is the time of the year where Singaporeans either come home to Singapore or go back to where they are originally from, in order to meet their family and friends.

In a traditional New Year’s dinner the visitor brings two oranges to the hosts as a gift, since they represent gold. The older and married guests give small red envelopes with money to the younger, unemployed or single guests. It is the perfect week for the saving younger since the elderly often are generous.

An important part of the celebration is the Yusheng, a typical Singaporean New Year’s salad. The ingredients of the salad all have a different meaning. The carrots will give you good luck next year, the white radish will increase your chances of getting promoted at work and the pepper or oil are said to give you a wealthy year. All the visitors mix the salad together with chopsticks and tell each other blessings and wishes like “Have a good next year” and “May all your wishes be fulfilled”.

Vesak day On Vesak day, in late spring, the Singaporean Buddhists celebrate the day when Gautama Buddha was enlightened after his protected life as a prince who never saw any suffering in the world.

The day is also celebrated as Buddha’s birthday and his Nirvana.

On this day some Buddhists go to a temple and pray, followed

by a gathering of family and friends. Meanwhile some Buddhists just take the day off and rest.

More celebration It is not only religious celebrations and public holidays that the Singaporeans celebrate. For example, in the autumn, we could spot Chinese Singaporeans who were carrying lanterns around and eating moon cakes all over Singapore. We later found out that to celebrate the harvest, which occurs in September or October, a Mid-autumn festival is arranged and celebrated.

When Halloween was coming up people dressed up in blood stained costumes, and on Valentine’s Day Singaporeans were selling bouquets of roses and handing out balloons all over the school area.We have even heard of Singaporeans preparing a big dinner and celebrating Thanksgiving.

Many of the main holidays, whether they are religious or not, seem to have similar procedures. The most important part is to gather close family and friends, often by having a large dinner together. Even though the details of the holidays, cultures and religions differ, it seems as they are not too different in the end.

We also noticed that Singaporeans truly seize every chance they have to celebrate, not only their own, but even holidays from other cultures.The open minds of Singaporeans have amazed us and we hope to bring some of this spirit of celebrations back to Sweden. Let’s celebrate!

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Feel the buzz from scooters and economic growth in Ho Chi Minh City Text & photos: Robert Ingemarsson and Saamet Ekici, NCTU, Taiwan

After having been in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, CITO understands why the Vietnamese economy has been booming over the last decades. CITO visited Ho Chi Minh this February to gain a wider knowledge of Swedish activity in the country.We talked to several company representatives and were allowed to tag along with the Consulate General of Sweden to his assembling plant of Swedish clothes. We were thrilled by Vietnam’s inspiring atmosphere and truly believe that Vietnam might be a place to live and work in as we leave the academia.

When the airplane started descending towards Ho Chi Minh International Airport we could not see much through the smog that was resting above the city. Breaking through the haze our first impression of Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam was‌ Wow! Below us there was a chaos of buildings and winding roads. Close to landing, the view from the airplane window could have been taken from a movie scene. Under us was a view of a worn airport, a blood red sky and Vietnamese military officers playing football on the ground, with the Vietnamese flag raised in the background.

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Heading to the hotel, the taxi ride was an initial sightseeing tour through the city. At first, we did not notice the historical buildings, the many markets, restaurants and hotels that the city offers. We were too busy with looking at the buzz of scooters that surrounded us. After travelling in China and Taiwan, we thought we knew what unorganised traffic looked like, but we were wrong.Vietnam brought a whole new dimension to traffic chaos. Only in Ho Chi Minh, there are about five million scooters hustling on the roads. To manage the traffic it is impossible to follow Swedish instincts, laws and norms. Pretty soon, we realised that in order to cross the street you just walk out and do not stop until you reach the other side, hopefully unharmed!

Of course, these impressions and the adaptations that you have to make is what make Vietnam special, and beyond the hectic city waits a truly wonderful country. Vietnam offers everything from amazing food, an utterly kind and happy population, to interesting culture and history. The history of the country is present almost everywhere you go. The Vietnam War has left its marks, and people are still suffering from both apparent and hidden effects of the fighting.

“Free trade is the most important foreign aid there is.”

Håkan Ottoson, Swedish Trade Council

About a decade after the war ended in 1976, the country began experiencing a rapid economic development. Between the years 2000 and 2005 Vietnam was the world’s second fastest growing economy. This has resulted in that international companies try to establish in the country.The Swedish companies we visited all see big potential for business in the area, especially if the business environment becomes more flexible in the future.

Vietnam is a popular location for clothing manufacturing and many textile brands have their suppliers there. More and more low waged jobs are moving to Vietnam and the growing middle class in the country is attracting foreign companies. The textile industry in Vietnam is an interesting example of an industry that is moving from China to Vietnam. CITO decided to dig deeper into this subject.

Textiles – A truly global industry If you ever have checked the tag of your clothes, you have most likely seen that they were not produced in Sweden. We were therefor curious about where clothes are assembled today and about the development of the textile industry. Our most rich source of information became Krister Kling, which is the Consulate General of Sweden in Ho Chi Minh City as well as the President of Guston Molinel Workwear, GM. As President of GM Mr Kling has witnessed the changes within the industry and is currently producing for the Swedish brands BabyBjörn, Blåkläder and Fjällräven.

Nowadays barely any companies produce clothes in Sweden. It has been different though. Not long ago, Sweden almost produced enough textiles to cover the entire domestic market. In the year of 1950, Sweden had a self-sufficiency rate of textile at 85 per cent and the Swedish textile industry employed approximately 70,000 people. This marked the peak of the Swedish textile industry´s glory days, which soon came to face fierce international competition. At first, countries from the western part of Europe, with a more effective textile industry, made the Swedish industry less competitive. They also soon faced competition, but now from countries in the southern part of Europe, although it would not last for long. First, the former-Soviet countries, which were starting to leave agriculture, went into textiles, and were soon followed by Asian countries entering the industry and strengthening the competition. The trend gained speed by the increasingly free-trade friendly stances held by most European countries.

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Today there is almost no textile production among the higherincome nations in Europe, and the production has since long declined in several former-Soviet countries, in percentage of their Gross Domestic Product. Most teenagers who have grown up in Sweden have experienced a wardrobe of clothes entirely produced in China. But in the day of tomorrow, neither China will remain the producer of your wardrobe. Simply put, China is becoming too expensive. What is happening now is that sourcing is becoming increasingly common from Vietnam and India, which already are large producers of textile. More competition is also emerging from countries in earlier-development stages, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Pakistan. Mr Kling says that if the trend continues,Vietnam has a window of eight to twelve years before also Vietnam will start to see a decline in its’ textile industry.

A noteworthy feature of the textile industry is its’ low wages for the blue-collar workers. This industry, which is dominated by female seamstresses world-wide, has historically always been among the lowest paying industry in the world. The low wage level is a result of wage level being the primary cost driver. It is neither complicated nor expensive to open up a new production plant. Therefore, as soon as wage levels increase, the business goes elsewhere.

What we have learned from visiting the production of three Swedish brands is that even though the wage levels are low, the working-environment is very worker friendly. Our first impression of the production was the cleanliness. We had expected it to be much worse, as both of us have had jobs in Sweden with less appealing working-conditions than the ones we saw in Vietnam. The second impression was the amount of women present; almost all workers were female.The seamstresses were grateful and proud of their jobs; they were able to contribute to the support of their family with a job that offers them both a friendly atmosphere and a steady real-wage increase.

As we began travelling back to the city in the car of Mr Kling, both of us were feeling excited to tell our friends about what we had found out. Not only were the working conditions more appealing than at places we had worked at in Sweden, but also the employees seemed happier with their jobs than we ever had expected.To quote Håkan Ottoson, from the Swedish Trade Council in Vietnam, “Free –trade is the most important foreignaid there is.”

http://fores.se/assets/155/Privat-och-statligt-agande-Vad-sager-forskningen-

FORES-Policy-Paper-20091.pdf

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Expats in Korea - Living Far Away from Home Text & Photos:Viktor Andersson, NCTU, Taiwan

Okpo is a small village on the eastern coast of Geoje Island, around one hour drive south-west of Busan in the southern part of South Korea.This little town, some 8,000 kilometers from Sweden, is currently the home of Sara and Eric Lorentzon.They moved here in February 2011 due to a job opening, and hence know a lot about the life as expats. Asia Magazine visited them and talked about their experience of Korea and what they think about living there.

South Korea, or the Republic of Korea, is the fifth largest economy in Asia, only behind the giants China, India, Russia and Japan. International corporations such as Samsung, LG and KIA/ Hyundai have contributed to a well developed economy, which has shown one of the worlds’ fastest growth trends since the 1960’s. However, as many other Asian nations, Korea is also a country where a modern society meets old traditions. In Korea there are more cell phones than citizens and the country is considered a leader in third generation mobile technology1. At the same time the old culture remains; the young generation should respect and speak politely to the elder, and service employees are expected to bow to their customers.

companies typically create the innovations at senior levels in the company, and the junior staff is simply expected to execute the orders. The non-questioning of the orders is the key to the swift-footedness and competitive advantage of Korean companies.

Sara and Eric are both Chalmers alumni. Eric has a Master of Science in Naval Engineering and currently works on a project for a Norwegian oil company, which is constructing four oilrigs.

Sara has a Master of Science in business development and currently works remotely on a Gothenburg-based drug company.

So how is the day-to-day life in Korea?

- For me it is work between 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays, Eric comments. After that, we try to cook dinner at home and find some time to work out.

- I work three days a week, remotely towards Sweden, Sara adds. When I am not working I like to exercise or spend time with friends here in Okpo. The Norwegian Sea Church Abroad is quite a nice place for a Scandinavian fika. During the weekends we typically go on shorter trips since there are several beautiful places to visit not far from where we live.

Korea hence is an economically successful country with a rich cultural heritage as well as old traditions. As s a result of this, Asia Magazine found it interesting to meet Sara and Eric and hear about their life as expats in Korea. The first topic that we discussed was the changes they experienced between living in Sweden and Korea.

- A major difference living here compared to Sweden is that the Korean people have a hard time doing something differently from how they initially been taught, Sara starts. Just such a small thing as to exclude things from a café-meal can sometimes be hard. They both agree that the level of flexibility in general is much higher in Sweden.

Naturally, living in a country like Korea includes a few up- and downsides, compared to with the day-to-day life in Sweden.

- The biggest downside is the language-barrier, which can sometimes be very frustrating; both at a personal level, but also when I tried to find a job here, Sara starts. They both agree that the earlier mentioned lack of flexibility also can be very annoying.

- A Korean friend of ours, who has spent 12 years in the United States, explained that the lack of flexibility and the strict obedience of the workforce were actually the key to the success of international Korean companies, Sara continued. These

Eric, who works at DSME shipyard in Okpo, adds that the fact that he can see the actual manufacturing of the products he is working with is very inspiring. www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/idUS34760+01-Feb-2011+BW20110201

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“The Korean people are extremely polite.”

Sara Lorentzon – It is a big difference compared to Sweden, where I only could see the drawings of the rigs, whereas I here can walk around at the shipyard and watch them being built piece by piece.

They both agree that the very high, and cheap, service level in Korea is a big upside compared to Sweden.

- Everything from being able to eat out every day, to the fact that you can go to the doctor without planning an appointment is very nice, Sara says. Another thing is that the Korean people in general are extremely polite, which is nice.They are also very friendly and helpful, Sara and Eric say.

As mentioned earlier, Korea is quite a different society compared to Sweden, so what can these different cultures learn from each other?

- In Korea everything goes very quickly compared to Sweden, just the speed of Korean construction projects is immense!

Some things are done too quickly, but in Sweden it feels like everything needs to be investigated before something happens.

This can be good in some situations, but in others we can learn from the Korean. Being here has given some perspective of the Swedish way of doing things, they both agree.

When it comes to giving advice to people seeking an interna-

tional expat career, their recommendation is pretty clear.

- It is easier if you are being sent out by a company you have worked for in your home country, it gives you the security to have a job to come home to, Eric says. Furthermore it is beneficial since the company has responsibility regarding all the practical issues, Sara adds. They both agree that it is important to verify how it is to live within the country as a foreigner. In a country like Korea, where the language is a constant barrier, a network of other expats is also of value for your social and professional life.

You both moved here because of a job opportunity for Eric, which makes it interesting to hear how you perceive the working environment in Korea?

- I work with several other expats, so it is definitely an international and pleasant working environment, Eric says. All the expats are in similar situations, since they are all in a foreign country with limited social networks, and hence all are interested in getting new friends. The Korean workers can be a bit tricky to work with; mostly this is due to the fact that they work with a much stricter hierarchy than what we have. There is always a more senior person that takes the final decision. The Korean employees do work longer days as well, typically 10-14 hours per day.

Sara and Eric have now spent little over a year in Korea, and they are planning to stay for the foreseeable future. Having spent some time with them in the charming village of Okpo, Asia Magazine’s reporter predicts that Sara and Eric face a pleasant and exciting time ahead.

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Cantonese Cuisine

Text & photos: Petter S채terskog, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

Although Chinese cuisine traditionally refers to the food eaten in China, nowadays it is eaten almost all over the world. It is often greatly adapted for the country where it is served. Likewise, food from other countries eaten in China is also adapted. Since China is a large country the food is very diverse. Thus, Chinese cuisine is often divided into eight major branches: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang. Cantonese cuisine refers to the food of the Guangdong province and is the most well-known Chinese cuisine outside of China. A possible reason for this is the large emigration from Hong Kong when it became Chinese in 1997.

This article will describe Cantonese cuisine from the perspective of a Swedish exchange student living at a university campus in Hong Kong. Focus will be on how it is eaten in the Guangdong province of China as well as how it differs from the food and the way the food is eaten in European countries.

The Food The range of ingredients used for cooking in the Cantonese 16

cuisine is much wider than that of European countries. During my trips in the Guangdong province, I have seen restaurants serving snail, frog, bee, larvae, dog and snake. But also common European ingredients such as beef, chicken, and fish. Seafood is also popular in Hong Kong and many different species are eaten, some of which are unusual in Europe including jellyfish and horseshoe crab. The food is often spicy, but not so that it becomes a problem for unaccustomed eaters. Common spices are black pepper, chili pepper, ginger, garlic, and coriander. Chinese food is greatly influenced by traditional Chinese medicine.

I have many times heard Chinese people describe the benefits provided by certain ingredients and when they should be eaten.

Many ingredients are classified as hot or cold. These should be used to keep a balance. Therefore dog meat, considered to be a hot food, should preferably be eaten in the winter to balance out the cold climate.

Cantonese food is often steamed or stir-fried. Fresh herbs and vegetables are rarely used in Cantonese food, compared to European. Vegetables are often steamed, pickled or prepared together with the rest of the food. Congee, dumplings and buns are common breakfast items.As all food is supposed to be eaten

with chopsticks, the food is served in small pieces and is soft enough so that no knife is needed. The food is often served together with steamed rice.

These observations might also be a sign of the difficulties of appreciating the fine details of Cantonese cuisine for the uninitiated.

From my experience, the Cantonese desserts are what differs the most from European food. Desserts are often sweet, cold soups.They come in various flavours with the most reoccurring being red bean, black sesame and coconut milk together with either tapioca or sago pudding.There are also many other types of desserts. Some of which are rather spicy, something that is very rare among European desserts.

School Canteens I have visited canteens at different universities in Hong Kong, which have all been very similar. They are all highly efficient facilities where orders are taken at one place and electronically transferred to the kitchen where the food is prepared within minutes. They serve thousands of people breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Despite their industrialised mass-fabrication of food, they are not making simple food. They do not have three to five different dishes as expected in most European countries.

Instead they have hundreds of dishes to choose from. Some classics remain the same from day to day while others change on a daily basis. Some dishes are quite simple, like barbecued pork with rice, which consists of a bowl of rice, and barbecued pork together with steamed cabbage and optional ginger and spring onion mix. Others are rather complicated, for example Chinese hot pot consisting of a steel device with a burning flame and a pot with soup base. This is served together with different raw seafood, meats and vegetables to be cooked at the table by the diner.

Restaurants As Cantonese food is different from European food, the traditions for eating it are also different. Some differences are obvious and well known such as the use of chopsticks and soupspoon for eating. The food is often eaten at a round table so everyone has a symmetric position and can take the same part in conversations. The tableware often consists of a small bowl, a small cup, chopsticks, soupspoon and sometimes a plate. This equipment is given to everyone. There are often two teapots and a glass bowl at the table in mid-priced restaurants. One of the teapots is filled with Chinese tea to be drunk together with the food. The other is filled with hot water for the customers to wash the tableware an extra time, and afterwards pour the water into the glass bowl. At seafood restaurants there is often a second bowl with lemon tea for the customers to clean their hands in. In contrary to European countries, the food is seldom served individually, but instead the whole group orders food collectively. The dishes are placed in the centre of the table and everyone dishes the food to their own plate, either with supplied cutlery or with the back-end of their chopsticks.

During travels at the countryside of the Guangdong province I have noticed that the customs at the table often are so different from those in European countries that they would be considered impolite. It is for example not uncommon to spit unwanted parts of the food on the floor. As I have noticed from eating at both cheaper and finer restaurants, the difference in quality of the food is not that big. However, what is different in a finer restaurant is the surroundings. Cheap restaurants are often not well furnished. They often have fluorescent lights without covers, noisy rooms, dirty floors and only stools to sit on. It often feels as if you are sitting in the kitchen.

Summary Eating at a Cantonese restaurant is a great experience.The concept of sharing the dishes makes it possible to try a lot more dishes and thus experience a bigger part of the Cantonese culture. The procedures for eating can be a bit hard to understand for the unknowing, especially if there is no common language between the restaurant’s staff and the customers. Eating at a university canteen can also be very confusing for the first time.

The place is a bit hectic and the procedures for retrieving one’s food might be rather complicated.

It has been an exciting and different challenge to change from eating solely Swedish food to Cantonese food. It really takes some experience be able to fully enjoy a Cantonese meal, but the reward is definitely worth it!

The finer restaurants, on the other hand, are better furnished and have great atmosphere and comfort. This shows how restaurants will not compromise the quality of the food. This is greatly different from Swedish restaurants where the cheapest pizza-restaurant can have good seats and lighting though the food is not that good at all compared to a finer restaurant.

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Hong Kong - A City of Diversity Text & photos: Jonathan Lindgren, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

When I decided to go on exchange studies in Hong Kong I did not know anything about the city, except that it was located in Asia. Although, that did not tell me anything either, since I had never set my foot in Asia before. The closest I had been to an Asiatic experience was the Chinese restaurants in Sweden and by watching the 2008 Olympic games on TV. Now, half a year after my arrival, I have settled down and got used to Hong Kong and realised what an amazing and interesting place it really is.

Hong Kong, 錙港, which means fragrant harbour, is located at the coast close to Guangdong province. Due to its history as a British colony Hong Kong has become a major trading link between Europe and China. Thanks to Great Britain, which ruled the city until 1997, the special administrative region of Hong Kong flourished and the culture and way of life is very different from mainland China. Hong Kong is now a huge trading centre, and since it has not been under the rule of the Chinese government, it is an open economy where companies easily can be established. The city is also a great attraction for tourists and has something to offer for everyone; either you are a sports geek or a shopaholic.

Outdoor activities I believe most people associate Hong Kong with incredibly high skyscrapers and high capita per square meter, and while that though is a very accurate description it is not the whole story. Inside the city centre people live very tight, the streets are crowded and the buildings are very tall, but outside the city there are still big areas of untouched nature. The New Territories offers lots of different and long hiking trails, but I would strongly recommend the trails in Sai Kung. The trail spans over Sai Kung national park and crosses small picturesque villages, for example Sai Wan. Here, you can go and take a swim in one of the beaches, have a beer and then hire a boat for approximately 100 HKD back to Sai Kung, to end the day with delicious seafood.

Another good alternative is to take the ferry to one of the many islands surrounding Hong Kong Island. The ferries leave on a regular basis from Central to various destinations. One popular island is Lamma Island, which is located south from Hong Kong Island. Here you can enjoy spectacular sea views but also see the local houses and gardens. But, watch out for the huge poisonous spiders that spin their webs all over the place.

A smaller and maybe more cosy island is Cheung Chau. This

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island is located further away than Lamma Island, but it should not to be overlooked. Here you can see how the local people live, or just hire bikes and travel around this small but enjoyable little island. It also has one of the better beaches in all of Hong Kong and it is not a very crowded place. The many restaurants by the seashore also offer very delicious and cheap seafood.

Lantau Island is a larger island, on which the airport is located, that usually is visited by many tourists.The island offers fascinating views and beautiful hikes and if you are not up for a long walk, you can take the cable car almost all the way up to Lantau Island’s highest point, where you can enjoy stunning scenery.

You can either take ferry here but also go by bus or taxi. Lantau Island is very famous for having the biggest bronze Buddha in the world.

Victoria Peak A must see for everyone visiting Hong Kong is the Victoria Peak.

Easily accessed from central Hong Kong by a tram, it offers an incredible view over the city, especially in the evening. It is not for nothing it is called the most romantic place in Hong Kong.

It is also possible to hike up to the peak by the so called morning trail, which starts right next to Hong Kong University. This enjoyable hiking trail takes about one hour to complete.

Ozone bar The only other place offering a city view comparable to Victoria Peak is the Ozone bar. Located on the 118th floor in the top of

the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the ICC tower, it is the highest located bar in the world. Although having such a good view, it is not very expensive and is absolutely suitable for the casual one-time visitor. A beer might be around 100 HKD, but since there is no entrance fee, that is a very low price just for the view.

Ocean Park Ocean Park is an amusement park offering entertainment for the younger people. Despite its name, it has more things than fishes and octopuses. It is a mix of a zoo and an amusement park, where you can see both pandas and ride rollercoasters.

They also have a Halloween special, with several ghost houses, which are well worth visiting if you are in Hong Kong during Halloween.

Ferry to Macau If you get tired of Hong Kong, the ferry service offers easy access to the fascinating town Macau, which is a very popular tourist attraction for Hong Kong visitors. Also a special administrative region, Macau too differs greatly from mainland China.

This is the only place where gambling is allowed and many large casinos have established themselves in this area. Macau was on the other hand a Portuguese colony and you will see that many signs are still in Portuguese. The more cultural visitor might enjoy the old Portuguese buildings with their beautiful architecture, and especially the old Mount Fortress that also inherits a museum. Macau also offers the world’s highest bungee jump, although its price will probably scare away most tourists.

Hong Kong and its neighbouring areas offer a good deal for the adventurous traveller. I have now lived in Hong Kong for more than half a year and still feel that there is more to explore, both in the city and in the nature. The short distances in Hong Kong also makes it very suitable for tourists who wants to see as much as possible under a short period of time.

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Being Swedish at SKF in Singapore Text & photos: Jonny Eriksson, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

During an ordinary morning in Singapore I was fortunate enough to meet with Tsiewing Ho, a glad and ambitious Swede working at SKF’s office in Singapore.The office acts as headquarters for the Asia Pacific region, and is of strategic importance for the SKF Group, which made the visit even more exciting.

Dated back to 1973, SKF initiated a subsidiary in Singapore in a small office inside a Marco Polo hotel. Initially, the office was solely operating as a Sales Office, but as the opportunities and sales in the region grew the organization expanded and a new location was needed. In 1999, the responsibilities for the subsidiary in Singapore had grown immensely and SKF moved to its current location close to Changi International Airport.

Today, the office in Singapore is the headquarters for the Asia Pacific region1 . The function of SKF Singapore has grown over the years to include Distribution & Warehouse centre, Marketing Operations, Finance, Customer Services and Technical Support. The office has today 207 employees, of which four are Swedes.

In April 2010 the office received a new addition from Sweden as Tsiewing Ho arrived. She had been working at SKF in Gothenburg for two years before coming to Singapore. During these years she worked with Logistics, Customer Services as well as Knowledge Management. However, after two years Tsiewing wanted a new challenge and new responsibilities. She wanted to profile herself towards marketing, since this was her major when she graduated from the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg.

After having a dialogue with her managers, the opportunities for Tsiewing Ho turned out to be in Singapore. There was a need for marketing resources in Singapore at the time, as the markets in the Asia Pacific region were, and still are, rapidly growing.

Instead of sending Tsiewing as an expatriate, she signed a local contract with the Singapore subsidiary, lasting until 2013.

When arriving to Singapore she was thrown into action right away as it was a large exhibition going on. In her role as Marketing Executive she was responsible for customer relations and advertisement. Following this she was assigned as project leader for the upcoming exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia. As the time elapsed her responsibilities changed into new areas.

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China is not included in the Asia Pacific region since it is such a large market and

thus has its own headquarters.

“After my visit at SKF I felt proud to be Swedish and hopeful about the future.”

One of her critical commitments includes Business Intelligence, where her objectives are to investigate and analyse the markets in the Asia Pacific region. Thus, Tsiewing identifies the markets that have great potential for growth and what markets SKF need to focus and improve on in order to cope with the opportunities.

Another important responsibility is within an area called Asset Management Services, AMS, which is essential for the Asia Pacific headquarters since it is the centre for the surrounding markets and customers. AMS supports customers with the necessary tools and competence for utilising the equipment of SKF in an optimised manner. Some of the services include Risk Analysis, Life Cycle Costing, Asset Performance, Spares and Inventory Management, Reliability Engineering etcetera.Tsiewing’s role within this area is to support marketing activities within the Reliability Systems area in Asia Pacific.

A recent assignment for Tsiewing was to assess business opportunities in sustainability. This service falls under an area called Energy Sustainability Management, ESM, which is an important area for the Asia Pacific region as well as of strategic importance for the SKF Group.

Almost two years have passed since Tsiewing moved here and she finds herself really enjoying life in Singapore. In true exchange student spirit, she tries to travel within Southeast Asia when time allows her to. In Singapore she likes to play badminton, running and recently she also started with kayaking. Tsiew-

ing appreciates the safe and clean environment in Singapore, which makes her feel a bit like home.

For Swedes working and living in Singapore, there are networks available to join for mingle and other events. The Swedish Business Association of Singapore, SBAS, is a network Tsiewing has joined for events a few times. SBAS also have a subsidiary called Young Professionals where students and young workers meet for fun activities, such as sport events and Swedish festival parties.

2013, and the expiry of Tsiewing’s contract, is getting closer and the future is still not written in stone. She feels very fortunate and grateful for the opportunities in Singapore and could definitely see herself stay here if the circumstances are right. At the same time, she is open to work in a new country, but moving home to the west coast of Sweden is always an option too.

After my visit at SKF I felt proud to be Swedish and hopeful about the future. SKF is an example of a successful global Swedish company, and when I met Tsiewing in Singapore she gladly spent time with me and expressed her delights with SKF. In 2010 SKF had evaluations with Tsiewing and acted upon her wishes and gave her this opportunity which I find fantastic. Her case demonstrates the care for its employees that SKF prioritise. The atmosphere in the office was also warm and welcoming, and I can definitely see myself working for SKF in Singapore in the future.

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Life as an Exchange Student in Taiwan Text: Linnéa Petersson and Carolina Ståhlberg, NCTU, Taiwan Photos: Linnéa Petersson, Carolina Ståhlberg, and Viktor Hallman NCTU, Taiwan

Since moving to Taiwan, and after having spent one semester at National Chiao Tung University, NCTU, we have repeatedly received the question why we chose to study in Taiwan when Sweden has one of the best educational systems in the world. The answer to this has been obvious even before leaving Sweden. We wanted to learn a new language, experience a new culture and witness the fast economic development in Asia personally. However, it is not until today that we have realised the true value of this exchange and seen the possibilities that exist here on the other side of the world, which reaches beyond only classrooms and textbooks.

In order to convey a truly fair picture of the life as exchange student in Taiwan we met with an expert on the subject, Johan Svennung, to discuss our impressions and thoughts regarding the topic. Johan spent his first year in Taiwan as an exchange student from Chalmers and was Head of Office at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office in 2009. He is currently pursuing his second year of a Global MBA degree at NCTU.With this article we hope to give you an insight of why we feel that Taiwan is the obvious choice if you want to combine studies on a high level with real Asian experiences.

Taiwan and NCTU For many people in Scandinavia, Taiwan is still a relatively unknown country. Most people have come across Taiwan when reading about the Chinese Civil war during the 1950s in history books, or simply because they have seen the phrase “made in Taiwan” on the back of toys when they were young. Just as foreigners seem to confuse Sweden with Switzerland, many people we have talked with regarding studying in Taiwan have responded; “Oh so you are going to Thailand, how exciting”. Honestly, before we applied for the exchange in Taiwan, our knowledge about the country did not stretch much further than the fact that it is an island of the east coast of China with the same size as the Swedish province Småland, and with a population of 23 million. However, Taiwan is considered to be one of the four Asian Tigers, accompanied by Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea, and is by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, viewed as an advanced economy. The rapid economic growth derives mostly from their export of consumer electronics, with brands such as HTC, Asus and Acer in the lead.

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The fact that Taiwan has become a well developed country in a short period of time is further due to the mentality of the Taiwanese people. Education is of high importance and the country has several universities which maintain a world class standard.

NCTU is viewed as one of the top universities in the country and ranked as number 45 in the world within the engineering field. Chalmers University of Technology has had collaboration with NCTU for almost ten years and offers Chalmers students the possibility to study for a year through the World Wide exchange program.

Life as a student in Taiwan When we asked Johan why he wanted to study in Taiwan he answered that the primary reason for his choice was the possibility to learn Chinese and experience a country which he thought would be very exotic and different from Sweden. However, he was just as us surprised to realize how modern and well developed, according to our western standards, Taiwan is and how easy it is to live here as a foreigner.

According to Johan, the major differences between studying in Taiwan compared to Sweden are the number of deadlines. In most courses students have homework and assignments every week compared to Sweden where it is up to the students to plan and prioritize their studies. Johan further mentions that a large part of the final grade is based on attendance and participation in class. In Taiwan these parts are valued equally important as midterms and final exams, while professors in Sweden tend to base their grading upon labs, projects and final exams.

The Taiwanese school system is also more hierarchical than the Swedish and the teacher should always be addressed as the professor. However, Johan feels that this hierarchical system makes it more difficult as a student to influence the design of the courses. Another difference is that every semester at NCTU starts with two add and drop weeks where the students have a chance to try different classes. The purpose of this is for the students to find courses that suit their field of study and personal interest well.

Being accepted as an exchange student at NCTU through Chalmers does not only mean that you will be spending your working time in school. As part of the exchange you will be a member of Chalmers International Taiwan Office, CITO, together with the other exchange students from Chalmers. You will be

spending time in an office on one of the best locations on campus, which becomes a natural meeting place for getting to know Taiwanese students and your colleagues. Throughout the year the office will arrange different events to promote Sweden and Swedish traditions which for example are associated with Lucia, Cinnamon-bun day and Vasaloppet, the famous skiing race. This is organized in order to create awareness about Sweden and attract students to come and study at Chalmers. Through the office you will also get the opportunity to visit Swedish companies operating in Taiwan and other Asian countries and learn about how it is to work in Asia. According to Johan this is one of the most rewarding things of being part of the office, since it gives you the chance to explore what future possibilities there are on this side of the world and gives you an invaluable network for the future.

One of the best things about being a student in Taiwan is the large amount of activities and events which you can take part of in your spare time. Ever since Johan started at NCTU he has participated in everything from a dragon boat festival, which is a festival where different universities compete in a dragon boat rowing race, to attend the yearly music festival “Taiwan Spring Scream�. During this event, music lovers from all over Taiwan travel to the very south of the island to enjoy a couple of days at the beach while listening to music and dancing. Johan also expresses how much he appreciates the fact that it is very easy to travel both within and outside of Taiwan, and we could not agree more. Taiwan is only 400 kilometres long from the north to its south tip, but you can still experience the grand city life, challenging hiking in the mountains and relaxing days on the beach within this limited area.

After having spent eight months here in Taiwan we feel much more confident when answering the question of why we chose this country for our exchange year. We all agree on that the studies have been valuable for our education. However, what we will remember the most when we return back home is the endless invaluable experiences that we have encountered during our year here in Taiwan. As Johan explains it, this is a great opportunity to learn mandarin in a Chinese speaking country and experience the Asian culture and mentality, which will definitely be useful in our future life and career. In addition to this, we have made lots of new international friends and have had the opportunity to visit countries all over Asia. That is why we all encourage you to do an exchange year somewhere in Asia, and Taiwan in particular.

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Singapore – Elevated City Planning Text & photos: Hallvard Pagander Tysnes and Hampus Dynebrink, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Considering countries with more than 1 million citizens Singapore has the highest population density by far, about 4.5 times greater than the runner-up Bahrain. Overpopulation in a limited area creates issues such as poor quality of life for the inhabitants and environmental concerns. Singapore has pro-actively managed this problem with techniques such as land reclamation and excellent city planning with a long-term perspective. The new Marina Bay area in downtown Singapore can be seen as the culmination of these efforts. Here, some of the most spectacular buildings in Singapore rise on land where there was nothing but sea 40 years ago.

History Singapore was initially a small fishing village, which was taken as a British colonial outpost. The fishing village had potential due to its strategic location in the Malacca Strait, overlooking the maritime-based Silk Road. Soon it became an important trading port, attracting great amounts of immigrants arriving on the Singapore River looking for work. To avoid overcrowding the British colonial officer Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, today considered as the father of modern Singapore, created an urban plan in 1822. This was the first attempt to strategically organize the area. Such concept plans have later become a hallmark in the small nation’s pursuit of success.

The population of Singapore continued to increase, and in the 1960’s and 70’s the central areas became overcrowded. The nation then sparked huge projects for urban renewal with the 24

goal to create a sustainable and better life for all Singaporeans.

A decentralisation plan was put in effect to ease the heavy congestion in the city, but also to achieve sustainable population growth. Reclamation of land from the sea started and since then the Singapore land surface has grown by 20 per cent, equalling 17,000 football fields.

Land reclamation and sustainable development Early reclamation projects used soil from nearby hills in order to create new land, but today a mix of materials is used, including excavation earth from construction projects and marine sand from the seabed. The expanding of land is not only important for real estate to provide housing and offices to the Singaporeans. With the fast-growing population, more land is needed to be set aside as water catchment areas.

However, there are limitations to how much land that can be reclaimed. Singapore has a very busy port and needs to keep the sea space open for maritime uses. Furthermore, with current technology water beyond 20 meters of depth is too expensive to reclaim. All reclamation needs to be carried out responsibly to minimize the environmental impacts, and in accordance with international regulations.To avoid erosion and to adjust for global sea level rise all the reclaimed land needs to be at least 125 centimetres over the highest recorded sea level. Singapore creates land for future generations and has accordingly a sustainable development policy, which is based on:

ing and ambitious urban project that will support its continuing growth as a major business and financial hub.

The planning of Marina Bay, and other new development areas, is done by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, URA. The URA is Singapore’s national land use planning and conservation authority. They prepare long-term strategic plans and detailed local area plans for physical development. The URA also coordinates and guides efforts to bring these plans to reality. This is done through community partnerships and with the goal to create a vibrant, sustainable and cosmopolitan city.

Graphic showing the reclamation of Singapore.

1. Careful management and optimisation of limited resources through a long-term comprehensive approach to planning.

2. Adopting green technology, systems and practices to achieve environmental sustainability.

3. Achieving a balance between development and providing a good quality of life whilst preserving the environment.

Marina Bay The Marina Bay skyline is symbolic for Singapore’s bustling financial district and it is a dazzling leisure destination for both locals and tourists. It is Singapore’s face to the world and something all Singaporeans can identify themselves with and feel proud of.

Set by the water’s edge, the area is also Singapore’s most excit-

The land that Marina Bay rests on is entirely reclaimed from the sea. To create this area 10,000,000 cubic metres of sand were used, which is equivalent to 40,000 Olympic size swimming pools. The next challenge was to create the infrastructure.

A grid road network was adopted, which extended from existing roads making a seamless extension of the Central Business District, CBD.This is important since it ensures good connectivity between existing development in the CBD and the Marina Bay area. It also helps provide a good sense of orientation for pedestrians and motorists. Later on, a couple of stations on the subway system have been created in the area to provide easy access.

The Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and ArtScience Museum.

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“The Singapore land surface has grown by 20 per cent, equalling 17,000 football fields.”

New office buildings are of high importance since Singapore aspires to be the financial hub of South East Asia. But when the Marina Bay area was benchmarked against other big cities it was noticed that a mix of uses is very important to make the area vibrant. Therefore, there is a focus on creating a live-work-play environment that improves the life for those living and working in the area, as well as for those who are just visiting. Hence, Marina Bay is planned to be a 24/7 location, and not only vivid during business hours. The plan is to create the Garden City by the Bay with good-quality housing. People will be presented with the opportunity to live in the downtown areas of the city which was earlier reserved for offices, making it more vibrant.

Another detail, which much attention has been paid to, is the creation of a unique skyline. Lower buildings are located near the waterfront and other open spaces, while high-rise building are located behind. This gives a 3D skyline, which is especially alluring. Lightning on pedestrian level and on key features of the buildings adds to the tasteful skyline that pleases the spectator’s eyes.

The bay itself is quite spectacular considering that it is sealed off from the seawater by a dam, which acts as a freshwater reservoir for the city. The barrier is at the same time used for flood controls of the central areas of the city. The bay is draped with magnificent structures along the edge. The most spectacular are probably the Helix Pedestrian Bridge and Marina Bay Sands.The design of the Helix Bridge is inspired by human DNA. The shape is very stable and makes it possible to have a light construction, which almost looks impossible - a true engineering achievement. On the western end of the bridge you will find Marina Bay Sands, which is an integrated resort and casino. Constructed as three towers with a boat-shaped structure spanning on top, it creates a spectacular view. On the “boat” there is a huge infinity-pool, where you have the feel of water going over the edge falling 190 meters down.

These architectural achievements are however just the beginning of Singapore’s real estate development. The CBD will continue to grow with more than 40 skyscrapers yet to be constructed. Coming back to Singapore in a decade or two will most definitely be mind-blowing for any person, but especially to us who have lived in the city and have a close relation to it.

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Evolution of Asian Economies Text: Axel Brown and Daniel Stenback, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Photos:Viktor Hallman, NCTU, Taiwan and Axel Brown & Daniel Stenback, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Walking the streets of Singapore, it is inevitable not to reflect over the money and wealth surrounding you.

Luxurious cars are often seen rushing by and new exclusive buildings are constantly popping up around the city centre. Not to mention Marina Bay Sands Hotel, a spectacular building that was opened in 2010, which adds to the impression of great financial resources in the city. In Credit Suisse’s annual reports over global wealth, one can read about Singapore’s tripled amount of millionaires between 2010 and 2011. Comparing this with the fact that United Arab Emirates lost a quarter of its millionaires during the same period arouses curiosity about the history and development of Asian economies in general.

Asia in retrospective As of the late nineties, Asia was down for the count after the financial crisis of 1997-1998. However, over a decade later, through the bursting of the Internet bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis, Asia has become a leader in the global economic scene having shown consistent economic growth throughout

this entire period. The growth figures are impressive and will most likely continue for many years to come.This historical and potential future growth raises the questions of what drove historical development and what new challenges will have to be overcome in order for Asia to stay on their current prosperous path.

The Asian financial crisis started off in Thailand in the summer of 1997. After several speculative attacks on the Thai baht, the Thai government was forced to abandon the fixed exchange rate to the US dollar. The Thai baht exchange rate quickly plummeted, bringing down the stock market and causing foreign capital to flee the country. Speculative attacks and falling stock markets was also seen in other countries in the region, as well as a significant decrease in domestic demand and a drastic decline in exports.The financial systems in the countries struck by the crisis were poorly prepared for economic perturbations of this magnitude and the financial crisis caused severe damage to public finances in a number of countries. The number of bankruptcies and the level of debt escalated.

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Consequently, large-scale financial support programs were arranged by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia, the countries that were worst affected by the crisis. Structural reforms were made by Asian governments to handle the weaknesses in the financial and private sectors. As actions were taken, market confidence began to regain, and capital started returning. By early 1999, financial markets had stabilized in almost all of the countries hit by the crisis.

Emerging Asia Since the end of the financial crisis, many of these economies have performed outstandingly. The experience of the Asian financial crisis has been proven helpful and the results of implemented changes have been proven successful. Asia’s resilience through the recent global crises is the payoff of persistent and often difficult reforms over the past decade.

Comparing Indonesia’s financial growth of 6.4 per cent to Vietnam’s inflation of 18.8 per cent during 2011 according to IMF, one realizes the lack of uniformity across the region. Between these two extremes lies: Thailand, which is recovering from last year’s devastating floods; Malaysia, with its stable growth; Cambodia and Laos, which are driven by an abundance of natural resources; and finally, Singapore and Brunei, the small and rich states, which are propelled by the power of trade and by the power of oil respectively.

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China’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, increased by 9.2 per cent last year and its growth pattern the last decade is truly astonishing.The success story of persistent growth could not have become reality without strategic management and well placed efforts by the Chinese government. China’s export to GDP ratio in 2007 was 39.7 per cent, and during 2008 the export demand rapidly dropped due to the global financial crisis. In order to prevent decreasing levels of export from slowing down the country’s growth rate, the government acted quickly. A stimulus package of more than four trillion CNY was launched in the end of 2008, as reported by China Daily among others. According to IMF, four trillion CNY represents 13 per cent of 2008 GDP. This exposes the vulnerability of China’s economy to decreasing export demand.

China’s economic equilibrium is suffering from overcapacity due to the rising rate of fixed asset investment. The excess capacity that is not being absorbed by other demand, such as export demand, has to be absorbed by further increases of fixed asset investments, as in new industries. This factor strongly contributes to increased GDP growth. However, the risk for overheating the economy is imminent. The 2008 stimulus package was targeted to infrastructure rather than new factories and displays the Chinese government’s awareness of this threat.

While major industrial countries in Europe and North America have been struggling with heavy economic turbulence, Asia has been the main engine for global growth, making a stronger eco-

nomic contribution than any other region and helping pull the world economy out of the recession.

Future challenges The trend of strong economic growth is expected to continue for years to come. Asia is foreseen by many to soon be the largest and most influential economic region in the world. Based on what has already been achieved in recent times, this indeed seems very plausible. However, in order for the Asian region to sustain economic growth, many challenges lie ahead.

The economies of China and India remained unscathed by the global financial crisis thanks to actions taken in policy stimulants and booming domestic demands. Two of India’s largest trading partners are Europe and China. As Europe is suffering from the Euro crisis, falling consumption might affect India’s export.

Furthermore, China mostly imports raw material from India to manufacture goods for the rest of the world. As a result of China’s dropping export demands, India’s export might aagain be affected negatively. This situation illustrates Asia’s vulnerability of a second wave of global financial crisis, or a so called double dip recession.

Further reform efforts are needed to encourage household consumption. Recovery in many Asian countries has been driven extensively by export to western countries. Many see this dependency on exports as a big weakness in the Asian economy

and thus, a crucial part in maintaining steady growth in the future will most likely be to expand domestic demand, making it a more prominent part of growth.

As Asia is getting more integrated with global trading and financial systems, it becomes more vulnerable to rapid structural changes and external crises.This includes the increased mobility of capital and the potential risks that come with it. Right before the Asian financial crisis and during the subprime mortgage crisis one can observe a phenomenon that capital is flowing into Southeast-Asia in search for higher returns. In the latter case, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, liquidity injected to global financial market by the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve resulted in such a sudden capital flow.

When global financial markets get more integrated, these financial flows are able to be of increased magnitude with even more devastating effects. Such shocks in liquidity movement can cause rapid changes in interest rates and exchange rates, and ultimately investment and growth, which can be difficult to manage. One major challenge is how to deal with these potentially volatile capital flows and how to minimize possible adverse outcomes These are of course only a few of the obstacles for Asian economies to tackle in order to sustain growth. If they are dealt with in the right way, we can expect Asia to continue to propel and be an important cog in the world economy in future years.

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asia profile - Louise

Byström

Text & photos:Vlad Månsson, NCTU, Taiwan

has without doubt contributed to her success and extensive professional network.

Louise’s life abroad as an expat started in the Philippines in 1982 when her husband, Henrik Byström, began working for Swedish Match in Manila. As she had never been in Asia before, it was a big personal and professional decision. Nevertheless, Louise’s curiosity and her opportunism led her to take the giant leap.

Although the choice to move to Asia was because of her husband, Louise clarifies that she has constantly been working or been involved in other activities wherever they have settled. In the Philippines she worked to help underprivileged local families through International College Women’s Club. Later she also set up her own business as a wholesaler of women’s and children’s accessories.

Louise approached me with a warm smile in the lobby of the 34-story International Trade Building, in the centre of Taipei’s business district. Several individuals have impressed me during my year in Taiwan. However, Louise Byström, businesswoman and Chairwoman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan has made a special impression and has been a valuable contact and source of inspiration. We have met before on several events arranged by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, but I have never before had the possibility for a thorough conversation with her. When the opportunity to carry out an interview with Louise came up, I was both glad and curious to find out more about Asia Magazine’s first Asia Profile.

Louise has been living and working in Asia for over 25 years and has personally witnessed the rapid growth and development of the continent. She has more knowledge and experience of working in Asia than most other Swedish people and truly understands the corporate culture on this side of the world.

Her positive energy and strong social skills is truly inspiring, and

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The next challenge was when Louise and Henrik moved to Pakistan in 1985, where she was working as legal consultant for foreign corporations established in Asia. At the same time Louise was raising two young children. She remembers the time in Pakistan as especially challenging due to the very limited freedom western woman could enjoy during that time. After Pakistan Louise also spent some time in Hong Kong, where she established an affiliate of Roxor AB in the early nineties and also continued to work with her own corporation. However, the uncertain political and economic situation in Hong Kong during that period, combined with skyrocketing housing prices, brought her back to Sweden for seven years. In 2001 however, when Henrik was chosen as Head of Swedish Trade Council in the Asia Pacific region, Louise moved along to Taipei where she and Henrik currently lives and works.

After ten years in Taiwan, she is still busy working and is highly involved in the Swedish community in the country. I asked Louise about the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, how she got involved and what challenges she encountered during the establishment.

- The Swedish Trade Council saw that there was a need for an organization which could create a network between Swedish companies based in Taiwan. It was also considered essential to support Swedish trade and industry through distribution of knowledge about Sweden in Taiwan.When all the Swedish companies in Taiwan gathered for a meeting in November 2010 to

discuss who should undertake the challenge, the decision to make me responsible came rather quickly. I knew everyone, and people trusted me in the matter. Besides, I had already done similar work during the time Henrik was Head of Swedish Trade Council in Taiwan.

- I would say that registering the Chamber of Commerce at Taipei City Hall was the biggest challenge due to the rather slow and bureaucratic process.That I do not speak the language does not make the task easier.

We had a long conversation about her background and experience of Asia during the eighties and nineties. The industrial development, the challenges of living in a completely different culture and how she handled to balance working, running a business and being highly involved in her children’s childhood.

Louise´s ambitious and daring mentality has been passed on to her children, who have been raised in international schools in different countries and now as adults see the world as a global workplace. Just as their mother, Louise tells me that they seek new challenges and are prepared to move around in order to grasp opportunities. It was clear that Louise is not only a very successful career woman, but also an extremely courageous individual.

become more and more obvious to me during my eight months here. And I was incredibly pleased to have been given the opportunity to get to know Louise Byström, a valuable connection who has inspired me to continue pursuing my ambitions of achieving an international career in Asia.

“If you have a technical education and good language skills, you can come a long way in Asia.”

Impressed by what she has achieved and experienced, I asked how someone should go by if they want to become like her and dream of having a career in Asia.

- If you have a technical education and good language skills, you can come a long way in Asia. It is easiest to turn to the Swedish companies based here. Try both the headquarters in Sweden and local offices if you have the possibility. As a Swedish student here, you have a good benefit, but it is important to make use of your time abroad. Go out, meet people and learn from the culture. A good network is even more essential in Asia than in Sweden.

This reminded me of the first day I arrived in Taiwan and one of the first Chinese words I learnt. GuanXi, which means relation in Chinese, is everything here said Martin, the previous CITO Head of Office. Personal relationships and trust in business is considered to be highly important and knowing the right people is significant for a successful career in Asia. This truth has

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The Capitals of China Text & photos: Simon Fellin, NCTU, Taiwan

In the last 100 years, the China mainland has had two prominent capitals, one in the south, the southern capital, and one in the north, the northern capital. Both officially more known as, Nanjing, 南京, and Beijing, 北京.

In 1912, Dr. Sun Yat Sen had just overthrown the Chinese imperial dynasty. He decided that Nanjing was going to serve as capital of the new Republic of China. But during this time, the China mainland was plagued by both civil and international conflicts, which forced the government to relocate to different cities on several instances, but always kept coming back to Nanjing. In 1949, the Peoples Liberation Army, led by Mao Zedong, finally conquered Nanjing and officially established the Peoples Republic of China on the China Mainland. This New country chose Beijing as its centre of power.

In March of 2012, I visited Nanjing and Beijing to take the temperature on these cities that have played such an important role in the modern history of China.

Nanjing – The historical industry city When the High-speed bullet train from Shanghai finally arrives 32

in Nanjing station, I can immediately feel that the atmosphere is not the same. And I am not talking about the smog, for it is just as dense as it has been for the last couple of hours, I am talking about the people. Compared to Shanghainese, that seem very influenced by western culture, the people of Nanjing seem much more connected to the roots of their heritage, and the attitude towards western culture is much more distant. However, with a population of almost 8 million, Nanjing does boast with both skyscrapers in the city centre, fashionable bar districts and a brand new subway system. All of these financed by the massive industries that have formed in outskirts of the city. In one of these industry areas, Jiangning, we visited Nanjing Scandinavian industrial Campus (NCIS) and among other things discussed the development of the area with native Nanjinger and General Manager Charlie Zuo. Charlie explained that the area literally boomed in the beginning of the millennium, with massive investments being made by foreign companies in huge facilities for manufacturing. This gave an upswing in the economy and improved the living standards for many people in Nanjing. Since 2006 however, the development has decreased and shifted from foreign companies to indigenous businesses setting up manufacturing operations. This because of the 2006 5-year plan that

“China nowadays is a force to be reckoned with on the international scene.� among other things stated that China should make a transition from a manufacturing economy to a more service based and environmentally friendly one. This made it a increasingly difficult for foreign businesses to use arable land for setting up factories, something which is not only applicable to Nanjing, but to all of China.

Beijing – The nest of the dragon The buzzing current political, cultural and educational centre of China today is Beijing. Upon arriving in Beijing, it is hard not to ignore the fact that China nowadays is a force to be reckoned with on the international scene. Huge open spaces as well as monumental architecture give a very impressive feel to the whole city, and this in contrast to the traditional Chinese hutong areas does not hide the fact that China is still a country with massive social differences. Where one foot is in the industrialized world with modern facilities and a high quality of life, the other is still very much stuck in a developing country, with many people still working in the rural industry and just barely have enough funds to support themselves and their closest family.

These last years have been a milestone in Chinese development as it marked the point where half of Chinas population now live in urbanized areas, with the Beijing population accounting for more than 20 million of these. Compared to Nanjing, the Beijing

entrepreneurial sector seems to be thriving, with many foreign companies still entering the China capital. Robert Pettersson of Leandev AB told me about some of the advantages that make it attractive for a company to set up operation in Beijing. Firstly, the great supply of skilled workforce available in the area, and even if the salaries are quickly on the rise, the cost of having an office in Beijing is still very low when compared to Europe and North America. The Haidian district in Beijing where Leandev is located, also houses offices of almost all the leading companies in the global IT-industry.

The cities of Nanjing and Beijing have many similarities as well as many differences. You can find the monuments that witness the great historical greatness of both cities during the imperial dynasty such as the city wall of Nanjing and the famous great wall outside of Beijing. You can also find hyper modern districts in both of these cities that have played an important role in the industrialization of China. But it is obvious that Beijing has benefitted from being the centre of power during the last 20 years of the rapid economical development. The variety of cultural activates that can be enjoyed, the opportunities for business and the condition of public property, right now is slightly better in the capital of the north than in the southern sister city.

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Explore asia

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asiaApply

Chalmers International Taiwan Office

– Part of Chalmers’ World Wide Exchange Programme The economies in East Asia have showed a remarkable devel-

mers International Taiwan Office, CITO. The work at CITO in-

opment during the end of the 20th century. Japan has become

cludes arranging representation events for Taiwanese students

accompanied by China among the world’s economic giants. The

at NCTU as well as visiting companies and representing Chalm-

region is interesting, dynamic and challenging. Among those with

ers throughout East Asia.

technical education, an increasing portion will have contacts in the whole region from Singapore to Japan within their profes-

Contents of the Programme:

sions. With this in mind, Chalmers has developed a special ex-

– Intensive course in Mandarin, 6 weeks in July - August at

change programme based in Taiwan, giving students an opportunity to study in and gain experiences from these economies.

The exchange programme is located at the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), which is the foremost technological university in Taiwan. NCTU is specially profiled within electronics and information technology. However, in cooperation with the

NCTU in Hisnchu, Taiwan.

– Full academic year of engineering or architect studies at NCTU. – Maintenance of the Chalmers International Taiwan Office at NCTU. – Company visits throughout East Asia.

neighbouring National Tsing Hua University, the exchange covers all engineering programmes at Chalmers. Courses held in both English and Mandarin can be chosen.

Parallel to the studies at NCTU the students maintain the Chal36

For more information on how to apply, please visit www.chalmers.se

CHALMERS IN ASIA Studying at Chalmers does not limit you to Gothenburg, Sweden. Through many exchange programs Chalmers students are given the opportunity to study at a range of Asian universities. Likewise, students from many different countries are invited to study at Chalmers in Sweden.

Sendai, Japan Tohoku University Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Institute of Technology Seoul, South Korea Konkuk University

Shanghai, China East China University of Science and Technology Hsinchu, Taiwan National Chiao Tung University

Hong Kong, China The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Singapore Nanyang Technological University The National University of Singapore

Chalmers University of Technology

SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Phone +46 31 772 1000 www.chalmers.se