Asia Magazine #29

INDIA

JAPAN

SINGAPORE

CHINA

Cash shortage in cash dependent society

Kaizen wherever you go

Life as an expat in Singapore - twice!

Shanghai - The city of contrasts

BY CHALMERS STUDENTS IN ASIA

ISSUE 29  FALL 2017

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WELCOME! In your hand you are holding the latest issue of Asia Magazine, a joint effort carried out by Chalmers students in Asia. The magazine is meant to be informative and entertaining regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. With this dynamic region in focus, it features articles on cultural, political, economical and social subjects. The magazine is coordinated and compiled by students at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office.

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CITO WHO?

CITO WHAT? Chalmers International Taiwan

Office, CITO, was opened in March 2003 and is the result of a bilateral Tom Diedrichs

Josephine Risberg

HEAD OF OFFICE

DEPUTY HEAD OF OFFICE

Management and Economics of Innovation tom.diedrichs@chalmers.se

Supply Chain Management josephine.risberg@chalmers.se

exchange agreement between

National Chiao Tung University,

NCTU, and Chalmers University of Technology. CITO is strategically located at NCTU, near the Hsinchu Science Park.

Isabella Bondesson

Fanny Wikman

EDITOR IN CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR

Biotechnology isabella.bondesson@chalmers.se

Industrial Design Engineering fanny.wikman@chalmers.se

CITO WHY? The main purposes of CITO are: • To increase awareness about the development of East Asia, with focus on Taiwan, at Chalmers

Ida Björhagen

ACADEMIC EXCHANGE

Design and Construction Project Management ida.bjorhagen@chalmers.se

Olof Wireklint

ACADEMIC EXCHANGE

Supply Chain Management olof.wireklint@chalmers.se

• To support mobility of students and staff between NCTU and Chalmers • To enhance the visibility of Chalmers in Taiwan and in the neighbouring region • To act as a hub at NCTU for Chalmers students in East Asia

Anton Ottosson IT RESPONSIBLE

Supply Chain Management anton.ottosson@chalmers.se

Anders Johansson

CORPORATE RELATIONS AND ALUMNI CONTACTS

Management and Economics of Innovation anders.s.johansson@chalmers.se

• To further develop Chalmers’ cooperation with Swedish companies in Taiwan and Asia

CITO CONTACT! Linnéa Johansson CORPORATE RELATIONS AND ALUMNI CONTACTS

Quality and Operations Management linnea.johansson@chalmers.se

Linus Schönbeck

CORPORATE RELATIONS AND ALUMNI CONTACTS

Management and Economics of Innovation linus.schonbeck@chalmers.se

Looking for internship, master's thesis or other co-operations in Asia? Or

do you just want to say hello? Don't hesitate to contact us!

www.asia.chalmers.se National Chiao Tung University Cover photo by Johanna Olovsson

1001 Daxue Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan R.O.C

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CHALMERS IN ASIA Studying at Chalmers does not limit you to Gothenburg, Sweden. Through many exchange programmes 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.

Delhi, India

Indian Institute of Technology

Singapore

Nanyang Technological University

National University of Singapore

Beijing, China

Tsinghua University

Shanghai, China Tongji University

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul National University

Konkuk University

Chung-Ang University

Sendai, Japan Tohoku University

Tokyo, Japan

The University of Tokyo

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan

National Chiao Tung University

Hong Kong, China

City University of Hong Kong

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

CONTENTS 5 6 8 10 12 14 16 19 22 24 26 28 4

Editor’s Letter

Isabella Bondesson

Singapore

Multicultural Singapore Andreas Löfman

Shanghai

Shanghai - City of contrasts Kristina Videberger

Singapore

How to eat like a Singaporean student

Anna Virén

Delhi

Cash shortage in cash dependent society

Elin Wallin

Taiwan

From exchange to master’s thesis

Olof Wireklint

Sendai

Tokyo 101

Malin Parkegren

Singapore

It all started with a sunny day in Singapore

Johanna Trillkott

Beijing

The street food of China, a culinary experience

Calle Malm

Seoul

City of Seoul

Magnus Bergsten

Hong Kong

To be or not to be a part of China

Adam Lilja

Tokyo

Where public transport runs like a clockwork Simon Sundell

31 38 41 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58

Asia Photos Singapore

Life as an expat in Singapore - twice!

Hanna Sjöberg

Taiwan

Company visit at Camfil in Taiwan Linus Schönbeck

Seoul

Why does Asians eat with chopsticks?

Lars Brown

Singapore The fine city

Malin Borgny

Sendai

Kaizen wherever you go

Jacob Moos

Taiwan

Sweden and Taiwan, what’s the diffrence?

Tom Diedrichs

Seoul

From princess to pariah

Victor Lopez

Singapore

A different campus life

Emma Sundell

Taiwan On time

Fanny Wikman

Hong Kong

On the cutting edge of traditional chinese medicine

Ylva Grampp

Seoul

Western holidays in Korea Simon Kindström

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Editor’s Letter

2017/04/16

Over a year have passed since I got my admission letter from National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan - a time that have flown past. I am now as I write halfway through my second, and last, semester in the World Wide exchange program and it feels almost like I just arrived. To go abroad is one of the best choices I have made in my life - not even finished yet I know that I have learned so many things I never would had catched up at Chalmers. Not in terms of education, but in experiences. How do you handle to live in a country where you do not speak the language, know the unwritten rules of the society or are familiar with the culture? If you want to try, I highly suggest you to go to some of the East Asian countries. With experience I can ensure that you will encounter problems, but also that you will learn a lot.

Every year over 40 students at Chalmers take the opportunity to study abroad in Asia through one of Chalmers global exchange programs, World Wide or Trezio. Meaning I am far from alone in making the decision of leaving Sweden for a year, or half a year, to conduct my studies in another country. As student you have the possibility to apply for an exchange in a wide array of countries, but unique with the exchanges to East Asia is that you have the opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences within this magazine. A chance that, not to mention, gives you as reader the exclusive opportunity to get a glimpse of Asia through the life of an exchange student.

In this number we, the editorial board, have tried a new strategy of distribution to enable this brand new issue already in October. This change resulted in that there was no spring issue 2017, we are sorry for that, but we hope and think that releasing an issue in the early autumn will be more beneficial, both for you as reader as for everybody involved in creating the magazine.

Because if you just started your third year of bachelor studies, or are thinking of applying to any exchange program this spring, it is time to decide on whether to apply or not and on where to go. The articles on the following pages gives a hint of what you might encounter and experience on the travel as exchange student.

So if you hesitate or have any doubts about going abroad, a good place to look for help in settling some answers is right here within this magazine!

If you do not have the possible to go abroad right now, either through World Wide, Trezio or in some other way, I still recommend you to read and inspire from all Chalmers students that currently have been on an exchange. Doors are nevertheless wide open to the world, with experiences that will bring you unexpected knowledge, new friends and a lot of fun. Take the chance to explore it whenever it is given for you.

Editor in Chief, Isabella Bondesson

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Multicultural Singapore How is it being white in Singapore? This question crossed my mind as I mentally prepared for my year abroad. I had heard stories from China and Japan on how people would stare and point at you or take pictures. Now I can safely say that something like that would never happen in Singapore. Why? Because Singapore is very multicultural, a growing term when it comes to globalization as people of various cultural backgrounds merge together in today’s society. Singapore is a glowing example of this, as the 51-year old country has many ethnical groups, with the majority being Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian.

When I first applied to study abroad, I did so with the intentions to experience vastly different cultures, and Singapore surely delivered.

At any given day, while walking through the city streets or campus, you can see all kinds of ethnical backgrounds, may it be Indian, Western, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian or Malaysian, and the list goes on. If you end up on Temple Street in Chinatown, you can along the road see a Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, a mosque and a church in close proximity. Being such a young

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country, with little to no native population before the British colonial era, many cultures introduced by immigrants were given an equal opportunity to spread and flourish, forming the Singapore of today that prides itself with its wide variety of cultures living together.

And being able to live together is vital in Singapore, seeing how tightly populated the country is (rated second in the world), with the country holding a population of around 5.5 million inhabitants. For this reason, Singapore has adopted the value of looking beyond that of religion and cultural background to include everyone as collectively being Singaporean. “I am Singaporean” goes their national anthem which appropriately has been translated to the main languages of Singapore (English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil). In fact many official scripts and announcements are available in these four languages, most notably in the subway system. I have thus learned that “Berhati-hati di ruang platform” means “Mind the gap” in Malay.

Back to topic. So what does it mean to be Singaporean? I asked my Singaporean roommate,

about what he thought defined a Singaporean. “Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures, there’s a freedom of expression as long as they are relevant and in line with the nation’s constitutions. A Singaporean is a citizen of the constitution, with a national identity towards a general conservative mindset when situation and society calls for it.”

Thus, in a sense the Singaporean culture is not one, but a mixture of cultures. There are however common cultural traits shared by most Singaporeans. Examples of these could be speaking in Singlish (a variation of English), the adoration of food and a love for air conditioning. Another extremely important virtue in Singapore is respecting others cultures, which is quite given else it would be terribly difficult to get along. Most major cultural holidays is considered as public holidays, with the public (and not just members of that specific culture) welcome to celebrate it, such as Diwali (festival of light), Chinese New Year, Christmas, Ramadan and the just passed Holi (festival of colour, throwing colour-bags at people is fun!).

One such example, of respecting other cultures, that really stuck to me was when I was at the local food canteen to get some lunch. I had ordered some Nasi Goreng at the Malay cuisine, which serves halal-certified food. After eating the delicious dish I still felt hungry, so I decided to have a pau (a form of minced meat baked into rice dough). Instead of taking a new plate, which I deemed as unnecessary, I put it on the plate I already had and went for payment. The Chinese cashier went completely mental, and wildly pointed at my plate while handing me another one. He did not speak English that well, and I was confused towards his reaction, and I tried to explain that I do not need another plate as I already had one. An onlooker informed me that the cashier was distraught because I had put a pork-pau (which is not halal) on the halal-plate. I quickly took another plate, apologized and quietly sat

down. This event fascinated me, as the cashier himself was not Muslim but he clearly saw it as his own business to make sure I did not disrespect another culture.

Speaking of food (when talking about Singapore it is only a matter of time until the subject comes up), for me this is probably the absolute best benefit of multiculturalism. When going to a food court, you can expect to find a wide variety of dishes from all over Asia, and some western cuisine as well. One day you might feel up for some Indian curry, the next some Chinese soup, thereafter Thai noodles, Malay Nasi Lemak, etc.

So with all these different cultures in one place, along with their respective cuisine to be enjoyed, there is almost no need to even leave Singapore in order to experience them. But if you decide to travel to another country, which is much recommended and also easy with Singapore in close proximity to most of Southeast Asia, you will be well prepared for the encounter.

WORDS AND PHOTO Andreas Löfman

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Energy Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in System Control and Mechantronics lofmana@student.chalmers.se

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SHANGHAI

City of Contrasts It is 8 o’clock in the morning and rush hour is approaching; the one time during the day when I can grasp how many people who actually live here in Shanghai. Shanghai is a city with 24 million people, which is almost 3 times as many as in Sweden. As I am walking towards the metro station I pass a wide range of people. There is an older woman wearing pyjamas while walking her dog, which is also wearing something that looks similar to pyjamas. There is a pyjama party on the streets every day, it is quite a common thing to see someone buying their breakfast wearing pyjamas.

Right next to the woman are people, dressed in fancy suits and shiny shoes, walking quickly to the subway station. There are children wearing their school uniforms and drinking warm soymilk from a plastic container. The good thing about rush hour is that I do not have to wait long for the metro to arrive, the subway trains are succeeding each other as soon as the previous one leaves the platform. I am moving, with a stream of people, aboard the already full metro carriage.

The carriage is so crammed that I can barely move, and the last people on board are avoiding being clamped by the closing doors. There is still a line at the platform as we are leaving the station.

My stop is coming up and I start to move towards the doors, everyone moves to the side to let me off. It is surprisingly easy to get off the train even though you are standing in the middle of a crowded carriage. When the doors open all of the exiting passengers are competing in a race towards the escalator, swarming around it at the bottom, completely ignoring the fact that there is a set of stairs right next to it. As I exit the metro station I am struck by how the skyscrapers stretch

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to the sky. There are high-rise buildings which seem to fit roughly 100 families and right across the street can you find lane houses which rarely are higher than 3 floors. I have lived here for 6 months at the time of writing and the city’s grandness and contrasts still amaze me.

I am walking towards the small red trailer, joining the queue to buy a steamed bun for breakfast. A steamed bun, Baozi in Chinese, is a breadlike bun with different kinds of fillings, which a lot of people eat for breakfast, although it is also common to eat for lunch or dinner. From my classmates at Tongji University I have learned that it is important, for reasons still unknown to me, to eat a warm breakfast. I do like the typical breakfast, so I will gladly join the queue to have a Baozi filled with Chinese cabbage and tofu, or whatever I happen to order with my poor knowledge in Chinese.

I am standing on the street, enjoying my breakfast and looking at all the people around me. To my right there is a woman hanging her laundry to dry on the street. Cars and pedestrians are passing by trying to avoid the clothes when the wind gets a hold of them, it is a common sight here and no one bats an eye at it.

There are streets filled with glass skyscrapers with high-end brand stores where an item cost as much as one month’s rent. Right across from those stores, there is a woman selling hats and socks. This woman’s mini-store is built on her bicycle.

In front of me there is one of the city’s many malls with western food chains and stores you easily find in Sweden. Right next to the European style coffee shop you can see a street vendor, who has modified her scooter to an on-the-go kitchen, and is now cooking breakfast wraps for the morning commuters. Later in the evening you can find

these kinds of street vendors with a gasoline stove where they will cook you an amazing stirfry for 8 RMB (approximately 10 SEK). It is the same scenario as when I order my breakfast, I just point at something that looks good and hope for the best, and I have not been disappointed yet.

It is the food, the skyscrapers, the narrow alleys, and the people that make Shanghai unique.

It truly is a city full of contrasts.

WORDS AND PHOTO Kristina Videberger Tongji University, Shanghai

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering krivid@student.chalmers.se

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HOW TO EAT LIKE A SINGAPOREAN

STUDENT

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It’s lunchtime at campus; 1 pm and the lines to the food stalls are long (forget about microwave lines and lunch boxes, that does not exist here).

Every table in the canteen seems to be occupied.

Not by people, but by bags, phones, water bottles and laptops. That’s how you chope a seat. Chope are Singlish for ”call dibs”, a way to say this seat is taken. The rules of chopeing are easy: basically put everything you don’t need when paying for your lunch at an empty table. Yes, you can even put it at that table in the very far corner which are out of sight from where you’ll stand in line. Yes, even put your crazy expensive macbook there, that’s fine.

When you have choped a seat it’s time to decide what you want for lunch, and enter the line to the food stall of your choice. Indian, Japanese, Indonesian, noodles or Western? Simply pick the stall with longest queue if you want to be sure to get delicious food, or the stall with the shortest queue if you are in a hurry (probably both stalls will serve some kind of fried chicken, and of course rice, and you won’t be able to tell the difference).

When it’s your time to order, the best way to do it is to lose all your polite grammar and go for something like ”number five, no spice!”. Most likely you will get replied to with a ”No spice, can”, which basically means ”Okay dear, number five without any spice for you”.

You’ll probably get your food right away, but if you have to wait a bit, you could order yourself a drink in the meantime. Here we have two stalls to choose from: the freshly squeezed fruit juices for around 1.5 Singaporean dollar (under 10 SEK) or the stall that serves neon colored sodas and Milo, which basically is chocolate milk. Guess where the lines are loooong? You are right, 99 % of the Singaporean students will go for the neon sodas and chocolate milk. No shame in reliving your childhood and having Milo for lunch every day at university. And if you really have the sweet tooth today, go for the Milo Dinosaur and you will get a extra scoop of undissolved Milo powder on top!

When you have finished your meal you will remove your tray from the table (so that someone else can get there quickly and chope it for themselves). Now you might think every stall share the same crockery and utensils, but be aware! Don’t dare to put your non-Halal tray at the tray rack for Halal crockery or vice-versa, because if you do, the canteen staff will scream something unclear at you until you’ve moved it.

Oh, you’re not finished? You want to have a coffee after lunch? To get some black brewed coffee you better find the nearest Starbucks (and spend more money than on your last three lunches combined) or McDonalds (but be aware, this is the place on campus where the lines really are the longest no matter what time of the day it is), so why not go for that Milo Dinosaur instead, yay!?

So, now you may ask yourself why not all Singaporeans are getting fat or diabetic from a diet that consist mostly of fried food and liquid sugar?

Answer is easy, just take a look around you in the canteen! All the walls are covered in big posters with promotions for whole grain, fruits and veggies and calcium boosting foods. And as we all know, advertising really has a big influence on people!

So with this new knowledge, you’re ready for a lunch in the Singaporean campus canteen! Can follow anot?!* *Singlish for “do you understand?”

WORDS Anna Virén

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Achitecture Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Design viren@student.chalmers.se

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India - Cash Shortage in Cash Dependent Society Cash is king, or was king! Not long ago India was a country where the means of payment was mainly cash, but that changed overnight. It was on the evening of the 8th of November 2016 when I, and the rest of the citizens of India, suddenly got the news about the demonetization of all ₹500 (68 SEK) and ₹1,000 (135 SEK) banknotes in India. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in an unscheduled newscast. In the newscast, Modi announced that all ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series would be invalid past midnight the same night. In the announcement, he also declared that the old banknotes were going to be replaced with new ₹500 and ₹2000

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banknotes. The act of demonization was according to the government an attempt to reduce the use of illicit and counterfeit cash to fund illegal activity.

The act was poorly deliberate since the announcement was unscheduled and the decision was made without the knowledge of the community. Because of this almost all ATM machines were out of cash for weeks and the amount to be withdrawn was strictly limited. The prolonged cash shortages in the weeks that followed created significant disruption throughout the economy. The action was heavily criticized by majority of the population and was described as poorly planned and unfair. The thing that made it unfair was that it affected the poor population the most

since many small shops owner, auto drivers and rickshaw drivers only accepts payment through cash and therefore lost a lot of customers. Many low-income citizens depend on their everyday earnings, so for them the act has put them in financial difficulty. Some expressed their dissatisfaction to the sudden demonetization through protests, litigation and strikes. It has now been almost three months and it is still hard to find ATMs with cash. It is most common to receive ₹2000 (270 SEK) and it is sometimes hard to use them due to lack of change.

Even though the demonetization has been heavily criticized I have also got the impression that some people have another state of mind.

They see the action as a brave and important act by the government.

In Modis announcement regarding the demonetization he announced that the act was going to get enforced at midnight. However, some shops allowed old notes for a few days after the announcement. Some people even saw this as an opportunity to make some cash since they allowed payment with old notes but refused to give change back. And, even though it was not possible to pay with the old notes it was possible to deposit and change old bills until the end of 2016.

As a student at Indian Institute of Technology I have the advantage of having food included in the residential rent, but even so the demonetization was affecting me since it made it complicated to travel, eating out and paying entrance fees to tourist attractions. When I tried to withdraw cash a few days after the announcement I was only able to withdraw 2000 rupees, and I had to stand in que for four hours.

A similar act is ongoing in Sweden, but that transition is made in a quite different manner. In Sweden, the process is still ongoing and was announced years ago. Already in 2011 could individuals take part in the transition by influencing the appearance of the new bills by a vote.

The introduction of the new bills in Sweden was made during 2015 and 2016. After the introduction was made the old bills remained valid for

almost nine months. But even though the transition is much slower in Sweden it still creates inconvenience for everyone involved. For example it is still common to get old bills from the banks even though it is only a few months until they stop being valid.

In a comparison between India and Sweden there are, as you may imagine, many differences. The ones worth mention in this context are regarding the difference in population, to which extend cash is used as means of payment and to which extend low salary jobs are common. Low salary jobs like auto and rickshaw drivers are dependent on that customers pay with cash, and this kind of jobs are much more common in India than in Sweden. The way that the government of India decided to handle the demonetization would probably be easier to implement in Sweden due to the smaller population, since the population only in Delhi (the capital of India) is over 18 million people compared to Sweden which just exceeded 10 million. But, despite that it would be easier to implement in Sweden, it would still create dissatisfaction with the Swedish government.

It is still too soon to know if the sudden change had the desired impact on reducing the use of illicit and counterfeit cash to fund illegal activity. But the lack of access to cash has created a need to be less dependent on cash. Therefore apps like Paytm is now used more frequently. This allows the user to pay directly through an app.

Who knows - maybe this is a step to get a less cash dependent society.

WORDS AND PHOTO Elin Wallin

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Innovative and Sustainable Chemical Engineering elinwal@student.chalmers.se

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From Exchange to Master’s Thesis There are many things that might draw one to study abroad, and there are a lot of personal rewards and benefits to gain. Ebba Mannheimer and Malin Ansgar were a part of CITO 2015 – 2016.

Ebba and Malin both have a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and are now finalising their masters’ within Supply Chain Management. For them, the exchange in Taiwan created a greater curiosity and a wish to return to Asia. They made it happen and are now writing their master’s thesis for Stora Enso in Shanghai. In this article they share their experience of working in China.

idea of a master’s thesis to my boss at Stora Enso and mentioned that Malin and I were interested in going abroad, he immediately had an idea for what we could investigate. Basically, we agreed on the main outline of the project over a coffee and then we figured out the details along the way.

Why did you choose to go to Shanghai to write your master’s thesis?

As our thesis is focused on the Chinese market, it is really crucial to see the market, customers and carton board applications with our own eyes. Most of our empirical studies are based on interviews with current and potential customers of Stora Enso in various provinces of the Chinese mainland. For example, we have visited one of the largest breweries in China, dumpling factories, dairy companies and other major brand owners.

What is the topic of your master’s thesis?

Our master’s thesis is focused on analysing the market potential of a specific carton board product for the Chinese market. The thesis is written within the subject area of industrial marketing.

We are analysing the customers’ needs in different segments to deis a leading provider of renewable sign a business model solutions in packaging, biomaterials, for the specific product. wooden constructions and paper on global markets. The group has some 25 000 employees in more than 35 Ebba, how did you get countries. The company aims to in contact with Stora replace fossil based materials by inEnso to write the thesis novating and developing new prodfor them? ucts and services based on wood and I had earlier been in other renewable materials. In 2016, Stora Enso opened a new board mill contact with Stora Enso in Beihai, Guangxi, to serve the Chiand worked for them nese and Asia-Pacific markets with on a project. I knew the high-quality carton board, food company was increasing service board and liquid packaging their presence in Asia. board.

When I proposed the

STORA ENSO

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In our case it would not have been possible to write the thesis from Sweden. Chinese consumers have different preferences for packaging and value other aspects of a package than for example Swedish consumers do. The value chain from Stora Enso to customers and consumers is also designed in a different way in China compared with Europe. To design the business model, we really need to grasp what services and functions are valued by different actors and how to best meet these demands.

What have you learnt during your time in China?

We have really gotten to experience how to do business in China. We have travelled over large parts of the country with the local team and followed their work. In China good relationships are really important when you do business, and there are many unwritten rules that we will probably never understand fully. For example how to hand over your business card and how to hold your glass when saying ‘cheers’ matters more than you would guess. And then of course we learnt how to eat a sea cucumber with chopsticks, which is quite tricky at the beginning!

Formerly, I used to study in Singapore for some time, and Malin has studied Mandarin Chinese in Shanghai before starting her studies at Chalmers in Sweden. So I can say we both like Asia very much.

For how long are you writing your master’s thesis?

The master’s thesis course spans a whole semester. However, we will spend about three months in China, mostly focusing on our empirical study and analysis work. When returning to Chalmers, we will finalise the report and present our findings to Stora Enso and give our master’s thesis presentation at Chalmers.

How does it work when writing the master thesis abroad?

The process of writing a thesis abroad is probably not that different from writing a thesis in Sweden. Many master students are based at a company office for the majority of the time, our office just happens to be located in Shanghai. The main difference is probably that we don’t have regular face-to-face sessions with our supervisor at Chalmers. We were in close contact before travelling to China to make sure that we were on the right track, and now we mostly use email.

What do you think about the World Wide exchange to Taiwan?

Our time in Taiwan was great! Going abroad to study is such a good opportunity that is provided to us by Chalmers. You can experience a new part of the world, get to know yourself better and find new friends. Being a part of CITO was also a great experience, it opens doors to other parts of Taiwan and Asia.

Do you have some recommendations for other students who are thinking about studying or writing a master’s thesis abroad?

Just go! To spend time abroad will give you so much knowledge and experience that you won’t get in your regular classroom. We believe a lot of companies appreciate to have students helping them with different projects but they might not be aware of the student’s interest or knowledge.

So our advice is to approach a company quite early on, and talk about your ideas. The worst thing that can happen is that you get a no, but likely you won’t!

WORDS Olof Wireklint

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management olofwi@student.chalmers.se

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TOKYO 101

I believe that the best way to experience a city is to walk the streets. Moving at a pace best suited to process visual and sensory information.

Maybe taking a wrong turn and ending up at unexpected places, walking is simple and the possibilities endless. The act of walking itself is one of the most basic freedoms we have. But often in cities, walking is limited to wandering the streets.

The buildings sitting silently and passive, not revealing the life within. This is why I often find myself wondering what exists on the other side of those walls, what kinds of things are hidden beyond the locked doors and shut windows of all the buildings I’m passing by.

I read an article about how densely populated Tokyo is, where the author predicted that the incredibly small living quarters would lead to people claiming the streets as a kind of living room. Reading this, I thought that the opposite might be possible as well. That the public space of the streets could permeate the boundary between the public outside and private inside and for once reveal a bit of what is hidden there, and that the best place for this would be Japan.

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When arriving in Tokyo and setting out in the streets, the assault of colours, lights and shapes as a first visual impact is overwhelming.

The sheer amount of advertisements in one busy street could probably equal the entire centre of Gothenburg. But when one has adapted to the first layers of sensory stimuli, underlying elements of the streetscape becomes apparent.

Tokyo itself is divided into small plots of land with about 1,8 million owners. Keeping to building regulations, the owner can build any type of structure desired on the plot. This makes for a very heterogeneous cityscape. Buildings are often torn down or modified when exchanging owners and due to this the average lifespan of a building in Tokyo is a mere 26 years. A result of this, the small plot size and density, adds another dimension to the street: height. This gives a streetscape not only expanding horizontally but also vertically.

The mind looks for things we are used to and similarities to our own environment in the language of the city. We divide the street into a space for cars, one for pedestrians and maybe cyclists as

well. In the buildings lining the street, we score the ground floor windows for shops and restaurants. One building contains one function. We use known urban features and try to cross-reference this with the spatial structure of western cities. When doing this in Tokyo it becomes evident that the Japanese streets can’t easily be translated into a language we already know.

Looking for something specific, a shop or a restaurant maybe, you will likely run into difficulties. Even equipped with Google maps, orientation can be challenging because streets often don’t have names. But it’s not only difficult to navigate because of the intricate street network, in the Japanese city our usual notions of back, front, inside and out, above or under ground, behind or in-between are shifted.

The primary function of a facade, an envelope that separates the private from public, does not always have the same function in Japanese streets and buildings. A third space can be found here. The mild, monsoon climate enables a transition of gradually connected indoor and outdoor spaces that doesn’t restrict human activity and in-

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teraction to one or the other.

This fluid boundary can be traced back to the Japanese buildings of old when houses were built of wood and paper. From the street, terraces, gates, eaves, patios and sliding doors created layers of in-between spaces. Public and private life mixed and overlapped in these zones. When industrialization hit Japan, the traditional materials could not withstand the strains of modern life and were all about destroyed and replaced with concrete and steel. What has persevered is to some extent the sequenced transition of rooms from the street into the house, which makes people move in and out of buildings in ways westerners aren’t used to.

The section pictured is a street in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, about a hundred metres west of Shibuya crossing. On the left side is the department store Shibuya 109, also called Ichimaru-kyū. On it’s ten floors, customers can enjoy 115 different shops and restaurants. The interior of the building is designed to move shoppers in a loop on each floor before taking the escalators to the next. One obvious characteristic is the building height. In Sweden and other European countries a commercial facility such as a department store rarely exceeds two, maximum three floors.

There is no incentive for people to explore floors higher up and so shops try to be as close to street level as possible. Considering the density in Japan, Japanese are more willing to use and venture to the higher floors because the public space reaches further in and higher up in the buildings.

This can also be seen in the section in the building to the right. We can assume that a number of businesses are located in this building due to the many signs outside. The difficulty is how to draw customers to these places located above street level. What we are used to, is that the act of passing through the physical boundary of the building signifies entering the private establishment. Instead here, the border of the private zone is pushed back into the building. The vertical communication such as the stairs and elevator are a part of the street. There is no door to pass 18

through and the entrance area itself is a kind of bay, a place of refuge from the steady flow of the sidewalk. Our previously rigid notion of the boundaries between inside and outside, front and back, shallowness and depth is overturned by the public sphere penetrating into the building.

In this minor study I think I might have found some answers to my questions about how the multiple layers of the city works and interacts.

By walking the streets and noticing how small things form a larger pattern I can start to see basic differences between my notion of architectural space and the Japanese counterpart.

Kaijima, M. Kuroda, J. Tsukamoto, Y. (2001). Made in Tokyo: Guide Book. Kajima Institute Publishing Co. Isozaki, A. (2006). Japan-ness in architecture. Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press Boontharm, D. Radovic, D. (2012). small Tokyo. IKI (Iternational Keio Institute) + flick studio co., ltd.

WORDS AND PHOTO Malin Parkegren Tohoku University, Sendai

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Design pamalin@student.chalmers.se

It all started with a sunny day in Singapore: An article about SERIS Since the late 1990s, the cumulative installed generation capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has grown exponentially to reach almost 300 GW in 2016. According to recent studies, the global installed solar PV capacity will exceed that of nuclear power plants within the next few years, and will proceed to reach tens of thousands of GW by 2050.

One of the research institutes that has contributed to this journey is the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). SERIS was founded in 2008 and is today a workplace for 200+ scientists, engineers and technicians. It is a multi-disciplinary research institute with R&D in novel PV concepts, silicon materials and cells, PV modules and solar energy systems.

But how did it all start? I had a great opportunity to meet with Prof Armin Aberle, CEO of SERIS. He told me the story behind one of the world’s leading research institutes for applied solar PV, located right in the heart of Southeast Asia.

Before SERIS was founded, or even existed as a concept, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, had already begun their work on starting up an international campus in Singapore: UNSW Asia. This was supposed to be the first comprehensive overseas research and teaching institution established by an Australian university. A major plan of UNSW Asia was to start up a silicon PV research institute at the brand-new campus. However, after being open for only a few months, UNSW Australia decided 19

in May 2007 to close down the UNSW Asia project due to financial issues. By this point, many UNSW professors had already begun moving their research activities from Australia to Singapore. One of these professors was Armin Aberle, who had been doing solar PV research in Sydney and Germany for the past 20 years.

While everyone was still reeling from the abrupt demise of UNSW Asia, another idea started to take shape: What about starting up solar energy research somewhere else in Singapore instead? The Singapore Government was excited by the idea, and had seen indications of what could be accomplished while visiting European countries that had made great progress in PV - notably Germany, a pioneer and forerunner in solar PV research, manufacturing and deployment. The former head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Germany, Prof Joachim Luther, was hired as CEO for Singapore’s new solar energy research institute, and SERIS opened its doors in April 2008. Prof Armin Aberle was hired as Deputy CEO, and took over as CEO in 2012.

SERIS is jointly sponsored by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) through the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). In the financial year 2016, core funding from NRF and NUS formed approximately 63% of SERIS’ projected funding of SGD 42.6 million, while the remaining 37% came from industry

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contracts and public grants. The overall mission for SERIS is ”to develop industrially relevant materials, components, processes, systems and services in the field of solar energy conversion”. Targeted leadership areas include industrial silicon wafer solar cells, PV modules for the tropics, PV module testing, high-performance PV systems for the tropics, management of the variability of PV for grids with a high solar share, and solarisation of Singapore.

So how is SERIS doing on these points? Before SERIS was founded, there were hardly any solar PV systems deployed at all in Singapore.

There was no significant solar research being undertaken, and there were very few solar PV panels on the rooftops. Today, there are 300 researchers working within this field and about 30 solar energy companies located in Singapore. The largest of these is the Renewable Energy Corporation (REC), originally founded in Norway and with former operations in both Norway and Sweden.

REC produces about 1.4 GW of solar panels annually, and was for many years the world’s largest producer of multicrystalline silicon wafers. Today, REC has moved its operational headquarters to Singapore and is a close partner of SERIS. The cumulative installed capacity of solar PV systems in Singapore was 125 MW at the end of 2016, mostly as rooftop systems. In 2014, Singapore announced plans to raise the adoption of solar power to 350 MW by 2020. This would be about 5%

of the projected peak electricity demand, which would be a significant increase from the 19 MW of installed capacity when the announcement was made.

According to Armin Aberle, approximately 5 GW of the power demand in Singapore could come from solar PV in 2050, which would be about 50-60% of the peak demand during mid-day, and approximately 10% of the annual electricity generation. In addition, SERIS drew up Singapore’s Solar PV Roadmap, as a guide to increase the sustainability of the country’s energy supply system.

In response to the 2015 Paris Agreement, a carbon tax will be implemented for power producers and large carbon emitters in Singapore starting 2019.

This will contribute to the shift of Singapore’s energy system towards sustainability.

So what is the future for SERIS? The most important challenge for the institute will be to remain relevant in an ever-changing energy landscape. Challenges like energy storage, integration of solar PV into a ”smart grid”, as well as working on innovative ways of using solar PV in the tropics will be of great importance for the future. This will include sharing key know-how with surrounding countries in Asia, with tailored solutions that fit the conditions in these specific regions.

SERIS’ plan is to turn Singapore into a solar PV powerhouse in Asia, and its journey has only just begun.

WORDS AND PHOTO Johanna Trillkott

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Energy Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Electric Power Engineering johtri@student.chalmers.se

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The Street Food of China, a Culinary Experience One of the first things you encounter whilst walking along the streets of Beijing are these little metal boxes with red roofs that, more often than not, are surrounded by an eager crowd.

From a distance these look rather shabby and not very inviting with their dirty and old facades.

Coming closer you can start to smell the delicious food cooked within and you can see why these stalls attract the attention of passers-by.

Throughout the day these street food chefs produce delicious food in all different categories.

So whether you are looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a midnight snack, the streets of China can most often supply you with food to go. In Beijing what you usually see is a kind of pancake with fried egg, filled with lettuce, chicken, bell pepper and spicy sauce to your liking. Another common dish is the stir fried noodles that you get with varying ingredients depending on the stall.

In most parts of China, you can find grill carts selling skewers of all kinds. Mushrooms, vegetables, meats, octopus and tofu are grilled and glazed with various degrees of spicy sauce. From

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the skewers, one of my personal favourites is the enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon. But the best street food I have encountered can be found in Tai’an, Shandong province. There the carts appear every night at 10 pm, bringing small tables and tiny stools erecting makeshift restaurants alongside the river. It is here I had the best dish so far in China and probably in my life, beating the expensive world renowned Beijing roast duck by far.

This magical dish was oysters cut open and grilled with rice noodles, vinaigrette, chili and an unsociable amount of garlic. From the nearby cart you can complete your dinner with whatever skewers you want or with a stir fry with the vegetables and meats of your choosing. And the best of it all is the amazing atmosphere created by all the people coming together to enjoy this delicious food.

Another favourite that can also sometimes be found on street food stalls, but more often in tiny shops operating through a hatch to the street, are dumplings. This Chinese staple food is made with filling wrapped in dough that can be steamed, boiled or fried. The fillings are made out

of combinations of a vast variety of vegetables and minced meats. Dumplings are a perfect midnight snack, and nearby my university there are special dumpling shops that open up at 1:30 am and are open until early morning, and they are always packed with hungry students.

In Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, we encountered some bakers that had taken the concept of street food to its limits. They had decided to put their huge industrial oven on wheels in order to roll it out to the streets to bake and sell mandarin cupcakes by the half kilo. Usually these carts are either pushed by hand or as part of a three-wheeled e-bike. This sometimes gives you a unique experience: biking alongside a motor driven cart filled with skewers that are currently being grilled.

Winter has now passed and many of the street food stalls that went into hibernation dur-

ing winter are quickly finding their way out on the streets of Beijing again and so I am I. P.S. And if, while cooking your food, the stall chef all of a sudden in a rush starts packing up and running away with their cart, it is not to try and scam you but to avoid the local officials trying to shut them down.

WORDS AND PHOTO Calle Malm Tsinghua University, Beijing

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Energy Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Wireless, Photonics and Space Engineering callem@student.chalmers.se

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AREAS OF INTREST IN THE KOREAN CAPITAL

CITY OF SEOUL Seoul is a city with ancient roots. Situated strategically by the Han river, the earliest recorded predecessor was called Wiryeseong (위례성) , dating back to the first century B.C. Seoul has been the capital of many states preceding modern day Korea. In the early days of the Joseon (조선) dynasty (1392-1897), Seoul, then known as Hanyang, was made capital city, and a great city wall was constructed, parts of which remain to this day. However, the city has far outgrown its original bounds, and what remains of the outer wall is now situated in the city centre.

The city of Seoul is divided into 25 administrative districts, called ’gu’ (구). My home for the last six months has been the eastern district of Gwangjin-gu (광진구).

Gwangjin-gu

This district is home to Konkuk University and Sejong University, the former of which is my place of study. Aside from the universities, this district is notable for its nightlife, comparable to other trendy areas such as Sincheon and Hongdae (신천, 홍개), and the Children’s Grand Park, a massive park with a zoo, an amusement park, and a large fountain displaying music-coordinated water shows.

The nightlife here is impressive, centered around the area of Kondae, which is named after Konkuk University (a common pattern in Seoul, places are often named after a nearby university, in this case Konkuk Daehakgyo, where the latter is the Korean word for university). There are many dozens of pubs, night clubs, and restaurants, but also coffee shops, arcade games, and internet cafés (locally known as PC-bang - mostly used for playing competitive online games). This area is almost always crowded with young koreans, groups of friends and couples; hopping between restaurants and bars. The downside of living in this particular area is, of course, the constant music (although my apartment is situated in an alley where the noise does not quite penetrate), and, if you walk the street on a Sunday morning, you may have to side-step some puddles of vomit - an effect of the sometimes quite excessive Korean drinking culture.

More central (and famous) districts include Jung-gu (중구), Yongsan (요산구), Jongno (종노구), and, of course, Gangnam (강남), a name which should be familiar to almost everyone.

Gangnam

Made internationally (in-)famous by a certain song, Gangnam simply means ‘south of the river’. Gangnam is particular for its concentration of wealth. Whereas Seoul is already a pricey city in terms of real estate, house prices in Gangnam is twice the city average.

In addition to containing the offices of many large corporations, Gangnam is also known for highend shopping and night-life. Many claim that Gangnam has the best night clubs in Seoul -- if by best, you mean high entry prices, long queues, and strict dress codes!

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Jung-gu

The name Jung-gu means ‘central district’, an appropriate name for this geographically and historically central district. While as modern and developed as the rest of Seoul, it is also a place of much history, with places like the royal palace of Deoksugung (덕수궁) and the old southern city gate Namdaemun (넘대문).

Jung-gu also encompasses Mt. Namsan (남산, literally ‘south mountain’). This peak houses a park and the famous N Seoul Tower, a broadcasting tower that is open to the public and provides amazing views of the city - a favourite for tourists.

Yongsan

Translated as ‘Dragon Hill’, Yongsan is situated on the northern shores of the Han river.

Its name originates with the nearby mountains’ resemblance to a dragon. Additionally, a story of the old kingdom of Baekje tells of how two dragons were spotted circulating over this area.

Before its inclusion into Seoul proper, Yongsan existed as a satellite city outside of the city walls. In the late 19th century, Yongsan was opened as an area where foreigners were free to engage in trade and religious work. Even to this day, Yongsan remains a centre for foreigners in Seoul, with the area of Itaewon where foreign culture is present in the form of all kinds of international restaurants, businesses, and people. Itaewon represents a combination of Korean culture and foreign cultures from all over the world.

Jongno

Named after its most famous street, meaning ‘Bell Street’, Jongno has been the historical centre of Seoul since the time of the Joseon dynasty. In this district, you can find some of Seoul’s grand palaces: Changdeok, Changgyeong, Unhyeon, and last but not least, Gyeongbok palace. These were the residences of the royalty in the days of the Joseon dynasty. Unfortunately, many of these grand palaces and surrounding structures were deliberately destroyed during the Japanese occupation of 1910-1945.

However, they have since been so meticulously reconstructed that one can hardly tell whether the buildings were constructed 600 or ten years ago!

Gyeongbokgung is quite a sight, with its vast courtyards and many grand, traditional buildings situated in the vicinity of modern skyscrapers. This place gives a sense of both the modern and ancient aspects of Korea.

Highlighted in this text were but a few of Seoul’s many districts - there is a lot more to cover, given enough space! Seoul is a huge and densely populated city, and a small article like this cannot do it justice. However, I hope it has given you some sense of what the city, and its districts, have to offer.

WORDS Magnus Bergsten

Konkuk University, Seoul Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Systems and Networks magbergs@student.chalmers.se

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To be or not to be a part of China

To be, or not to be, that is the question Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing end them to die, to sleep No more Hamlet. Act III, Scene I. William Shakespeare

To be or not to be a part of China - that is the question. Will Hong Kongers take arms against the sea of troubles, or will they let the communistic waves of Beijing wreck the Fragrant Harbour once a British colony. What will be lost and what will be gained by the fusion of the two systems currently sailing side by side?

Hong Kong has since the beginning of time been a blooming, and extraordinarily important harbour and trading centre due to its strategic location. The British Empire colonised Hong Kong Island after being victorious in the First Opium War 1842. A short period of time later also the sub-peninsula, Kowloon, was exploited. In 1898 the Brits ached for even more land and leased the remainder of the peninsula, the New Territories, for 99 years. Apart from a short period of Japanese occupation during World War II Hong Kong was British until the Handover on July 1st, 1997.

Due to pressure from Beijing, and the entire international community, the whole of the territory was returned to the Chinese government and not only the territory once leased. Concerns on how the world’s most successful capitalist city would be twisted by the world’s biggest communist country arose and negotiations about a trans26

fer period began. Beijing promised, by adapting the “one country, two systems” policy, that Hong Kong would remain unchanged for at least 50 years. Practically this means that Hong Kong keeps, among other things, its people’s rights, freedom, passport, flag, currency, capitalistic economic system, legal system, legislative system and language until 2047. The Chinese government manages Hong Kong’s military defense as well as its diplomacy with foreign countries. However, on the handover one of the biggest protest gatherings in Hong Kong’s history took place. Since then 1st of July marches have been held annually as a channel to demand democracy, universal suffrage, rights of minorities, protection of freedom of speech, and a variety of other political concerns. Although the changeover has already begun, Hong Kong still holds the 13th most traded currency, invariably scores the highest Financial Development Index and is ranked as the world’s most competitive and freest economy. It is still safe to say Hong Kong is one of the most important financial centres on the globe. Nonetheless the future is difficult to predict and the full impact of Beijing is yet to come.

Even though The Question is being rhetorical, as Hong Kong already has been a part of China and will de facto re-metamorphose into being fully Chinese by 2047, it is of grave importance for Hong Kongers and their future. Advantageously the question would rather be whether the Hong Kongers choose to acclimatize or not as the chances of breaking free from the chains of Beijing are rather small. Another fair question would be whether the perks of being united as one country would outweigh the drawbacks.

It is hard to see how the two completely different cultures would morph into one fully functional organism. One such instance is when it comes to mobile data usage, 95% of Hong Kongers use mobile data for social medias like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while in China these sites remain blocked. More importantly, Hong Kong keeps being the freest market economy in the world whereas China is still struggling to even gain market economy status. Yet another obstacle is the difference in spoken language as the language in mainland is Putonghua (Mandarin) whereas in Hong Kong they are Cantonese and English. Not to mention China being communistic and Hong Kong a (semi-)democracy, the usage of two different currencies, and Hong Kong’s application of the British common law model.

On the other hand Hong Kong and mainland China have good economic relations. The two complement each other and benefit both as Hong Kong, through its low tax rates, free trade and less government interference, acts as a gateway into the more manufacturing dependent China. Businesses are listed on the Hong Kong stock market whereas the actual manufacturing takes

place in mainland. Under this model investors get both international trading opportunity and access to low labour costs. Furthermore, the corruption in Hong Kong is almost non-existent and the language barrier is lower, making it easier to communicate and co-operate while still making it possible to access China’s extensive market.

As already mentioned, Hong Kong and mainland China complement each other’s economies while political differences remain entrenched.

The fact that the two are officially fused into one country will not bridge these significant disparities and must be fixed before they can truly unify. As of today Hong Kong acts as one of China’s most important connections with the outside world, a connection that would be at risk after any further integration. What such a loss would culminate in I dare not say, but it will probably not be beneficial for either party.

WORDS AND PHOTO Adam Lilja

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Systems, Control and Mechatronics adamlil@student.chalmers.se

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TOKYO

WHERE PUBLIC TRANSPORT RUNS LIKE CLOCKWORK

With a population of more than 38 million people in the greater metropolis, Tokyo has one of the largest subway systems in the world with more than 8 million people commuting every day in central Tokyo. The largest station is Shinjuku station and as much as 3.64 million people on average are passing through it every day, making it the busiest station in the world. The bullet trains are so punctual that there is a saying that you can use them to set your watch. The number of subway lines can be overwhelming when looking at the map, but when you learn how the system works iwt is surprisingly easy to travel around.

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The transportation system in central Tokyo is complex with two primary subway operators, Tokyo Metro, which is privately owned, and the publicly owned company Toei Subway. Their combined subway network comprises 285 stations and the thirteen lines cover approximately 300 kilometers, carrying over 8 million passengers every day. The transport network in the greater Tokyo area consists of more than 10 different operators and around 40 million passengers use the rail systems daily. This large network includes 2210 stations and 4714.5 km of operational track.

Trains are the main means of transport while buses and trams usually serve a secondary role in the large transportation network.

When I first visited Tokyo as a tourist a couple of years ago, I was confused about how the subway system worked and it was very time consuming to travel. The train stations can cover a large area of the local suburb making it necessary to know exactly which exit to take beforehand.

Shinjuku station has for example over 200 different exits. I learnt this the hard way when I had to walk more than one kilometer in order to get to the right place, just because I exited the station on the wrong side. The fact that the subway system is run by different companies with each company having their own network and tickets, which

is very different from other subway networks around the world, can make travelling complicated. Sometimes you need to change between multiple companies and multiple lines during the same trip.

Since each requires a different ticket the risk is high to buy an invalid one by mistake.

Before I started my exchange year in Tokyo, I thought it would be as difficult using the subway as last time, but once you get to know how the system works it is very convenient. You can buy a prepaid and rechargeable card that you touch in and out at every station. This card works with every company and eliminates the need to buy different tickets. Furthermore, if you have internet connection on your smartphone, there exist very helpful applications that make it easy to plan your travelling.

After living in Tokyo for a while you realize how well organized the subway system is. Instead of having the same line with opposite directions on both sides of the platform they sometimes optimize the connections between heavily trafficked lines. This is achieved by having a line on the other side of the platform which is timed well with the train that many people transfer from.

Each station has signs on the platform telling you which car to ride depending on your connecting line to make the transfers as smooth as possible.

The whole subway system runs like clockwork, which I think is due to technical, economic and cultural factors. Japan is a well-developed country and one of the richest countries in the world. It is famous for its advanced technology and is one of the leading countries in the world with respect to areas in electronics and IT. The technical and economic aspects are of course important in maintaining this huge transportation network, but I think the discipline of the Japanese people plays an equally important role as well. Even though it is extremely crowded during rush hours people are always forming two lines in front of the doors.

When the train arrives, everyone takes a step to 29

the side, letting the passengers leave the train and then enters according to the queue. In the escalators the rule is to stand on the left side and walk on the right side. Also in the regular stairs, there are arrows pointing where you should walk in which direction and everyone obeys these rules.

It is also very safe with a lot of staff ensuring that no one stays too close to the edge when the train arrives. During rush hours, it can be extremely crowded, some trains can run with over 200 % of their loading capacity and specific staff called “pushers” make sure that everybody gets in and doesn’t get caught in the doors. Delays can cause serious problems such as obstructing other trains and lead to overcrowded platforms, thankfully they are very rare. If a train is delayed with even as little as one minute, information is repeatedly announced to the passengers with humble apologies.

Not only Tokyo’s transportation network is very well developed, the whole country is connected by high speed trains. There are different categories of trains depending on how fast they can drive. The fastest trains are the bullet trains,

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called Shinkansen in Japanese, which can drive in a speed of about 300 km/hour. In the future, these trains might be able to drive twice as fast and there have already been some trials for specific routes. The Shinkansen trains are not only fast, they are also incredibly often right on time.

There is a saying that the Japanese people used to set the time of their watches according to the arrival of the Shinkansen trains due to their extreme punctuality. The average annual delay of the Shinkansen trains is just 54 seconds, including uncontrollable delays such as natural disasters. In addition to their punctuality they are also very safe, since the introduction of Shinkansen in 1964 there have been no fatalities or injuries to passengers onboard which is quite remarkable.

WORDS AND PHOTO Simon Sundell

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Automation and Mechatronics Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Systems, Control and Mechatronics simonsu@student.chalmers.se

ASIA PHOTOS

Photo by 31 Hanna Sjรถberg

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Photo by Calle Malm

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Photo by Calle Malm

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Photo by: 1. Adam Lilja 2. Adam Lilja 3. Malin Parkegren 4. Calle Malm 5. Jacob Moos

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Photo by David Reckermann

Photo by Malin Parkegren 36

Photo by Hanna Sjรถberg

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LIFE AS AN EXPAT IN SINGAPORE

TWICE!

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Are you interested in working abroad to expand your working experience and cultural intelligence at the same time? Then you should listen to what Jonas Falk, the Managing Director of SKF Treasury Centre Asia & Pacific, has to say about working in Singapore and what possibilities and advantages working abroad can give you.

“I don’t regret moving to Singapore for a second”, Jonas says when I meet him in his office in the East of Singapore. Jonas has actually taken the decision to move to Singapore and work as an expatriate on two separate occasions. It all started right after graduating from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg in 2000 when Jonas started his career at SKF as a controller assistant. After a couple of years in the company he ended up at the Treasury Centre in Gothenburg as a currency dealer and shortly after he got an offer to be transferred to the Treasury Centre in Singapore. He took the offer and worked at the centre for just over 2 years. In his opinion, an offer to work abroad is always a great opportunity and he urges everybody who gets the chance to take it.

Today, Jonas is working as the Managing Director of SKF’s Treasure Centre here in Singapore, which is the internal bank for the companies within the SKF Group that are based in Asia and the Pacific. The centre is the only treasury centre in the group except the main centre in Gothenburg, which is responsible for Europe and America and to which the centre in Singapore report directly. You might think that his journey to this position only took place within the company.

However, shortly after his return to Sweden in December 2005, he actually left SKF for the first time in his life to work in other areas. He was still in trading but this time he tried the sales side while being at Nordea, as well as financial trading with raw materials during his time at Ekman & Co. In his opinion it is always worthwhile and instructive to see the other side of the market regardless of which business you are in. During 2015, while working at Nordea, Jonas once again got an offer from SKF to work in Singapore, this time as responsible for the Treasury Centre in Singapore.

Jonas has therefore in two separate occasions taken the big decision of moving to another country with his family to start a new job as well as a new life there. Jonas explains that when you are considering to move to another country it is cru-

cial to think about how it will be for everyone involved. For him, the support from his wife Jenny and their kids and the fact that their lives in Singapore are satisfying and enjoyable has made it possible for him to take the job offers both times.

When talking to Jonas, I immediately notice that he and his family are very passionate about their new home country. He tells me that he could not think of a better country to work and live in, where some advantages are that English works everywhere, there are good schools for his kids, he can find food that he recognizes and of course the really nice weather.

Another thing I observed with Jonas is the fact that he is also extremely passionate about his work. He loves the excitement of the constantly changing market he is in, where there are new technologies emerging all the time. This passion has been with him through his entire career but he explains that the exciting thing about working abroad is that he gets to experience new and different changes here. The regulations in Asia are a bit different and the market can move even faster than back home, so Jonas has to stay sharp all the time. In Singapore he has indeed encountered some cultural differences and one of them is the difference in power distance. In Sweden it is very easy and common for an employee to question and challenge the boss while in most Asian cultures the hierarchy levels are more noticeable and distinct. This is one thing that he as a manager must think about in his work, to ask questions in the right way to get the true opinions of his employees. To be able to change and adapt your behaviour to match the culture you are in is very important to be successful in a new country.

His best advice for someone starting a new job abroad is to really scrutinize yourself to know what is typically Swedish. What is seen as a normality in our culture can be weird and different in another and you will always benefit from preparing yourself. Before his first time in Singapore, he and his wife Jenny actually took a course about cultural differences. However, he says that you in fact get very just with some common sense and 39

your own gut feeling but that it is important to always be humble and open minded for the new culture. To always respect the people and their way of living and never criticise their culture or country will get you very far. You should also always be careful of how you interpret cultural differences and never judge an individual because of them. In most Asian cultures, respect and a humble approach is very appreciated.

Furthermore, Jonas advises all students that get an opportunity to either work or study abroad to seize it because you will get invaluable advantages from the experience. You will learn a lot about yourself and your own culture as well as how other cultures and countries work. To students that have a dream of working abroad, Jonas recommendation is to apply to big global companies since they usually have more possibilities. Lastly, Jonas emphasizes the importance of always having a balance in your life and see your professional career as one part of your life. To balance your work with spending time with your friends and family and enjoying your own interests is what will make you happy and able to live life to the fullest!

WORDS AND PHOTO Hanna SjĂśberg

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Quality and Operations Management sjhanna@student.chalmers.se

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Company

visit at Camfil in Taiwan

One unique perk of doing your exchange at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Taiwan is the opportunity to combine the studies with working at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office (CITO). In short, CITO is an office run by Chalmers’s exchange students in Taiwan.

Our main assignment is to work as a hub for all of the exchange students in Asia originated from Chalmers, hence we are also responsible to put together this fabulous magazine you are now reading.

Another mission for the members of CITO is to gain a deeper knowledge of Asian company culture and to be a connection between Chalmers students and Asian companies with a relation to Sweden. To establish this connection CITO is doing several company visits in Taiwan and some in the rest of East Asia. I will here describe one of the visits we did in the fall of 2016 and which experiences and knowledge we gained from it.

We visited the company Camfil which was founded in 1963, in Trosa Sweden, and is the world’s largest and leading manufacturer of filters and clean air solutions with more than 50 years of experience. On the 24th of November 2016, six of the CITO representatives visited Camfil in Hsinchu. We met with Lance Jiang at their office in Hsinchu, which is one of the company’s three office locations in Taiwan. Camfil’s headquarter is in Sweden but 95 % of their sales are international. The Group has around 3800 employees and had a revenue over 6 Billion SEK the year of 2015.

Camfil Taiwan works with a full service support to its customers where they are responsible

for assuring that the system is running correctly and changing the filters when it is necessary. For new customers Camfil Taiwan has its own engineers doing the installations to make sure Camfil’s products fits perfectly for them. This is quite unique for this subsidiary, most other subsidiary in the Camfil group just hire a local engineering firm to do the installation for them. Mr. Jiang thinks this is a great advantage because they get lots of valuable first-hand information about their clients and the markets. This helps them to develop as a company and help the R&D to understand their customers better.

Camfil Taiwan biggest market is in microelectronics, this is mainly because Taiwan has been very successful in this area as a country. For the future they are working really hard to advance in different markets to lower the branch specified risk with having a majority of its revenue from one single branch. Mr. Jiang explains one big reason for this is because of the trend that shows that microelectronics companies are moving their businesses to China from Taiwan. The areas Camfil Taiwan are trying to get a bigger market share in are branches like: Power systems, Schools, Hotels and hospitals e.g.

Lastly, the company is growing and Mr. Jiang told us about their strategy when hiring new employees for the sales offices. The most important, he says, is that they know the targeted market.

Camfil hires people with experience in the targeted industry and teach them how to sale instead of teaching salespeople about the industry. Camfil thinks it is very important that their employees really understands the customers and the market so they could serve them more efficient.

WORDS Linus Schönbeck

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation linussc@student.chalmers.se

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Why does Asians Eat with Chopsticks?

No surprise to anyone, chopsticks are widely used in Asia. But how can chopsticks be the choice of eating utensils in the continent of rice?

And why does chopsticks look differently in China, Japan and Korea? These things I started thinking about while eating during my exchange.

It’s not too hard to imagine how one would start eating with chopsticks, just think about when being out camping, and one would probably forget to bring knife, fork, spoon or even spork. Using the fingers and hands is of course ok when camping, but if one remembered to bring the camping stove the food is too hot to be finger food. What to do? Grab a couple of sticks or and try to eat with them! Tada, you have reinvented the chopsticks again!

It is known that chopsticks were used in ancient China around 1200 BCE and probably earlier. But it was primary used for cooking and not as eating utensils. The use of chopsticks when eating started around 500-400 BCE, during a big population boom across China. The population grew so rapidly that people start cutting the food into smaller pieces to save time and recourses, such as fire wood, when cooking. When the food was cut into bite sized pieces, chopsticks was suddenly ideal and also very cheap, and there were no longer any use for table knives. Another important factor for the gaining of popularity for chopsticks and decline for table knives was because of the teacher Confucius. He was a vegetarian and thought that knives and other sharp objects at the dining table reminded of the slaughterhouse. The dinner should be a happy event and one should avoid things that would remind about slaughter, warfare and violence.

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The use of chopsticks gained popularity and spread through Asia. Within different geographical areas the chopsticks developed differently and today there are a couple of very prominent differences in the looks and use of chopsticks. In China the chopsticks are traditionally longer, thicker, not tapered and the tip is blunt. This can probably be explained by the teachings of Confucius, one should not have any sharp utensils at the dining table. Chinese chopsticks are usually made of plastic, ivory or bamboo. In japan the chopsticks are shorter, more point tipped, thus the Japanese food consist of a lot of whole bony fish and point tipped chopsticks are good for picking bones. Japanese chopsticks are usually made of bamboo while Korean chopsticks are of stainless steel thus this is believed to be more hygienic. In ancient times Korean royal families used silver chopstick as silver were thought to changes colour when in contact with poison (unfortunately silver does not change colour when in contact with neither arsenic nor cyanide, but it turns black when in contact with food containing onion or garlic).

But how can chopsticks be the choice of utensils when eating rice? The rice commonly eaten in

Asia is less processed than the rice we eat in the western world. It is stickier and tends to clump, so eating Asian rice is not even the slightest challenge with chopsticks! And in Korea you usually eat rice with a spoon, therefore chopsticks in Korea are always paired with a spoon.

I have many times been surprised over how far a bean, or fried food dipped in ketchup can fly when it somehow flicks away from the grip of the chopsticks, and lands in the knee of a friend or in the hair of the Korean lady behind me. A not so appreciated ice breaker. I learned to use chopsticks on a trip to Japan a couple of years ago.

I was skiing during the days and returned to our hostel hungry as dinosaurs every evening. Since I learnt as a kid that one should eat slowly to keep the digestion system happy, I started to eat with chopsticks during this trip. In the beginning I ate slower than a snail but eventually I learned to handle the sticks so well that I had to change to left hand! But if you don’t have the patience to learn, you can always grab one chopsticks in either hand and spear the food, although harpooning the food in this way is considered very rude!

Another way would be to grab a bunch of chopsticks, hold them together and you almost have a fork! Quite often you can ask for a fork and a knife as well, it does exist in Asia. When ordering a steak, pancakes or more western food, you will usually get knife and fork as choice of utensils.

Even though it is tricky in the beginning, chopsticks have some advantages over fork and knife: you will have one hand free, which you can use for a spoon or place your glass in. They are great conversation starters, who wouldn’t pity when the food flies from your chopsticks? If you are skilled you can impress by picking flies in the air Karate kid style! Try that with fork and knife!

Also you can find it everywhere, just grab a twig or stick!

WORDS AND PHOTO Lars Brown

Seoul National University, Seoul Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanichal Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Systems, Control and Mechatronics larsbr@student.chalmers.se

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THE

FINE CITY While being raised in Sweden may have gotten you used to following many strict rules and regulations, it is nothing compared to those of the tiny island state of Singapore. The country has often humorously been called The Fine City due to its very clean and safe atmosphere in relation to the many strange and hefty fines established in order to keep it that way. Some are laws that one might expect, like forbiddance to jaywalk and smoke in public, but there are also the ones that could get you into serious trouble if you do not come prepared. Below are 10 rules that may come as a surprise to you: WORDS Malin Borgny

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Architechture and Urban Design borgny@student.chalmers.se

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E Y

1. Chewing gum While I was first appalled by the idea that I would not be able to chew gum for a whole year I quickly came to learn that this was not entirely true. It is illegal to sell and it used to be illegal to bring into the country (fortunately this is not the case anymore). If one would get the idea to trade though - it could mean up to two years in prison or a fine of up to S$100 000*.

2. Connecting to another person’s Wifi If someone is so kind as to not password protect their Wifi that must mean lending it for a couple of hours is totally okay, right? No, this is considered a hacking offence in Singapore and could get you up to three years in prison or a S$10 000 fine.

3. Feeding pigeons Might seem completely harmless but in Singapore it could cost you as much as S$500.

4. Eating or drinking on the MRT Saving time by having your breakfast on the tub? Could earn you a S$500 dollar fine.

5. Bringing Durian - a.k.a. Singapore’s national fruit - onto the MRT Before arriving in Singapore this was one of the absolute weirdest rules in my opinion. Until I actually came in contact with it myself that is. The fruit really is smelly enough for you to not be allowed to bring it onto the MRT. If you do it could cost you S$500. Taking it onto the bus is allowed though, but is likely to earn you quite a few angry stares.

6. Relieving oneself in a public elevator Some are even equipped with Urine Detection Devices that shuts the lift down until the police arrives and charges you up to S$1000.

7. Not flushing the toilet Luckily most public toilets flush themselves as leaving it without doing so could lead to a fine of more than S$1000.

8. Walking around naked in your own home without closing the curtains Yes, really. It is considered pornography and in addition to a S$2000 dollar fine, it could even have you ending up in jail for up to three months.

9. Vandalism It is not only the laws themselves that are special in Singapore, the penalties can be pretty shocking as well. For example, the penalty for vandalism does not only include fine and imprisonment, but three to eight cane rapps as well.

10. Littering Again, not the offence that is surprising but rather the punishment - a fine of up to S$1000 or a Community Work Order - i.e. 12 hours of cleaning up rubbish wearing a bright coloured jersey identifying you as a ‘litterer’.

When being accepted to study abroad in Singapore the one thing I kept hearing about was that one can be fined for the most ridiculous things here. Not knowing what to expect but with a great worry that I would not be able to purchase chewing gum for a whole year I came here to meet a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere than I expected. Yes, it is sometimes annoying that you can not eat or drink on the MRT, but no, you are not immediately sentenced to a S$500 fine for accidentally taking a sip of your water. The fact is that Singapore is one of the cleanest places I have ever visited, and it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world - probably thanks to the many strict laws and regulations established here. * S$1 ~ 6.3 SEK (23 March 2017)

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Kaizen Wherever You Go - the Incremental Improvements that Shape Japanese Society There are many good reasons to go to Japan and Tokyo. Japan is filled with beautiful nature and mountains, it has a rich history and an interesting culture. Tokyo is arguably the best functioning large city in the world, it has special stores for pretty much every interest that is out there, and it has restaurants like no other city. However, what sadly enough primarily brought me to Tokyo was to figure out what drives Japanese innovation, i.e. things done in totally new ways. Contradictorily, what struck me was that nothing revolutionizing seemed to exist here. Instead, I found a place where things around me were working thanks to numerous incremental improvements. Perhaps, this is best described as Kaizen in the Japanese society.

What then is Kaizen? Kaizen is a Japanese

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word, directly translating into “change for the better�. It is often used referring to continuous improvement, which is perhaps the most commonly known use in the English language for the word.

Although an old word, it first got widely spread as a result of the best-selling management book Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success, published in 1986. In this book, Kaizen is used to explain the success of Japanese companies since the 1950s, as in the case of e.g. Toyota, Mitsubishi and Hitachi. In short, Kaizen is a principle of constantly attempting to slightly improve whatever one is set out to do. In business terms this might mean changing details in products and/or processes, which in no way is a new notion. However, when improvements are done continuously, i.e. every single day, Kaizen becomes a revolution-

ary concept. Consider for example trying to make a tiny change (hopefully) for the better every day in your own life. That is probably more ambitious than what it might seem at a first glance.

For most of you though, the concept of Kaizen does probably not develop your interest in the Japanese way of doing things.

For me personally, it seems like a dull and repetitive way of doing things. At the same time, as a Tokyo resident, I am grateful for Kaizen. Would it not have been for the ambition to always improve, albeit only marginally, the food and restaurants here would not have been the same. The ramen shops, sushi stands, and curry diners with their one or few dishes only have one way of competing with their neighbouring restaurants – that is making the best ramen, sushi or curry. Only by making small changes to their existing secret recipes can they achieve the changes for the better that drive the quality of the food in their restaurant. This, as opposed to making completely new dishes or versions of their current dishes.

So, back to innovation – what then drives Japanese innovation? Well, there are of course many answers to that question. Occasionally, totally new things come from Japan. At the same time small improvements to things are important in most companies and societies around the world, however, only to a certain level. In Japan to a larger extent than probably anywhere else, these incremental changes for the better drive the development of products, processes, people and society. Things are usually not done in completely new ways in Japan – they are made in improved ways. That is also why the yoghurt bottles here never spill when you open them, why the trains

here are on time regardless of the weather(!), and perhaps most importantly for me – why the ramen noodles are perfectly thick to bring the delicately flavoured broth to the mouth in almost every single ramen store. I believe that this is a good way of capturing what innovation in Japan is about – making things just a little bit better!

WORDS AND PHOTO Jacob Moos

The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation moos@student.chalmers.se

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SWEDEN AND TAIWAN, POPULATION

10 million

23,5 million

AREA

447 435 km2

0 summits over 3000m 12 Summits over 2000m Highest peak: Kebenekaise 2097m

36 193 km2

MOUNTAINS

286 summits over 3000m Highest peak: Yushan 3952m

Average:

Average:

WArmest : 21˚C COldest : -4˚C

WEATHER

WArmest : 33˚C Coldest : 12˚C

ARCHIPELAGO

Ca 100 000 islands

Ca 100 islands

BIG MAC

$5,26 HIRE ME!

HIRE ME!

7.3%

11.9 babies/1000 people anually 48

HIRE ME!

HIRE ME!

$2.16 HIRE ME!

UNEMPLOYMENT

BABIES

HIRE ME!

3.8%

8.6 babies/1000 people anually

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? How much do you know about Taiwan and what do you know about Sweden?

Each year Taiwan is home for 10 Chalmers students and Sweden is home for 10 students from Taiwan and National Chiao Tung University. Here are some facts and comparisons between the countries that you probably did not know.

CONVeNIence Stores

The number of convenience stores in Taiwan and the amount of items and services they provide is astonishing. Apart from the food, beverages and basic household items convenience stores usually provide, you will also go to a convenience store when you want to print some papers, make a copy, withdraw cash and pay your bills. The distance to the closest convenience store is never far, Taiwan has over 9200 convenience stores of which 5000 is a 7-Eleven. That is over 13 times as many on an area that is one twelfth of Sweden's.

Night Markets

In Taiwan you can experience amazing night markets where you can shop, play games and try local dishes prepared in a traditional and often simple way. In Taipei you have at least 12 different night markets to choose from. If you dare, try the stinky tofu that the Taiwanese love and if you have time, carefully pick your own corn on the cob as the locals do. However, be aware that you might have to wait 45 minutes before it is time for your corn to be grilled.

Tipping

In Taiwan waitresses, taxi drivers and bartenders do not expect tip and in many occasions they will even refuse your spare change. The only time you will “tip” in Taiwan is when there is a 5-10 percent service charge on the menu, which on the other hand is quite common.

Food, drinks and Gum At MEtros

Be well aware that it is not allowed in any way to eat, drink or chew gum in the metro or at the metro stations in Taipei. This includes taking a zip of water from your water bottle. But do not worry if you forget, a Taiwanese will soon be there to remind you of the rules.

The Garbage Truck

In Taiwan not all apartments have a place in the basement where you can throw your garbage. So what do you do with your trash? As taiwanese you throw it directly into the garbage truck. The garbage trucks in Taiwan plays music, in the same way as the ice-cream trucks does in Sweden, to let you know when it’s time to go out to throw your garbage.

WORDS Tom Diedrichs

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation dtom@student.chalmers.se

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From Princess to Pariah -

The Story of Park Geun-hye’s Presidency While exploring central Seoul one day in early March, I emerged from the subway station at Anguk only to find myself surrounded by rows of policemen. Across the street a large crowd had gathered and they were chanting slogans and waving Korean flags. I soon learned that they were supporters of the former president, Park Geun-hye, and were protesting against the impeachment of her. I was informed that not far away opponents of the president were also gathered.

This was the day before the Constitutional Court was expected to make a decision on the future of the president. On the next day, March 10th, the court made an unanimous decision to uphold the impeachment. The following days were marked by more protests, some of which turned violent, leading to the death of three protesters.

The former president has been in the spotlight since her early adulthood. In 1974 she replaced her mother as first lady of the country, following her mother’s death. Her father, Park Chung-hee, ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 20 years following a military coup in 1961.

He is a controversial figure, infamous for many human rights abuses during his dictatorship. Despite this, he has many admirers who credit him for the rapid economic growth that lifted Korea out of poverty and also for protecting the country against North Korea. He has survived multiple assassination attempts, one of which resulted in the death of his wife. His rule was ended in 1979 when he was assassinated by his longtime friend and ally Kim Jae-gyu. More than three decades later, his daughter would assume the role of president following the election of 2012.

The controversy surrounding Miss Park start-

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ed in October 2016 when it was revealed that her longtime friend and spiritual advisor, Choi Soon-sil, was exercising influence over the president. The scope of her influence ranged from everyday style and clothing choices to political decisions. She used this influence to gain access to confidential information and to extort money from chaebols (large family-owned conglomerates). She was also able to secure many benefits to her family members. This was made possible due to the fact that chaebols are highly dependent on favorable policies, and the fact that the Korean government has a long history of involvement in chaebol affairs. Soon-sil’s and Park’s relationship can be traced back to when Soon-Sil’s father, Choi Tae-min, befriended the former president shortly following her mother’s death. Tae-min was, aside from being a friend and associate of Park Chung-hee, also a founder of an obscure religious cult called the Church of Eternal Life. He was a former buddhist monk that converted to Catholicism and his religious organization conveyed a mix of Christian, Buddhist and Korean shamanistic beliefs. Among other things, they claimed to be able to communicate with the dead.

The revelations about the president was followed by nationwide protests calling for her resignation.

From October to March there were weekly protests against the president, culminating in almost 2 million participants on December 3rd. This is the largest protest in the country’s history to date.

During this period, Park’s approval rating plummeted from 30 percent down to as low as 4 percent. However, this is not the first time that discontent with the president have surfaced. In 2014, when almost 300 South Korean students lost their

K

C

Korean Culture and Information Service

Cheong Wa Dae

lives during the sinking of M/S Sewol, the president was nowhere to be seen for several hours.

It was later revealed that she was, among other things, getting her hair done. Park Geun-Hye has been described as very introvert person, and has at times been criticized for her lack of communication. She never married, instead being ”married to the country” as some Koreans describe it.

While witnessing the protests outside the Constitutional Court I had a short conversation with one of the supporters of the former president.

He claimed that the former president has been the subject of a smearing campaign by what he refers to as lying, left-wing media and that the accusations of wrongdoing lack evidence. He went on to implicate North Korean meddling with the intent of destabilizing the country and also expressed a fear that ousting the president might weaken the country and make it vulnerable. Whether his views are representative of the protesters is not evident. But he is part of a vocal minority seemingly consisting mostly of older Koreans that are fiercely loyal to the president.

This loyalty can seem puzzling to an outsider, especially as the younger generation, and Koreans in general are content to see the president being held accountable. One possibility is that many of them are admirers of her father, Park Chung-hee, and somehow their loyalty has been transferred to his daughter. Some older people are also sympathetic to ”the princess”, having lost both of her parents at a fairly young age, and feel that she is

a victim rather than perpetrator in this story.

Park Geun-hye was effectively suspended on December 9th when the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against her. On March 10th, the Constitutional Court made an unanimous decision to uphold the impeachment. In the following days, she left the presidential residence, The Blue House. Reportedly she left her nine Jindo dogs behind, some of whom have since been adopted. Since March 30th the former president is jailed and awaiting trial facing charges such as bribery, extortion, power abuse and leaking government secrets. A new election is scheduled for May 9th, shortly following the national holidays of Buddha’s Birthday and Children’s Day. Since Election Day is also a holiday in South Korea, many workers and students are looking forward to an extended holiday.

The presidency of Park Geun-hye is unique in several ways. She is the first woman elected as president in South Korea and also the first president of South Korea to be ousted through democratic means. For a country that has seen multiple dictators and coups since its independence, this can be seen as a democratic victory.

WORDS AND PHOTO Victor Lopez

Chung-Ang University, Seoul Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering vlopez@student.chalmers.se

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A Different Campus Life I have lived on campus at National University of Singapore for 7 months now, and if I wanted to, I could easily have lived here without ever leaving campus during the whole stay. You can find everything you may need on campus. Grocery shops, pharmacy, gyms, swimming pools, food courts, the list just goes on and on. There is even a health care center if you would get sick and a hairdresser if you need to cut your hair. As an exchange student, you can also find most of your friends living on campus too, so you do not even have to leave campus for your social life. Luckily, it is easy to get off campus too, because there is a lot more to Singapore than just the university.

A big difference when you get to go to university in Singapore compared to Sweden is the food. Not that the food itself is different (well of course it is, you are in an Asian country), but it is very rare that the students cook their own food at home. Here you just go to eat at one of the food courts, which is actually cheaper than cooking food yourself. There are several food courts on

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campus, and all of them have food stalls serving food from all over Asia, and often some western food as well. Most of the campus accommodations do not even have a proper kitchen in the apartment, just a fridge and a microwave if you would like to cook yourself (but you would be surprised on how much food you actually can cook in a microwave, the food courts get a bit boring after some months). There are also several Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds etc. on campus where the students can buy their food or coffee.

At both Chalmers and National University of Singapore, there is a lot of activities for the students to attend during the semesters. But there are still some differences. For example, at Chalmers there are a lot of parties for students to attend, like the big pub crawl twice a semester and there is always a big celebration after an exam. And of course, we have our own nightclub Gasquen at Chalmers, which is open every weekend. In Singapore there are no parties at all on campus. There have been some welcoming parties, but they are

always located outside of campus at some club.

Instead they have more sports activities here, or at least you hear more about the sport clubs here than at Chalmers. They have both sports clubs and teams that you can join and activities that are open for everyone to attend. A lot of the activities are held outside on the campus area, which makes it easy to get an insight on what you may be interested in. Also, groups of friends are often outside on campus playing frisbee or football. Overall, there is just more things going on at campus in the open here than at Chalmers.

As you may have heard, there are a lot of strict regulations in general here in Singapore.

The accommodation regulations are not an exception. To secure an accommodation on campus you are even required to pass a quiz about the regulations online. Some of the regulations include not having alcohol at home, even though you do not drink it there. If you have someone of the opposite sex over, you cannot close the door to your room and that person is not allowed to use your bathroom. There are not only different apartments for girls and boys, but they separate

the whole floors to just having boys or girls staying there. Fortunately, we do not take these regulations too seriously, we have parties at home from time to time and I always use the toilet even though I am at a guy’s apartment.

My life as a student at National University of Singapore differs quite a bit from the life back home at Chalmers. Overall, I would say that I prefer my life at Chalmers in the long term, especially since the regulations are not as strict there.

And of course, I have my whole life in Sweden so it is a bit hard to compare the places for me. But one year abroad in Singapore is a really great experience to see how the life could be as a student in another part of the world, and the campus life is pretty amazing here after all.

WORDS AND PHOTO Emma Sundell

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Mechanics suemma@student.chalmers.se

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ON TIME What can Swedes learn from a Taiwanese time prespective?

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Can we meet at 10 pm to finish the report?

Instinctively I just want to answer NO, no, no, no, that is bedtime for me. The only thing I study successfully at that time of the day is my Instagram feed. Although, for my Taiwanese friends meeting up for doing group assignments this late does not even seem extraordinary, they rather seem to think it is convenient since everyone usually is available at that time. Great!

Taiwan is, as many other east-Asian countries, known for long working hours. Actually Taiwan is in fourth place on the world ranking on working hours per person and year. This attitude to working hours also seems, with a complete lack of substantial data, very apparent for university students. So how come the Taiwanese spend such long hours in school and workplace?

Of course there are many factors that cooperate in this matter. In Taiwanese working culture it is considered respectful to not leave before or arrive later then your superiors, and that would lengthen anyone’s working day. You never know when he or she will show up, nor when they will leave. Not too surprisingly money is also in the game, the more you work the more you earn, simple as that.

But also, I think the culture here is more endurable than the Swedish when-where-what obsessive lifestyle. Here people wait calmly for the bus without knowing if it will arrive in 3 or 30 minutes. Not like Swedes that even though taking the same bus the same time every morning, and not considering any other way of transportation, still places ourselves under the timetable screen to know exactly how many minutes we will have to wait. It is just so good to know, right?

The relaxed approach to time has definitely annoyed me more than once since I got here. Just the fact that my professors can show up 30 minutes after the lecture was supposed to start, and then holding the lecture for 3 hours, sometimes with a break, sometimes not, makes me dream about the Chalmers 45 minutes then 15 minutes break-lessons. My Taiwanese classmates though, they just use those extra minutes before the lec-

ture starts to prepare for the lesson, talk to friends or checking things off their to do list, without bothering the 30 minutes change of schedule.

However, being exposed to this very different culture has made me think whether the Swedish way of handling time and working hours is entirely positive. I somehow believe that in Sweden the ideal person finishes school or work tasks in the scheduled hours even though it requires an achievement of an athlete, a minute schedule and not being able to have off topic conversations with classmates or colleagues just to be able to get home in time, throw yourself on the couch and watch TV while scrolling your phone at the same time. It somehow surprises me that we value this before getting through the day in a convenient speed and then getting home, perhaps a little late, but with no need to spend the night just recover from a stressful day.

I do not suggest that extending working hours in Sweden is an excellent idea, and I do understand that people do more valuable things than scrolling their phones in their spare time. So do I, believe it or not. But, what I want to emphasize is that the fact that the bus does not arrive, that the lecture does not start on time or that my friends suggest meetings at 10 pm often causes me more annoyance and stress than what the actual time difference or change of planning would do. The Taiwanese approach certainly causes long working days, still, the mindset that some productively unused time slots during a day is nothing to be upset about is something I praise and will take with me when I go back to Sweden.

WORDS Fanny Wikman

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering fannywi@student.chalmers.se

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HONG KONG TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE on the cutting edge of

In a 2016 survey evaluating the different universities of Hong Kong by public perception, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKUST, was found to score the highest.

In Hong Kong, just as in Sweden, it is primarily your high school grades that determine which university you will get into. I once asked my local friend if she always knew her goal was to study mathematics and economics at this prestigious university, bearing in mind that Hong Kong is considered a global financial centre. “No,” she answered. “I wanted to study Chinese medicine, but my grades weren’t good enough”.

To study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is to study an ancient tradition, dating more than 2500 years back. In Sweden, it would be considered a pseudo-science or a form of alternative medicine. However, many Hong Kong people choose to frequently visit Chinese medicine practitioners. It is obvious by the many pharmacies, who in addition to selling toothpaste and aspirin also have rows and rows of glass boxes full of mushrooms, herbs and unidentifiable animal products. Walking around in the city you will stumble upon small booths selling strong herbal tea claimed to promote healthiness, and my local acquaintances strongly recommends me to try acupuncture to keep my body in balance.

The presence of TCM in the daily life of Hong 56

Kong residents is not only apparent when walking around in the city or in the malls, but it is also noticeable in my courses at HKUST. In my Advanced Reaction Engineering class, we had a discussion whether the higher price of a medicinal herbal product containing gold could be justified due to the catalytic activity of the gold particles.

And naturally, in my Pharmaceutical Engineering class, we couldn’t discuss the local pharmaceutical industry without mentioning the TCM manufacturers as well.

In the late 1900s, soon after the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the regulation of Chinese medicine trade and practice was incorporated into the government body and the field was recognized as a part of the public health system. Since then, three Hong Kong universities provides full-time courses on TCM. One of them, The University of Hong Kong, which also is the oldest university in Hong Kong, has three core visions for their TCM education: to nurture quality professionals in Chinese Medicine, to achieve modernization of Chinese medicine through scientific research and to provide quality clinical services to the community. An example of the scientific research in Chinese medicine is the collaboration between academia and the Hong Kong company Purapharm and their development of a medicine, verified per standards in the US and

140 other countries, for patients to take before chemotherapy or surgery based on extract from yun zhi, a mushroom traditionally used in Chinese medicine. The TCM industry in Hong Kong does no longer only produce traditional herb products, there is also an effort to research and develop concentrated Chinese medicine granules with verified efficacy to be exported overseas.

And perhaps the traditional Chinese medicine does have more to offer. At least, that is the opinion of Youyou Tu, one of Nobel prize winners in medicine of 2015. She and her team searched for antimalarial drugs amongst traditional Chinese medicines, and found a herb called Qinghao that showed some effect. After consulting a text written by Ge Hong in 340 AD, “A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies”, they managed to extract the active ingredient from the herb.

Qinghaosu, also known as artemisinin, is now widely used for malaria treatment and is saving many lives. In her 2011 Nature Medicine article, describing the discovery of qinghaosu, she ends with the following sentence:

It is my dream that Chinese medicine will help us conquer life-threatening diseases worldwide, and that people across the globe will enjoy its benefits for health promotion.

This quote seems to agree with the overall goal of the Hong Kong government. With the endeavour for regulation, education and scientific research the development of TCM in Hong Kong has entered a new phase. The way forward for TCM in Hong Kong can be concluded as the following, found on the website of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong: With the concerted efforts from the industry, the academia, the community as well as the government, and also through collaboration with its motherland and overseas parties, the development of traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong will move on to a higher plateau. What’s more, Hong Kong should be able to assume a bridging role and contribute towards the introduction of traditional Chinese medicine into the international arena.

WORDS AND PHOTO Ylva Grampp

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Chemichal Engineering Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Innovative and Sustainable Chemichal Engineering grampp@student.chalmers.se

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DIARY DAY VALENTINE’S DAY WHITE DAY BLACK DAY ROSE DAY KISS DAY

WESTERN H O L I D AY S IN KOREA SILVER DAY GREEN DAY PHOTO DAY CHRISTMAS WINE DAY MOVIE DAY HUG DAY 58

Korea is a country where it’s easy to feel content. There is delicious food to be found everywhere, commuting is easy and Seoul is a very modern city. But even when everything is going smoothly you sometimes get this craving.

The craving for home. Then, what better is there to relieve the urge for home than a familiar holiday? However, in Korea they don’t celebrate your favorite holiday the way it would be celebrated back home, and some holidays they don’t celebrate at all.

Let’s start out with giving a quick background to why Koreans celebrate certain holidays and not others. Many of the Western holidays are based upon Christianity, but Christianity in Korea is a relatively new religion. However, it has had a very rapid growth and about 30% of the population are now Christians. Because of the only recent big Christian population the only Christian holiday that is celebrated is Christmas.

Christmas was however not introduced only because of a growing Christian population, it was also influenced from Japan. Christmas has been celebrated in Japan for a long time and Korea was under Japanese control for decades. As a foreigner in Korea you should know some of the story between these two countries, and you should shy away from the topic of comparing Japan and Korea. During the Japanese occupation the Koreans were often treated unfairly and many Korean people still possess some ill will towards their occupiers. In addition, the conflict between the two countries is yet to be solved and there are still discussions regarding territory.

In the Western hemisphere Christmas is often spent together with your family, with a large focus on food and gifts. Christmas, December 25th, is a public holiday in Korea and a time for couples to spend time together and share gifts.

The unlucky singles may spend time with their friends instead. Couples are easy to spot in Korea as they often dress in matching clothes and shoes. However, you will not see any, but the most daring couples, do anything else than holding hands and give quick hugs since public affection

is highly frowned upon. The reason for this is that Confucianism has had a big impact on the entire Korean society and Confucianism states that such things should be done in private.

Valentine’s day in Korea is one of 12 “love days”, celebrated on the 14th of each month, and February 14th was originally focused on women giving gifts to men. The men were then supposed to reciprocate with a more expensive gift on “White Day”, March 14th. On the coming “love day”, April 14th, also known as “Black Day”, single men who did not receive any gifts on Valentine’s day were supposed to gather and eat black noodles together. However, with the increasing commercialization around Valentine’s Day the focus has shifted and it’s now a perfect opportunity for couples to shower their partner, of either gender, in chocolate and other gifts.

Besides these, many of the holidays we celebrate in the Western World pass by without notice in Korea. Easter, Midsummer, Halloween, Thanksgiving and many other holidays are not celebrated. Some of the Korean holidays can be compared to western ones though, at least in spirit. Chuseok is a harvest festival, the same as Thanksgiving, and is celebrated around the same time. Chuseok is a big public holiday where many people take the opportunity to go back to where they grew up and celebrate with their family.

When living in a new country one might miss the culture and customs of one’s home country. However I haven’t felt that way here in Korea, even though they’re missing some of the western holidays and alter the ones they celebrate. Their own holidays and festivals have easily been able to fill the void.

WORDS Simon Kindstöm

Seoul National University, Seoul Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Systems and Networks simonki@student.chalmers.se

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Want to study in Asia?

CHALMERS INTERNATIONAL TAIWAN OFFICE Part of the Chalmers’ World Wide Programme

Over the recent decades the economies of East Asia have shown a remarkable development. China and Japan are two of the world’s largest economies and many more show great promise. The region is vibrant, interest-

ing, dynamic and somewhat challenging. Among those with a background

in technical education professional contacts and cooperations with this region will continue to increase. Considering this, Chalmers has developed a

unique exchange programme, based in Taiwan, giving students an opportunity to study in and gain experience from these economies.

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The programme is called The Asia Programme and is located at the National

Chiao Tung University (NCTU). The university is among the foremost technical universities in Taiwan and is especially profiled towards electrical engineering and information technology. However, in collaboration with the neighbouring

National Tsing Hua University, the exchange programme covers all engineer-

ing programmes at Chalmers. Courses held in both English and Mandarin Chinese can be chosen.

Contents of The Asia Programme • Intensive course in Mandarin, 4 weeks in July to August at NCTU in Hsinchu, Taiwan • Full academic year of engineering or architectural studies at NCTU • Maintenance of the Chalmers International Taiwan Office at NCTU • Company visits throughout East Asia Students of Chalmers operate the Chalmers International Taiwan Office

(CITO). The operations of CITO include arranging events of representation for

Taiwanese students at NCTU as well as visiting companies and representing Chalmers throughout East Asia.

HOW TO APPLY FOR WORLD WIDE You apply for nomination to NCTU and all of the other universities in Asia through the MoveOn-portal before the 1:st of December 2017. Attach a motivational

cover letter in Swedish with your application. If you are student of Architecture or Architecture and Technology you also need to submit an additional portfolio.

Choose two universities but do not forget to find courses that match you master programme and check these with the coordinator of your master programme.

Main Requirements for World Wide • You have reached your third year of studies at an engineering or architecture programme.

• You have the minimum grade point average of 3.7 credits.

• You have finished at least 60 hp by the first of December.

The selection of students to be nominated for the universities within the World

Wide programme is based on the grade point average and study pace of the

applying students. The motivational cover letter is used to distinguish between students with the same average grade. In February you are informed

whether or not you have been nominated for a university. If you are not nominated you still have a chance to study abroad by applying to the second selection for the universities that still have vacancies to fill.

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Asia Magazine aims to be entertaining and informative regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. The magazine is a joint effort of Chalmers students in Asia.

Chalmers International Taiwan Office is the result of a bilateral exchange between Chalmers University of Technology and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.

The office is operated by Chalmers students and acts as a hub between Chalmers and East Asia.

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