12th Leadership Program for Future Elites

future

Gratitude ▪ Belief ▪ Vision

ELITES 12 Leadership Program for the Future Elites 國 立 成 功 大 學 工 學 院 新 世 紀 領 袖菁英培育班

2014-2015

FROM TAIWAN TO AMERICA 第 12 屆新世紀領袖菁英培育班美國成長紀錄 - 韋恩堡、芝加哥、紐約、波士頓。

Index 04 06

Timeline of the Year Director's Acknowledgement

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Multinational mergers and world trade trends based on the framework of WTO

09 10 10 11 12

ＴＷ Activity

Enterprise Concept Leadership Project Management English Oral Training English Technical Writing

Index About Us

TW Course

St. Theresa Opportunity Center in developing products and marketing project

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Fundraising for Tobias Social Welfare foundation

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Transport Idle Bus improvement project

Caring-week for Tainan city Home for the disabled 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

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Pro.f Chiu's Program Reflection Entrepreneur Acting Lecture Diversity and Equality Women Leaders' Talk Government :Politics, Policy and Process American Energy- AEP Culture and Meaning of American Funding Gobalization Fort Wayne Building Study Role Model

US Campus

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38 39 40 41 42

TW vs US

US Course 48-85

Suggestion

Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne Michigan State University The University of Chicago Columbia University Massachusetts Institute of Technology New York University New York City Leadership Academy

Fort Wayne Metals IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center Zimmer Railway Control Center Water Furance

US Company

Taipei Economic and Culture Office in New York Differences in Education between the U.S. and Taiwan Experience of interviewing the seniors in the USA Difference between Taiwan and the USA

12th Partners' Learning Reflection

American Trip's Improvement Suggestion

30 31 32 33 34 36 37

43 44 46 47

Feedback

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About Us

4

5

Director's Acknowledgement

Learning Records in Taiwan

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TAIWAN Course

TAIWAN Course

Course/ Multinational mergers and world trade trends based on the framework of WTO

B a s e d o n t h e cooperation between the cross straits, we build up the thinking that is achieving the highest ecoxnomic benefits

Through the fourweek course, we are able to fundamentally analyze the world trends based on the framework of WTO. Also, surfing the nets and discussing in two groups push us to learn the complicated treaties by ourselves. The course focuses on Dispute Settlement Mechanism between the cross traits (based on the framework of WTO). RTA, Regional Trade A ssociation, and FTA, Free Trade Agreement, are the two treaties that we learned how the countries in the world cooperate with each other in this course. Additionally, we played the roles as the government officials of China and Taiwan, and debated the mechanism of the dispute settlement between them. As one of the government officials, we had to clearly understand

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w h at w e w e re re s p o n s i b l e for and how we dealt with the related issues. From ECFA, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, to WTO, World Trade Organization, Pro. Chen from the department of Law introduced and pushed these two really important treaties to our country to us. As a result, we can basically know about the economic issue of our country, Taiwan.

After the course, I think the most important thing I learned was how to work as a team. I was in the group of China government officials. We spent lots of time discussing and postulating the pros and cons that we might have when we decided to sign up some treaties. At first, it turned out that most of us had little

Course/ Enterprise Concept

chances to access relevant knowledge. We had difficulties in distributing the jobs and making the good connection between different government departments. We tried to make sure whether our ways of thinking were correct by consulting Pro. Chen or not.

After tens of hours of meeting and group discussing, we finally had the consensus and gathered enough information for the final debate. Although we did not win the final debate, we were really satisfied with the results that we had further understanding about the treaties that effect the economy in our countr y, and most importantly, we worked as a team with others.

Try to create the value of products, not to reduce its cost.

The class started from t h e st rateg y o f co m pa n y’s operation which was directed

by Professor Tsai, who is a tea c h e r i n N C KU ( N at i o n a l Cheng Kung University). Frankly speaking, the way to reach the target is to meet the need of customer. Howe ver, how to create the value of products making customer willing to buy is the question.“So, what is the difference between buy-in and sell-out?”asked by teacher.

It couldn’t be succeed, if we always think that how to sell something to someone. We have to think the reason that customer wants to buy. In the class, we also did a case study to analyze GE’s business strategies when it started their business in China in 2002. Divided into five groups, we tried to illustrate their strategies and decisions they made at that time. As for us, we seldom have such chance to do business case-study. We couldn’t have full confidence to report until we searched

and collected enough data to support our statement. It could make wrong conclusion with non-enough data. Thus, from this case-study experience, it made us know that we have to broadly think before making a decision.

At the beginning of class, we were asked to think why one wants to buy a cup of coffee cost NTD 1,500. Although the price is higher than the normal one, there is still someone willing to buy it.“How to create the value to meet customer needs?”

That’s what we learned from this curriculum. When it comes to business model, we always talk about customer-oriented.

Every company also keeps that in mind, but it is hard to make it. In general, the cost defining the price is our straight thinking,

but the truth is that the price defines the cost. What the price do you want to sell a product, and then how much you cost are going to take. Prof. Tsai shared several case experience in his life, such as the management of Federal express, the customer reservation System of American airline, and so on. We also had a presentation to show our case-study regarding the GE’s strategy in China market. We learned how to decide tactics in the different view of enterprise from this experience. Perhaps, we can’t learn whole things about view of enterprise in just 15 hours. However, we can keep these concepts in mind, and utilize them in one day.

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TAIWAN Course

TAIWAN Course

Course/ Leadership

Leadership is an expanded topic. Though it is defined narrowly by characters born with those we called “leader” .

I prefer to say that leadership is a communication method to connect every other member of the group.

According to Dr. Tseng, once a legislator speaking of human right, give this lecture by his personal dialog. Most of the dialogs are formed by “ c h a n g e ”,“ s t r a t e g y ”, a n d “decision”. He belie ves that leader can be trained in daily life.

Leader is someone who can use these techniques to soft one’s harsh attitude to others. The lecture teaches us how to find the little sign in one’s motion by observing their action pattern.

For man who lives on this world,

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there is neither forever friend nor enemy. Leadership is the way to control the situation we face.

Activities:

Leadership examination i s a m e t h o d t o s h o w o n e ’s decision pattern within different environment. There are four kinds of type, which are“teaching” ,”ruling”,”teaming”and“free talking”. We choose from the options shown on the PPT sheet, depending on the situation we are given. The results vary from person to person and can show a briefly look at one’ s personalities.

This experiment is built by Dr. Tseng’experience. It is a good material for students to recognize their leadership in their mind.

Course/ Project Management

Course/ English Oral Training

The course is taught by Mr. Shi from Sumika. First, he introduced what was project management. It was the method which could make you finish project in time. It was not only applied for job but also used in our daily life. For example, Mr. Shi mentioned his experience to chase his girlfriend. He builded the relationship with his stakeholder. It was an easy way to let us understand the concept of project management. He also gave us the project management tools which were used in Sumika. We applied those tools in our project which made us understand how to utilize those tools.

In the beginning of this class handouts with a few tips and techniques to improve our English speaking skills were given to us. The way the class was structured made it extremely easy for everyone to participate; we had to talk more than we had to listen. We received cards that we were allowed to return to P ro fe s s o r C h r i st i n a o n l y after we took part in the class discussion. This of course gave u s e xt ra m ot ivat io n a n d w e had a few debates that were quite spirited, and several short speeches about various subjects.

This way we got the chance to express our ideas and positions on various matters and also to listen to others and getting to know them better. Overall, the 5 weeks that this class lasted were

I hope I can apply what I learned in the lesson in the future after taking this course.

When we were working on the project , we discussed with our client to understand what they needed. Furthermore, we focused on those problems to think how to help them solve the problems. We had many group discussion to assign jobs, and ensured everyone could apply their abilities well. We used the project management tools such as schedule, WBS, the list of stakeholder. Finally, we made a final report which meant we finished the project. That is the feeling of success, as well as telling us to have the affection to the underprivileged.

very instructive and exceedingly interesting. It certainly helped us de velop assurance while using English. The constant i n t e ra c t i o n s a n d t h e l i v e l y atmosphere of this class made it a memorable experience.

The structure of the class, was quite original and to be honest, absolutely unexpected.

We were constantly motivated to speak with each other and with other people as well. I think that this class made every one of us more confident and also more comfortable using English to co m m u n i cate w i t h ot h e r people. Without a doubt, despite the relatively short duration of this class, it fulfilled its purpose tremendously.

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Extracurricular Activities

TAIWAN Course

Course/ English Technical Writing

This course is taught

by Professor Lewis. This course is arranged into sorts to meet students’need like commercial letter, curriculum v i ta e , pa p e r s , b i o g ra p h y, abstract, journal paper and so on. By discussing different topic and giving example to point out common mistakes and how to prepare for it.

As well as, Professor Lewis taught us the right way to use punctuation and implying meaning of the words.

Moreover, Professor Lewis also provided practice as writing curriculum vitae and English video. The topic of English video includes tele vision advertisement, news review etc. The goal of the practice is helping us to familiar with what we learning.

That is an important issue for person whose mother language is not English to learn how to use the right words to express specifying mean. Professor L e w i s ’s co u r s e p r o v i d e s the best chance for me to sharpen my English ability. I remember that January 2015 I printed Professor Lewis’s teaching material for others.

I wondered how Professor Lewis can teach and present all of teaching material which is over 200 pages. The answer is that teaching material is a useful reference book. When we face some problem in the 12

future, we could follow the direction to figure out the best way for writing.

Professor Lewis led us to master every kind of English writing’s goal by introducing English writing format for different occasion. By doing this, we could easily learn the key points for different English writing format.

For example, the balance in the curriculum vitae is ver y important. Unbalance makes reader uncomfortable.

Furthermore, domestic CV put more concentration on your life experience and much longer compared with foreign one. The point above all are Professor Lewis reminding us.

Punctuation is a lot to l ea r n . N o r m a l l y, w e o n l y use comma and full stop in writing. However, if we need to cite reference or writing commercial letter, we have to be more careful and more professional. That is all in the details. Only when you employ punctuation correctly will you make other a professional impression and read at ease.

I think I could learn

something new and useful in every class I took in this course. Moreover, Professor Lewis taught in English and t ra i n e d u s st u d i e d i n a n English environment. I yield substantial results whenever I f i n i s h o n e c l a s s ta u g h t

by Professor Lewis. In my opinion, teaching material prepared and adapted by Professor Lewis must be a good tool in our workplace, academia in the future.

Activity/ St. Theresa Opportunity Center in developing products and marketing project

At the beginning of this project, of making products. Therefore, teachers we established the project charter, built a vanilla garden in order to make the interested party list, the organized the residents feel comfortable and division diagram, WBS and the relaxed when they were making some timetable. Then, we went to visit St. vanilla related products.

Theresa Opportunity Center. Through

We feel truly touched and the conversation with teachers there, admire these teachers for their bravery we knew about their situation and the and philanthropy, because they are residents with disabilities. We also saw always trying their best to take care of the residents’environment and the Also, in the project, Image Record the residents and bringing love and processes of making products with Group assisted other groups in every happiness to them without asking for assistive de vices. Furthermore, we kind of pictures, including product any reward. realized the concept of St. Theresa, pictures which provided them with the H o w e v e r, i n t h e p r o ce s s o f “Support, Self-Determination, Social platform and pictures needed in fan project execution, some unavoidable Integration and Dignity”. Therefore, page. Finally, Record Group dealt with factors will directly affect the progress of we not only knew more about social all the information during the past six the project. For example, we spent a lot vulnerable groups but also could do this months and then edited the final report of time to communicate and negotiate project within their expectations. with teachers there. Furthermore, there of this project.

In the process of project I t i s o u r h o n o r o f a s s i st i n g were some restrictions for us to fulfill this execution, PR Group was in charge of St . Theresa Opportunity Center in project because of the residents with communication between St. Theresa developing and marketing new products. different problems that make it harder and us, including those details we It can not only make us do what we had for them to do things that seem normal discussed in meetings. In the other hand, learned from the project management to us. in the early stage of the project, Product co u r s e b u t a l s o l et u s k n o w m o re If we have the chance to Design Group advised St. Theresa many about the residents who are mostly cooperate with another social service possible vanilla products because they handicapped. institution in the future, I think that we owned a vanilla garden. Later, this group As to the concept of St. Theresa, will have more experience of scheduling designed product's packaging of current “Support, Self-Determination, Social WBS and timetable, controlling the products that St. Theresa had. Also they Integration, Dignity”, teachers there progress of the project easily. had to consider many limitations in want people to know that the residents Finally, I deeply thank my product packaging because the residents of St. Theresa could also make self- responsible group members. They all who worked at St. Theresa Opportunity sufficiency and contribute to society; carried out their duties and gave me a Center had limited ability to fulfill them. hence, they hope that the society can lot of advice and assistance, so the result

Besides, Network Publicity Group give the residents more admire and of this project can be more completed. was in charge of running Facebook Fan encouragement instead of sympathy. Also, I thank College of Engineering for Page of St. Theresa, including events, Therefore, in our efforts, we expect that planning this course. After finishing this festivals, and product promotion, in more and more people can understand project, I do more understand what the order to increase product exposure. In what they do and recognize St. Theresa Dean Yu said in the opening ceremony of the other hand, Website Erection Group Opportunity Center through this project. the 12th Leadership Program. erected a transaction platform in Pinkoi Besides, teachers also care about “Elite are not only capable people but and then helped them add some suitable whether the residents are interested in also those who want to contribute to products, including gift cards, aprons, their work and whether the residents feel society.” towels, etc., to this platform in Pinkoi. frustrated or bored during the process 13

Extracurricular Activities

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Extracurricular Activities

Activity/ Transport Idle Bus improvement project

Activity/ Fundraising for Tobias Social Welfare foundation

In order to improve the bus dispatch in off-peak time, which is from 10:00am to 5:00pm, we aim to brainstorming an innovative idea and project to find potential market.

The project Management course was taught by Mr. Hsu from SUMIKA. We started from basic concept and useful tools of project management. At initiating phase, tools include project charter, stakeholder analysis and management analysis. When comes to planning phase, Gantt chart, WBS and issue register can be used. And in final planning, we needed to analyze the solutions to find out the best one. All of these tools and methods helped our team having great efficiency when working on the project.

At initiating phase, we visited another transport company and discussed the issue with them. And they said all the transport company were having this problem and was not solved yet. Therefore, our team started to figure out some solutions. After analyzed all the solutions, we finally selected 3 solutions and then presented to the company.

Project Management is important to everyone, because it can be used in many different ways. For example, master thesis, learning plan and even human relationship. When I first learned about the tools in project management, I thought they were unnecessary. But after few weeks, I realized that human brain can not handle

Nowadays, the unequal distribution of resources and problems of living of minorities become more serious. As the students of NCKU, we are willing to help the Tobias foundation which has already served Tainan minorities for couple years. We apply the tools in project managing class to help Tobias foundation grow. In this way, we hope we can build a more friendly society.

At first we had classes for five weeks to learn some useful tools for running a project, such as X-mind, Work Breakdown Structure, Progressive schedule, stakeholder management, Gantt figure, etc. The class helps us understand the concept of running a project in professional ways. We used the tools we learned to establish the team, and breakdown the work. During the half-year project our lecturer kept contact with us and guided us to finish our work.

T he fo u n d at io n , To b ia s S o cia l Welfare Foundation, is the organization to serve physically and mentally challenged people. We mainly cooperate with ChunMei Workshop which is an agency in Tobias.

We spent much time knowing the people in Chun-Mei workshop in order to meet their needs better. We designed two stages of fundraising events. One was for Southern Taiwan Science Parks workers, and the other was for students in NCKU. These events could help Tobias gain donation and popularity from public.

This time I am very happy to have this opportunity to collaborate with such a great team. There are few chances that can

everything, we need these tools to manage team’s progress.

Another challenging issue is that we were working on REAL problem, not just a question on textbook. Thus it was really difficult to figure out innovative but also practical ideas.

Thanks to the hardworking and teamwork of our team, we finally came up some great ideas and finished the project management course.

actually apply what you learned to serve others in need. This project class not only tests us but also has impact on society. As a leader of the team, I learned not to control my teammates but lead them. Finally I found the way to both run the project efficiently and have good relationship with my teammates which was meaningful to me.

I also learned a good lesson when I communicated with Tobias. Because of the bad communication, we almost mistook Tobias for a lack of efficiency and passive organization. However, I found that the fact is totally the opposite of our thought after we contacted with each other frequently.

And the fundraising project finally finished by their kindly help.

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Extracurricular Activities

Activity/ Care Week-Accessibility Workshop Goal 1. Understand the needs of people with disability through participating and assisting them to join activity. Arouse the concern about disabled and take real action to improve or affect the design unfriendly to disabilities.

2. Sustainable ─ Investigate the accessibility in NCKU( National Cheng Kung University); Use the result of investigation to build NCKU Accessibility Map; Enhance the feasible experience to people with disability, let NCKU and even Tainan City become a friendly place to them.

3. Short term ─ Offer opportunities to people who are in“Home for the Disabled”to hang out, relax, and know the accessibility in NCKU. Motivation 1. Though there are excellent accessible facilities in school library, we accidently saw people moving wheelchair by way of manual handling the wheelchair, lifting up and down the stairs in front of school library. It looked really dangerous! Therefore, we think it is important to promote the accessible information.

2 . A y ear a go, a fath er comp la i n ed h i s unpleasant experience about visiting NCKU with his son who is physically challenged. He thought the environment in NCKU was not friendly to people with disability. The event was extensively discussed at that time.

3. According to the two events mentioned above, we come up with the idea of making the NCKU Accessing Map. With the investigation of the accessing map, we want to discover whether there is any design or details that inconvenience to people with disability.

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Content 1. Investigation of NCKU Accessing Map Done by students of NCKU Leadership Program for Future Elites. We surveyed the accessible environment and usage of accessible facilities of NCKU and surroundings. And we used this result to build the NCKU Accessing Map. 2. Wheelchair Teaching and Precautions To increase our knowledge of disability and to carry out the activity of Interacting with Home For Disabled and Wheelchair Experience smoothly, we invited Professor Ching Hsia Hong from NCKU department of Physical Therapy to teach us how to use wheelchair correctly and to share about her experience of interacting with people with disability.

3. Interacting with Home For Disabled We guided the people with disability to NCKU and played the group games with them.

We could know more about their demands and difficulties by this chance. Furthermore, we could think about the advantages and disadvantages of the existing systems from their point of view.

3. Wheelchair Experience & Design Thinking for Accessing Facilities In the activity of Wheelchair Experience, we designed several challenges for attendees to complete on wheelchair. In addition, we set up GoPro on the wheelchair, in order to check if the facility was still available by analyzing the video. We hoped that we could put ourselves in their shoes by this activity. After sur veying the facilities, communicating with people having disabilities, and using wheelchairs personally, we did the Design Thinking activity. We used our creativity, thought about people’s living with disability and figured out how to make them more convenience through with empathy and understanding. We expected we could reflect ourselves and take more attention on underprivileged from this experience.

Reviews and Feelings

We divided the activities into a couple of parts including truly experience, caring, learning, and communication with people who have disabilities. We hope to know more about the inconvenience of their life and have the influence besides serving only. For example, we designed a challenge which was going to bathroom on wheelchair. While we had difficulty with our feet, to move ourselves from wheelchair to toilet was harder than our original imagination. We would never know their problems if we never experience their difficulties by ourselves. For instance, when we need help in the Wheelchair Experience, however, we would also worry about the embarrassing situation. Thus, we expect that when we know someone needs help next time, we will be more enthusiastic to support him. Through the interaction with people from Home for Disabled, we had experience to interact with people have disabilities. We hope to bring them the feelings of care, and make some difference to both of us. There was an uncle who impressed me the most. He hads difficulty to hear and talk for“eighty years”!We might think it was impossible to live such a long time in that situation. However, he was one

of the most enthusiastic man participate in the games. He was joyful to join us and he interacted with us by other ways, such as a warm smile. I think the spirit of him is what we learn from the activity. Maybe we have failure and frustrations in our life, nevertheless, after think twice, we will realize that there are more people always work harder than us. Therefore, we should cherish our life more, and when we have abilities, we should always give hands to people who need help.

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America Course

Chi-Cheng Chiu Assistany Professor

The 12th National Cheng Kung University Future Elite Engineering Student Oversea Program Reflection

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Oversea Program Summary students also honorably met the Ambassador

Twenty six students from the 12th Wen-liang Chang at TECO in NY, who is also an “National Cheng Kung University Future Elite outstanding alumni of NCKU. Near the end of Engineering Student Program”attended the the program, the students visited the Cheng annual oversea summer program led by Prof. Kung University Alumni Association of Greater Chi-cheng Chiu of the Chemical Engineering New York and met more than 20 NCKU alumni, Department during the three-week period strengthening the connections between the of 7/16/2015 – 8/18/2015. In the first two outstanding alumni and the NCKU. The group weeks, the students attended the leadership left New York and flew back to Taiwan safely on workshop hosted by the Indiana University – 8/18/2015. The entire oversea program had a Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW) at Fort very compact schedule, and resulted in a very Wayne, Indiana. The workshop invited experts fruitful experience for both the participated form both academia and industr y to give students and the chaperon. The program lectures focusing on various topics, including provided the student greater insights into the “ U.S. government, policy, and politics”, western culture and broaden their international “Energy Industry”,“Diversity and Equality”, perspectives, which benefits these students to “Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship”, develop stronger leadership in the near future.

“Woman in Leadership”,“Globalization”, and“History of Architecture”etc. Students Reviews and Suggestions also visited corporations near the Fort Wayne United States is a highly diversified area, including Zimmer Biomet, Fort Wayne society that merges various cultures, leading Metals, and Water Furnace etc., which are all to great conflicts within its society. On the world-leading corporations in various fields. other hand, this also makes Americans to Furthermore, the group visited the Automotive have more open attitudes to face various Research Experiment Station, Composite challenges. The workshop lectures at IPFW Materials & Structures Center, and the Chemical focus on various different topics, including Engineering Department at the Michigan State “U.S. government , policy, and politics”, University. After the workshop at IPFW, the “D i v e r s i t y a n d Eq u a l i t y”,“Te c h n o l o g y group traveled to Chicago, Boston, and New Transfer and Entrepreneurship”,“Woman in York in the third week. With the assistance Leadership”,“Globalization”, and“History of form the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Architecture,”etc. Through the discussion with (TECO) in Boston and in New York, and the the lecturers from both academia and industry, Cheng Kung University Alumni Association students learns to speak up for themselves of Greater New York, the students further and express their opinions, take critics and visited several world-leading corporations and make necessary adjustments, and seek for best academic organizations, including the IBM solutions/options for the public, not for any Watson Research Center, Institute for Molecular individual. When visiting the corporations and Engineering at University of Chicago, Nuclear academic institutes, such open attitudes are Research Lab and Media Lab at Massachusetts also illustrated by the impressive creativities I n st i t u te o f Te c h n o l o g y, N e w Yo r k C i t y demonstrated in the R&D department, the Leadership Academy, New York University multi-discipline research, and the cooperation Polytechnic School of Engineering, and between the company and the university.

Columbia University Technology Ventures. The Similar to U.S., Taiwan society also merges

many different cultures, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, American, and European, etc. Nowadays, we are facing many different challenges in Taiwan, such as economic, politic, educational, ethnic, and energy issues, etc. The experiences gained form this three-week oversea program indeed help students to take different perspectives when facing current or future challenges, widen their international visions, and assist them to build a strong leadership in the future.

D u r i n g t h e t h re e - w e e k p ro g ra m , each participated student had shown a great creativity and unique insights toward various issues, illustrating great characteristics of future elite engineers. Through interacting with the outstanding alumni, the students understand through understanding about the differences more regarding the pros and cons about between the eastern and the western cultures. studying aboard, and many of them started to Finally, if we can have two or more faculties show interests about coming to U.S or Europe with different expertise, or have industrial for graduate study. Although the oversea personals to accompany the group during program has delivered great experiences for the corporation visits, it will not only provide both the students and the chaperon, I still more insights for students, but also offer great have a few suggestions for the overall“NCKU opportunities for our faculties and/or industry Future Elite Engineering Student Program.” to cooperate with world-leading corporations, First, during the IPFW workshop, the students which will definitely benefit the academia and interacted with the lecturers, asked many industry on the both sides. questions and stated their opinions. However, I found the students had a hard time to ask their questions accurately or to give a more precise expression, which may lead to some misunderstanding between the lecturers and the students. Such an issue can be minimized if students have more oral training during the domestic lectures in Taiwan. With stronger oral training, the students will definitely benefit more from the compact and topicrich workshop lectures. Second, we may introduce some of the domestic lectures to correlate with the oversea workshop, such as “government, policy, and politics” “technology , transfer and entrepreneurship”,and“history of architecture”, allowing students to have more

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America Course

IPFW-Entrepreneur

We were very lucky because Mike Fritsch and John Richards shared their stories of entrepreneur with us in this course. First, John opened the speech.

In 1995, John originally worked in GTE. However, his dad said that why not open a coffee shop? So he decided to start the company and talk to a couple of friends who worked in the banking business to get the money. However, his friends said that most of business would fail in five years. Therefore, he discussed with his wife and decided to do in five years and then go back to do his technician.

John said,“In the bad time, money is not easy to get, but in the right time, you can be the main player in the game. In the past, Bank was pretty liberal and willing to lend, and coffee culture just started to burn in United States; besides, there was no other competitors in the market, so the brand could success.“ Therefore, John said,“A lot of things contribute to the successful small business, but timing is sometimes everything.”However, in 2008, when Starbucks and Duncan Donut served the market here, costumers had so many choices in the market. John was confident of his brand and he was really stimulated by growing the company and thinking the next step of the company about the profit and stores. Finally, John sold the company and ended up the adventure for twelve years, but I saw the difficulty behind the entrepreneurship.

There are no forever success and failure, because it just like what John said,‘timing is sometimes everything!’

The second speaker, Mike Fritsch, said, “Entrepreneur story always starts on good, and it goes bad, and then it goes good. So your passion about what you do is very important. When time goes bad, you really have to be patient and keep going to figure out how to be good again. ”And now, he and John work as business coaches in the innovation Center that is a private and nonprofit corporation to help people to start business and grow the small company. Mike was a senior engineer in ITT, but a couple of engineers leaved ITT to start a little software company with him in 1983.

They worked software for inside of cars, medical equipment and military systems. Furthermore, Mike became the president and ranked the company for

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America Course

seventh years. Now, the company is pretty big and still exists here in Fort Wayne.

About fifteen years ago, he left the company to start his own company in Innovation Center. He wrote the proposal to the State of Indiana and they gave him a lot of money to start the software company for tracking devices. Now, they have expanded to four companies.

Mike said,“In the bad time, I even had two years without paying myself. Therefore, it’s very difficult to start the company and most companies go to fail.

Even those who make it, only very small portions can make a million dollars a year of revenues.

However, the reason people do it is because they have dreams. It just like why would you buy lottery tickets, because there is a chance to win a million dollars.”Mike said,“To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to take the two qualities. One is passion because it will support you to keep going in the bad time, and the other is perseverance. Some people’s companies failed in many times; however, they tried to change and start in another companies, and that worked.”So Mike told us,“Failure is not bad. It is just a lesson to teach you that it didn’t work and let’s try something else.”And he said,“Nobody is going to believe your dream except yourself.”

Mike also mentioned,“A lot of people start the companies because they want to be their own boss.

But the reality is that government and hundreds of customers are all your bosses; therefore, you have to put in lots of time, efforts and money.”Besides, Mike and John also told us,“Idea is very important! Some ideas that seem really crazy or stupid sometimes can be successful probably because they are different.

So you never judge any ideas at the start. Because the ideas will change all the time and nobody really knows what the great idea is in the future. Therefore, what you really need to do is just start, and then you can see the path.”

Last, Mike and John cited some examples to tell us,“A good idea starts from a need, coming from solving the problems in your life or any areas.”

At the end of the class, they encouraged us to share some ideas with everyone, and to make the group discussion. It also let me realize the American educational philosophy,“Just Do It!”

IPFW-Diversity and Equality

At the beginning of this class, Professor Yen led us to point out what issues are happening in our world.

We laid out the views such as poverty, food, climate change, terrorist and water shortage. Professor Yen said if we would like to be a good leader, we should ask questions frequently and care about things of others more than know how to ask questions so that we can really ourselves. We may think how we want to see the understand what the truth is. Sometimes,“waiting” society like, and then how to reach that look. or even“ignoring”is a tactics. We have to find out

Next , we have a course“Diversity and information of the problem, and then use wisdom to Equality”. There were three lecturers, one was solve it.

Christine, who is in charge of human resources in

In Taiwan, the word“diversity”does not a company. The others were Ken and Max, who seem unfamiliar to us.Some may question the worked in Department of Organization Leadership phenomena of people came from the Southeast and Supervision, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Asia were being discriminated in Taiwan. Lecturers respectively, in IPFW. Christine said their goal is believed that people must“speak up”. People to make people from different ethnic groups and often look at different kinds of people from their have different backgrounds, be able to sit down, own point of view. Only when people have more communicate and understand each other. As a understanding about others by means of the result, learning and growth will be more as well. process of education etc., they can be united and Ken and Max also mentioned that they hope people make an effort for accomplishing a task. That is what can get together and accomplish missions even the lecturers said“synergy”. though they have different backgrounds. Ken hopes

We thought about the followings after the to create a platform, which gathers people together lecture. Due to the stimulation of people from and create opportunities for them to share who they different ethnic group and different backgrounds, are without losing the essence of who they are. The we could get solutions from different angles word“Synergy”, was mentioned and emphasized while facing difficulties. However, also because of by lecturers several times, which means“Everyone people’s differences, we need to communicate work together to get things great!” and understand well in order that people can strive

“Is there any disadvantages of diversity?” toward the same goal. students asked. They believed there was no disadvantage of“diversity”; instead, they took it as a challenge. Having those challenges were great things. As a leader, how to lead members especially the one who are not easy to handle? Christine advised that they might communicate with this kind of member, ask him if he was conscious of what he was doing for the group. Leaders have to understand individuals and understand human behavior and manage human elements. Focus on planning, objective, negotiation and let everyone accomplish the goal, but not managing people. As to conflict resolving, Christine thought, we need to 21

America Course

America Course

IPFW-First Theatre Act

During this course, there were full of laughter and joy as John led us in a lively way and got us to go through a series of activities.

We made ourselves become a big machine, and the first player as the center, making motion freely and in regular pattern. The next player had to link to the previous one by any part of the body and made another regular motion with creativity, according to the frequency spread out from the center.

Someone lay on his/her stomach on the ground, someone made the funny movement of cutting head, one by one, and then became a very interesting picture: a conjoined human body robot. Then, proceeded to the advanced step, adding some kind of voice to the motion, up here and down there.

To match others’tempo, everyone had to be concentrated on others’motions and voices and made similar regular motion. Such process was just the miniature of the group cooperation. That is, any group cooperation is making an appropriate motion to match other members to help the group. We can only achieve our goal with this. Just like the final result, we eventually made up a huge dancing machine by many people with different motions but the same tempo.

After finishing the first challenge, John took out various kinds of stage properties which we can choose one freely to create different usage, such as brushing teeth with the comb, begging like a beggar using the sporting hat. One followed another, using our imagination, performed in all different funny ways. Then, John invited the classmates go on the stage to sell his/her properties on hand with exaggerating its function. All of the sudden, classmates became the super salesman of the TV shopping channel.

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Then, John invited two volunteers to stand on the stage and perform. They were given different instruction to achieve the performing goal. And, the two performers didn’t know the respective instruction of each other. Actually, performing the two different instructions would make some conflicts. What one wanted to do was not allowed by another who also insisted in his/her own goal to achieve. Such conflict impacted on the performance. During the process, John reminded repeatedly, never deviated the assigned goal, which created the pull-and-drag effect between both performers.

By the three challenges in this course, we departed from the comfort zone we have had, trying to perform freely with creative model.

Through such process, we experienced how to stir our inspiration and express our thought and emotion by dancing. On the other side, we bravely and successfully transformed ourselves, and acquired new experience and achievement, which making us become more confident and motivated to try something new.

IPFW-Woman in Leadership

In this course, 3 American female executives share with us their experience which co v e r i n g t h e a s p e ct o f female, leader and female leader.

W e l ea r n e d f ro m t h e m that as a female leader, we don’ t have to ask ourselves to be“perfect”to prove our ability. Many female leaders spent too much time on the work while lose other important elements of their life. No one is perfect, after all. In addition, we also understood that there is no need for a good female leader to ask herself to be very kind-hearted. For example, in the case of some people in the team who are not getting on well with others or incapable of the assigned work, we can help them out so that the limited resources could be allocated to other capable people in the team. Maybe somebody will say it is bad, but actually it is not, we are just doing an appropriate job of leadership.

Even in the U.S.A., a country publicizes equality, the speakers have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination, such as same work but not same paid for the female co-worker, or be commented frivolously as dressing sexy. In fact, some female classmates had the similar experience but failed to speak out just because they were afraid of other people may think they are making a fuss. Then, as a result, this makes themselves be involved in the trouble. For such cases, the speakers suggested us to act resolutely to stop such sexual harassment or discrimination. In fact, we don’t have to worry about the side-effect or after-effect if we keep polite in expressing.

Besides, some female classmates felt they are inclined to change themselves to meet other people’s thoughts. The speakers also provided a different vision about this,

so we understand that recognizing ourselves and having self-confidence are an important attitude of daily life. We don’t always have to change ourselves because of others, but we must be responsible for the good-orbad results from our own personalities and characters.

Moreover, we learned some leadership e l e m e n ts w h i c h a re n ot d i st i n g u i s h i n g between male and female, such as“honest” is a very important element in leadership.

Usually, people can observe and find out the mistake made by the leader, sooner or later.

If the leader failed to face the mistake they made, then they may hence lose the trust and cohesiveness from the team members.

From this rare and valuable course, we got different visions and brand-new concepts, and were benefited very much by realizing the different culture and value between oriental and western societies. Especially for the female classmates possibly may become female leader in the future, been well inspired by the speakers sharing the experience of potential problems with solutions. On the other hand, the experience-sharing covering the 3 different aspects – female, leader and female leader, inspired us a lot no matter what genders we are. This let us understand how to adjust our mind, attitude and action when we are playing different roles or facing different people.

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America Course

America Course

IPFW-Government Politics, Policy and Process

T h e co u r s e ta u g h t

by Professor Andy was the first one after we arrived at IPFW. While getting the information that the topic of this course is“politics”, I had a feeling of disappointment instead of expect suddenly.

My impression in politics is boring, and we have to read the law in the text book. When I got myself all psyched up for fighting with my sleeping worms, Andy walked into the classroom, and started with where we come from. It was beyond my expectations, he was not talking about politics and laws at first.

He began from Taiwan, to America, then Indiana State, and finally Fort Wayne, the location of the school. It let us, who arrived the school only for a day, feel very deep. Then he tried to know what our major is, and found the relationships between us, from the different backgrounds of College of Engineering. And he also made the class fill with discussion. In addition, while talking about the definition of the politics, he started from life and existence. He asked us to think about what you would need if you were in the isolated island and being aloneand then, if there is another person; and finally he connected to the origin of politics. This made us become aware of the difference between American education and Chinese. When he continued to the decision of the policies, he guided us to stand on government’s point to consider, and gave us a couple of examples.

The goal is to make us understand and analyze pros and cons of the decisions. After asking our opinions and letting us vote, Andy shared his suggestions and why he made the judgment. By learning this way, we would know how difficult for the government to make the decisions and the key points for them to put all things to the right way.

I think the course can be divided to three 24

different ways. Firstly, the feeling of the course, there is no denying that everyone agrees on the learning method of Andy. Maybe it is because we came from the different major of College of Engineering, or the different ways of education between America and Taiwan. However, the course which attaches great importance to discussion and students’opinions absolutely makes everyone speak enthusiastically and learn more. Then, it is the comparison of politics between America and Taiwan. Andy mentioned that people who are professional are always in industry, therefore, the government needs to rely on their support and take the benefit of cooperation into consideration. Consequently, we can learn that the similar problem we’ll face with democracy. At the same time, we would have our right to choose and to respect experts more. The last but not the least, one of my classmates asked about the battle between two parties. Andy thought we should have the same recognition to our country first. When we reach a consensus, we will create public benefit and government transparency, thus reducing the battle between two parties. Although the people in America is composed of different racial and different groups, they gain recognition with each other and their country, the United States.

Moreover, they teach children to be a patriot when they are little. Hence, it makes America become powerful over the world gradually.

IPFW-American Electric Power Introduction

This course invited the local electric power company- - I n d i a n a M i c h i g a n Po w e r (one of the subsidiaries of AEP, American Electric Power)---to introduce the company and the current situation in power field in the United States. In addition, the speaker, Kim Sabrosky, who is the Community Relations Manager, shared her job duty and the things she dedicated to.

Speaking of the current situation in power field, since the environmental law and regulation became more and more strict, the calling from the environmental protection is a great challenge for electric power companies. It leads to the fact that electric power companies tend to develop nuclear power. Nuclear power has a 41.3% of electricity generation in the United States. Being specialized at its low costs and low carbon emission, it can be named as one of the most efficient power to date. Thinking about the long debate about nuclear power, we were curious whether there are similar problems about the construction of nuclear power plants in the United States. To answer the questions, Kim mentioned that before the construction of a new power plant, the company would gather as much opinions as possible from the local residents to make sure everyone's voice can be heard. Also, after the policy of whether to build the power plant is made, the company would keep good contact with the local residents in order to guarantee their rights can be well protected. The company would get the local residents' support and admission through repeated communicating and discussing. Since this is a rare chance to talk to the representative of the electric power company in the United States, we eagerly asked questions about substantial energy, renewable energy, shale gas, etc. The response was that Indiana Michigan Power did not have plans to develop new green power recently.

In addition to the questions related to engineering, we asked about Kim's experience in the work. As a Community Relations Manager, there must be many chances to deal with clients.

We wondered whether Kim had encountered some difficulties in communication with others and were curious how she would like to share some communication tips or special experiences. Therefore, Kim introduced the related policy of the company further. The policy included telling the clients how to stay good aware of electricity and how they can do when something went wrong with electricity supply. For example, there might be natural disasters such as snow storms which lead the electric power to be inaccessible. It might take a few days to repair the problem. Clients who do not know well about electrical repairs could be very unpleasant to wait. At times like this, Kim's role becomes very important. She needs to pacify their complaints and help them to understand how the supplies of electricity work in order to let the clients trust that the company would fix the problems properly and rapidly.

Kim emphasized the most fundamental thing is the communication attitude while dealing with the clients. It is necessary to recognize that this role is to help the clients and to understand their point of view. Therefore, she could get more involved with or predict the problems that the clients are facing. Consequently, they could communicate more efficiently and pleasantly and further reach a consensus.

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America Course

America Course

IPFW-Fundraising in America

The first class we had today was Professor Yen's sharing of "fundraising" and "voluntarism". In the United States, there are over 70% of students who have a student loan; plus, in IPFW, there are almost 80% of students need to get a loan to study in the college. Therefore, schools take scholarship as a way to ease students’burden. Most of these scholarships are from the funds that the schools raise with the enterprises.

As a result, the importance of fundraising in the culture of the United States is solid. To students, fundraising can relieve their financial stress.

From the schools’perspective, fundraising ensure the source of tuition. For enterprises, they can take their vision of“Taken from the society; Give back to the society.“into action ,build up the reputation and all three parties got the benefits of it.

Having been given the reason in behind all these, Professor Yen told us how to put fundraising into practice. Professor Yen said, "People give money to buy something, such as satisfaction, expectation, good will, etc." It is very fundamental to express your vision and let your vision be the reason for enterprises to give you funding. Either telling a story or giving an example is a good way to express the vision.

Also, from expressing the vision, sponsors know that they have the chance to change the society. Fundraising fills the need of enterprises to give and makes them feel doing something meaningful. We realized that fundraising is not as difficult as we thought! Looking from organization’s angel, there are more and more companies value their responsibility towards the society. Instead of pursuing its own good, a good company should think about how to help others and bring benefits to the society.

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Speaking of helping others, Professor Yen brought up "voluntarism". As we are volunteers to help others, we do not expect something in return. However, we usually find ourselves feeling meaningful since "The best way to serve yourself is to serve others," said Professor Yen. Not expecting something in return does not mean that there will not be anything back.

Helping others is like an automated circulating system. When you help others, you will get something in return without noticing. At the time when we get something in return, we should think about how to help others. Holding this in mind can form the virtuous cycles and help the society develop.

In this class, we see how fundraising thrives in the culture of the United States. Yet, it is not alike in the culture of Taiwan. This makes us wonder the key factors which make these differences. When it comes to fundraising, we may not address sponsors as superiors. We may consider to build a cooperative, mutual trust, and mutual appreciation relationship with them. As a student, if we have the chance to design activities, we may also think about how to do to make them more meaningful. As the concept of voluntarism mentioned before, it may be a starting point of view for us to keep thinking and discussing the fundraising issue.

IPFW-Globalization

Even though ever yone knows what globalization is, we seem unlikely to probe into how huge the impact is on us due to the coming of globalization. In this course, Dean Yen told us to share some examples of globalization instead of teaching us the origin, definition and the impact of globalization in a normal way.

We proposed many opinions, some issues were close to our lives such as education, traveling, advertisement and foreign spouses, and some were more serious like the changes of environment, the situation of politics and economics, wars and so on. Living in the global village, we need to know how to solve these issues. Because there are different cultures and value systems among nations, it is difficult to reach an agreement. Take the issue － Global Warming as an example, lots of reports indicate that if this phenomenon become worse, it will lead to the rise of sea level and some countries will disappear. With regards to this, many countries signed“Kyoto Protocol”to limit the amount of carbon dioxide emission, but some countries did not sign this agreement so far because of their own benefits. It is unfair to the global village citizens, and that is the reason why the global issues cannot be solved easily.

As for Taiwan, what are the influences caused by globalization? I remembered that we talked about the ECFA (Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement) issue in one of the domestic course as we pretended to be the government officials of Taiwan and China.

We had to discuss the dispute settlement mechanism of ECFA during the process of negotiation. During the process, we experienced how to play the role of the government officials.

When facing with the international issues, how we could balance gains and losses of country’s benefits and let everyone be satisfied with the agreement. It is a problem worth thinking about. Challenge is not only a threat but an opportunity. Dean Yen said,“Threat and

opportunity are always neighbors.”

W h a t w e should think about is how to turn the threat into the opportunity of innovation.

Globalization makes the world smaller a n d s m a l l e r, and many countries are confronted crisis due to the invasion of the major cultures, and Taiwan is no exception. How can we keep our own culture from being absorbed by other countries? I think“positive innovation”is the best solution and being a part of globalization instead of avoiding it. The most important is that as a member of global village citizens, we should train the ability of independent thinking and solving problems positively, learn to tolerate and accept different cultures, and respect the difference between each other. It’s the only way to facilitate the harmonious operation of the world.

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America Course

America Course

IPFW-Architecture tour in Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne is the second largest city in State of Indiana and it is also where the Government of Allen County located. It is located at the cross point of three rivers and railway s y st e m h a s d e v e l o p e d .

Tom, our speaker of this c l a s s , i n t ro d u ce d t h re e main types of architecture, the y are governmental, commercial and religious architecture. Their architectural styles differentiate according to their building concepts.

First , we visited governmental architecture. It is usually grand and imposing for competing with neighboring city to show better administration. Allen County Courthouse was built in 1897 with Beaux-Arts architecturestyle structure. It features the elements of ancient Rome and Greek era, emphasized the magnificent and symmetry. The primary form uses Greek temple as typical style which stands for the enhancement of democracy. The interior of the courthouse is also gorgeous with many scagliola works (stucco marble), relief, fresco, stained glass and the dome in the center. And there are fresco in the court room presenting the histor y of Indiana. In addition, many concepts are very innovative at that time for the construction of buildings, like the participation of women and the color scheme.

Second, here is the commercial type.

They raise high to make the utilization of the land intensely. Lincoln Bank Tower was built in 1930 with Art-Deco architecture style which was the fashion trend in that period. The characteristics are setback style, streamline and geometric graphic. You can see the whole panorama view on the top floor, and clearly see

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the roof of the courthouse.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1836. In religious architectures, decoration everywhere is the symbol and the story of the religion. There are deep meanings behind each of the image on the stained glass.

Tom also told us the spirit about them. It’s better to have some understanding about the religion and the classics before appreciating the religious architectures. In this way, you can have profound experience about them.

At last, we went to Allen County Public Librar y. We found a bookshelf with books people donated or planned to been given away.

Only cost you 1 dollar for 4 books. And it was surprising to know that there is a Maker Lab in the library. There are some 3D printers, scanners and graphic tablets open for people to use.

Maker Lab is a place where many creativities can happen. On the second floor, Genealogy Center claims to have the largest collection of genealogy records. It seems that American attach big importance to where they descended from. Beside it is the room of Art, Music & Media.

The room is filled with DVD, CD and game discs.

Through this we can see how booming the entertainment industry develops in America.

IPFW-Role Model

“Who is your role model?”Dean Yen asked in the beginning of the class. A simple question led us begin to think how we have lived in the past.

Some students started to think who his or her role model is, and others raised their hands to express their experience. We can learn how the personality and characteristic one has and rea l i ze h o w to l i v e a n d go through our own life, Joey said. For me, I truly need a role model to follow in my life, and can know what I need to do now in order to become who I want to be. Finding a role model in life can assure what the life goal is, and can prepare well to face up with challenges in the unknown future.

One of the students said his role model is his parents. We are raised up by our parents, and they always take good care of us. They worry about whether we are safe, whether we are full or hungry, and whether we sleep well or not. Rose said that her role model is Dean Yen. Although Dean Yen works in America, he still want to do something for Taiwan, contribute to Taiwan. Dean Yen replied,”Then you need to do better than me.”I was shocked because l learned by those who around me. We can learn from your role model, most importantly, we need to know how to make it by ourselves

Another question raised by the student, “Do we just need one role model?”Merillyn said,“It is not true to have just one role model.

Actually, it is normal to have multiple role models as we can find our role models in every stage and aspect of our life. For instance in future work, attitude, interaction with people, and so on. Jing-Fei said that she learn from

ever y person, so there are more than one role model in her life. Dean Yen appealed to everyone not just to follow what he has done, but to do better than him, and let he be proud of us. Besides, he said that we are writing a book which belongs to our own lives. We have to grasp every chance to learn and work. By the time when we make some achievements in the future, we will sincerely be thankful for our teachers and friends. Following the steps of role models may reduce some mistakes and chase the life goal in a shorter time.

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America Campus

America Campus

Indiana University-Purdue University at Ft. Wayne

In the morning, we walked from the student housing on the Waterfield Campus at IPFW to the Main Academic Campus at IPFW. We first got into the Clubhouse. It had a kitchen, dining tables, pool tables, foosball tables, and a fitness center which are free for every students to access. After passing a bridge, we headed to a classroom in Walb Student Union and had a brief opening ceremony. This classroom would be the place where we took classes in the following one and a half weeks.

During the campus tour, we found that many places were not being used due to summer vacation. However, there were still some students came for summer courses.

On the walls of the Department of Physics in Kettler Hall, there were some interesting equipment. Each of them displayed physical phenomena and had physical meaning behind it. There were explanation texts beside them, too.

The symbol of IPFW is“Mastodon”.

We can see mastodon sculptures and logosat many places on the campus. For example, the mastodon with different works of Van Gogh is right outside of Visual Arts Building. Another mastodon at Science Building is on a plane ready to soar. Even paper posters on the wall have mastodon pictures.

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that corridor outside the classrooms have notice saying“Please Sit On This Side Only”.

Students are free to sit on the floor directly if they need to chat or discuss with classmates.

They have to sit on the specific side so as not to block the way. Volunteers told us that it is

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used by many students and there are many areas provided for group discussion or study alone.

We can see a lot of parking lots on the map. However, during the period of semesters, parking space is still in short supply. This is because all students and faculty drive to school, which is different from the condition in Taiwan.

Although we could not experience the period when campus with many students and activities, we still enjoyed this comfortable campus a lot. In the following days while we were here, some of us even woke up early and went jogging together to embrace fresh air and beautiful sceneries!

Michigan State University

The two labs we visited in Michigan State University were Professor Liu Dahsin’s lab and Professor Zhu George’s lab.

The research of Professor Liu includes searching for the material which can resist the high strain rate effect. The lab takes many projects from the Department of Defense, so that the y get enough funding to purchase the equipment they need. In the laboratory, they have enough equipment to analyze the material. Professor Liu said that their research is the most advanced in the area. The equipment which they need in their research cannot be found in the market. Their graduate students need to use their creativity to design the equipment, and the technical room will substantiate their design.

The research of Professor Zhu includes implementation of the closedloop combustion control. In the closedloop control, the fuel injection instruction is subject to correction feedback signal and the source of feedback signal is oxygen sensor.

Oxygen sensor detects the oxygen content in the exhaust gas and the oxygen content of the signal to the engine control module.

The engine control module will be based on the amount of oxygen and fuel injection to calculate the actual air-fuel ratio, if the mixture is detected too thin---which means that the air-fuel ratio is large, the engine control module will fix the direction toward thick oil. If the mixture is too thick---the airfuel ratio is small, the engine control module will fix the direction towards light oil. Letting the engine in the best AFR condition leads to the minimized engine's fuel consumption then. This is the project for the Department of

Energy in order to find better efficiency of the engine, to save fuel waste, as well as to reduce the pollution of the air.

Based on the two labs, we concluded some advantages of the education in America.

1. The cooperation between the government and laboratories is good. They enhance the development of their education and also make improvement on development of their country.

2. The relationship between industry and laboratory is good. Their laboratories know what the important issue is and then their research will be useful.

3. The cooperation between professors is good. A project is done by numbers of professors and their graduate students, instead of one lab. Therefore, their efficiency and result are always great.

4. Laborator y cooperates with technical room, so that their graduate student can substantiate their own design..

5. Their researches take fully consideration, including economization and commercialization, so that their researches can really be used in the industry.

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America Campus

University of Chicago

We visited IME ( I n st i t u t e f o r M o l e c u l a r Engineering) of the University of Chicago. It was founded by the Pritzker Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering, Professor Matthew Tirrell, who did the presentation.

To the contrar y of traditional research institutes which usually focus their research on only one area, IME consists of 12 professors w i t h ba c kg ro u n d s i n s i x different areas. These 12 professors are all of cross-border alliance. The professor the cream of their respective fields. Now, said he hopes IME can bring fast change in they are working together on water resources modern society and ultimately become an engineering. What is interesting is that the organization able to renew itself from time to original subject of them is none about water time. This kind of change also brings unknown resources engineering. The reason why challenges to the traditional research they work on this project is because their institutes.

The new library of the University of collaborative partner, Argonne National Lab, is doing a research on that subject. Professor Chicago, Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, is Tirrell thinks they may have a breakthrough another site we visited. It looks like a jewel by collaborating with professors from different shining on the ground. However, things below the jewel are the real treasure of this building. areas .

“How do you lead those elite(did Due to the need of more space, University of they mention elite?) researches?”We asked. Chicago built the library underneath. Books We were curious about how professor Tirrell are housed in solid steel cases at about 50 feet convinced these top professors to give up below ground. Books are delivered through their original achievements and resources a labyrinthine system of cranes and elevators and join this new born institute.“Vision!” when readers want to read the real book.

Professor Tirrell answered decidedly. To lead Some of the books in the library are too old the top people, he has to have a vast vision. and worn out, so the University of Chicago set Even though people perform well in their own a department of book keeping and recovering. areas, they cannot achieve much if they have The staff said that they have tried their best no foresight. This was also the answer we to recover every book and scan it. The books were given during a discussion we had in the which are unable to recover would be put into a box to preserve them. leadership workshop.

There are new buildings and some

Professor Tirrell had tremendous achievements in his original research areas. rather old ones as well. The connection of old However, he decided to found a brand new and new in the University of Chicago makes institute. The institute shows the importance it more unique and, for me, created more cherished memories.

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America Campus

Columbia Technology Venture

Columbia University was founded in 1754. It is the 5th oldest university in U.S. and the first school to grant Master degree. Columbia University is not only time honored, but also ranked 11th among U.S. universities. Some famous inventions like FM radio and Laser are from Columbia University. We visited the Columbia Technology Venture which is their technology transfer center.

C o l u m b ia Te chn o l o g y Ve n t u re 's mission is to help their researcher interact with industry. Until now, there are 336 new inventions and 113 value-added licenses in this year. Columbia Technology Venture helps professors and students apply the patents and establish start-up companies. They offer them the funding in couple years. There were 180 star-up companies from Columbia Technology Venture in 20 years as a result.

However, they just serve the professors and students in Columbia University. The lecturer mentioned the patent, which is an intangible asset that can be sold or licensed. In U.S., the patents are the international patents and have 20 years protection and scope. The patents are divided into three parts: utility, plant, and design. In the patent, claim is really important.

It is equal to ownership. People can have 3 independent claims and 15 dependent claims for each independent claim in one patent without additional payment. It costs 2000 U.S. dollar for each claim. We are surprised that the venture would pay for all patent cost for professors and students. It is different from Taiwan. No wonder the patent application is really prevalent in U.S. The professor can earn 40% from patents, 40% for students, and 20% for venture.

What Columbia Technology Venture

do is let technology in and out. Technology in means they have to ask professor more information for their research, and technology out is to connect to the company. They think marketing is important to persuade the company to cooperate with you. After visiting, we thought the patents are really important.

However we are lack of this kind of institute to help us do all the applied processes. Maybe it is one of the way we can go forward.

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America Campus

MIT Laboratory for nuclear science Media Lab, AI Laboratory(CSAIL) Laboratory for nuclear science

The exterior of the laborator y for nuclear science is very special. An onion-like dome with chimney makes it appear more like a plant than an academic institution.

This feature of building reflects the idea of establishment addressing rapid scientific and technological advances in my opinion.

Laboratory for nuclear science has established fifty years so far. They study nuclear division, biomedical engineering, and environmental engineering. The most precious part of this touring is that we could visit their reactor and control room. Before entering the reactor room, we were asked to bring a detect pen and required to hand back at the end of the tour. It could make sure whether we were radioactive contaminated. During the visit, they introduced that the pressure in the room of reactor is negative relative to gage pressure in order to prevent the leak of radioactive gas when accidents happening. There are full of instruments, apparatus, and alarms in the control room. If one of alarm lights up, the experiment could not be executed. I really admire their spirit of awareness in the experiment.

Furthermore, we asked their opinion on Fukushima nuclear disaster. Their opinion was that“Nuclear is safe, but the premise is everything is under standard.”Thus they were really regretful for the disaster and wrote a report for it. In that report, they tried to solve and figure out what the problems were. They did try to solve the problems even though the problems did not happen in their country.

This learning and research spirit is worth to learn from.

We can know the researchers in the laboratory for nuclear science do love heartily what they do. In addition, they are responsible for their research and proud of it. I think this attitude is the right way when we are learning.

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Media Lab

Media Lab is a part of the School of Architecture and Planning. There are 24 research groups, all of them do interdisciplinar y research, including information technolog y, mechanics, architecture, industrial design, music, etc.

Here produced many innovative ideas and prototypes, like touch panel and google glasses. There are many curtain walls in the interior of the building. It presents the so-called concept“the knowledge is transparent”. People can easily observe the interaction and communication between people. And we saw the students directly wrote and pasted sticky notes on the wall.

Next, there is a big working room. People can use the tools there once they enroll the class and get the permission from the professor.

Media Lab usually collaborate with many big companies through a membershiplike institute. After paying annual fees, the company can participate in the research conference twice a year. It also can use the techniques and the patents developed by the lab, and even designate on site engineers to work there.

The open institute and environment of the college, in addition to the sufficient funding make Media Lab be filled with infinite possibilities. Moreover, disruptive innovation reveals higher level of the combination with different field. The biggest issue of creative and innovative industry is the sources of funding. Such method Media Lab takes can solve this problem, and ensure the practicality and business opportunity of products. It is worthwhile for us to learn when facing this kind of situation.

MIT CSAIL(Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory)

We could feel strongly from the exterior of CSAIL that the impression of novelty and thinking is out of box. A famous designer, Frank Owen Gehr y, designed this building called Ray and Maria Stata Center. He hoped students nurtured here always come up with unexpected, surprise and good idea. In this concept, the building is constructed to be twist around. It is hard to adjust for us who are accustomed to straight lines in a building. There are lots of strange lines or curves extended from wall indoor. The reason of the design is to force engineers to miss his way back to his lab.

Furthermore, missing his way not only increases the chance they meeting others but also creates new idea through interacting with others.

Like media lab, in every lab, wall facing pawn(?) is replaced by glass window in order to display what they research and welcome others to interact. Hack means an inventive anonymous prank. In other word, it is mischief. The most famous hack was that students moved a police car to the Great Dome. Moreover, there was a handbook attached to it that instructed how to move down the police car without destroying the car and the Great Dome. What an amusing skill!

35

America Campus

America Campus

New York University -School of Engineering

We went to the incubator and had a campus tour at NYU SOE. It is one part of New York University and located in New York City. The campus is not really big; it is mainly composed of several tall buildings. One of the characteristic of NYU SOE is the incubator.

I n t h e i n c u bato r which was called Future Urban Lab, the d i re cto r o f t h e co l l ege o f e n g i n e e r i n g introduced their university and the incubator to us. In NYU, students can cooperate with different departments and go abroad for one semester to experience different environments. There are twelve places they can choose. We were impressed that all of these twelve universities are not other universities, but the branches of NYU. It helps students broaden their mind and cultivate their living ability. We thought this is a good system we can learn. They give students the intern opportunities. They hope the students can have insight in business. Some of them create their start-ups from internship.

After briefly introducing NYU, the director mentioned the Future Urban Lab. The Future Urban Lab is the incubator of NYU SOE and it is for New York City. It started from 2009.

The incubator was supported by government.

They believed it could help existing industry of New York and it could help the growth of the city’s economy. The incubator helps company to success. Until now, there were 51 companies having graduated from Future Urban Lab and its value was about $725 millions US dollars. They have already had some products, for example, control heater and wireless charging. The incubator does not only provide the space and funding, but also the mentor. It was different from other 50

36

incubators in New York City. Other Incubators only provide space or funding. We were curious about how they choose participants and his answer surprised us. He said they would review the application whether they have mentor to teach the applicants or not.

We think we can have more incubators like this in Taiwan. We believed it will improve our economy and society.

During the campus tour, we saw two senior high school students in the lab. In summer time, they offer high school student program. They can do some experiments in the lab they are interested in. The students can take other departments' classes, so there are free shuttle to Manhattan campus per hour. One of the special things we found of NYU was that students can rent laptop in library. In addition, there is a game center to provide the space to students to design the game. NYU is really an excellent school. If we have a chance to go abroad, it will be one of our best choices.

New York City Leadership Academy

The purpose of NYC Leadership Academy (NYCLA) is to offer training and support from the highly experienced coaches to aspiring and current school leaders. Candidates that NYCLA is looking for are the people who desire to lead challenging schools. There are about 1800 challenging schools need to be improved in New York City. The program is not based on theories but the more practical one: problem-based and action learning. They especially emphasize team learning, because principals need to know how to leverage teachers’strength and accept diverse thinking.

They use 12 performance standards to evaluate if the candidate is suitable to be a leader or not, including communication skills, tolerance with diversity, respect, resilience, etc. These are the characteristics that a leader should possess.

The criteria could be used not only in school leadership, but also for entrepreneur or other fields.

Pa r t i c i p a n t s s i m u l a t e t h e a c t u a l challenges of the principalship. They are trained how to make decisions in order to develop the muscle memory, which means that if you have already learnt how to ride bicycle, then you don’t need to keep thinking about which legs you should move, since your body react automatically. Instead of theory, the practical experience could help people develop the leadership faster and more efficiently.

After the students graduate, they will be coached by an experienced principal for one year. Before visiting here, we have done some research about NYCLA. And we saw a report saying that someone question about whether they are qualified enough to be school leaders in such a short period of training. After we knew exactly how the program is executed, we felt that if a teacher undergoes such comprehensive program, the skill of leadership must be

Performance standards

Communication Supervision Personal Behavior

Learning Technology Resilience

improved a lot.

Later, we were lucky to have the opportunity to join the class of“Aspiring Principle Program”.

Participants are in their intense training during the summer vacation. The class was called”Role Playing”. They were simulating the situation that the principal and the assistant principal were discussing the report of teacher evaluation.

After they finished the conversation, the other students will give some feedbacks, including some comments and suggestions.

One of the students told us that she used to show no feeling on her face, and was called like a machine, so she practices smiling all the time.

She pointed out that if a leader could build up a good relationship with his/her team, the team would trust on his/her. It seems to be contrast to our concept that we shouldn’t develop personal relationship with our subordinates. But if a leader do have some connections with them, the work might be much easier. This is one of the concepts we could learn from them and worth following.

At last, one of us asked about if everyone wants to be a leader, then who would be the follower.“As a leader, at any given time, you need to learn how to follow at the same time.”

The teacher said. When someone is led by others, he or she can still be a leader in the meantime.

We need to think and learn how to play the roles of the leader and the follower at the same time.

Accountability for Professional Practice Time, Task and Project management Situational Problem-Solving

Leadership development Technology Climate and Culture Focus on Student Performance 37

America Company

America Company

Fort Wayne Metals

Fo r t Wa y n e M eta l s is an Innovation Company p ro d u ce s w i re s u s e d fo r medical device and then sells the wires to medical device company to produce its relate product. The company has established for many years.

Due to the competence all over the world, it transferred their own technique to the medical wire production, including stainless steel, Cobalt-Chrome, Titanium, and Nitinol. This is the second medical device company for National Cheng Kung University Elite Program to visit. Joey said that it is very clean inside the factory, and there are some test instruments and fixation test. By multiple measurements for different components proportions and different heat treatment to produce the alloy material properties, they follow what the customers need to use different heat treatment to produce the products. In addition, we saw their requirements for quality; all the humidity and temperature are controlled; each manufacturing takes long time to reconfirm the accuracy of the mold. Although these knowledge we can learn from the textbooks, there are still needs to learn more to shorten the gap between the knowledge and work, especially for quality requirements.

By the company-visiting program, students can find and take insight to the different high requirements for the products of different company from different country.

Rose said, the production from raw metal to the metal wires and metal yarns, which meet all customers’needs. In the manufacturing process of yarn, the lubricant is needed for polishing effect; and when extracting the finer wire, the use of more refined lubricants is necessary. Lubricating 38

IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center

oil consumption is not much, since it makes use of filtering devices to filter oil periodically; thus, once a year for the oil replacement in average is enough. The companies in the U.S. provide the working environment as large, bright, and comfortable as possible.

They serve the employees as the assets, so employees have great enthusiasm and pay more efforts on their work, and take pride in what they do. In the plant visit, different students see different characteristics of the company.

By visiting the company, we found the US companies can connect the knowledge and product tightly. We hope we can take different ideas and the methods of the company management back to Taiwan, but in addition to earn money, it is more important to know the meaning of products for people’s life, as the Fort Wayne Metals said, we are all about saving lives to extend people’s life, make life more meaningful.

Thomas J. Watson Research Center, located at the outskirts of New York, is the headquarters for IBM Research. Within this quiet environment, it is better for researchers to brainstorm. It is said to be hard to enter this center even the members of other departments of IBM. We are thankful for our senior

Larry Lay. Without his help, We had a lively discussion in the bus after we could not have got the chance to visit this the visit of IBM. There is plenty of excitement amazing place.

Watson is an artificially intelligent surrounding with Watson and the core of computer system capable of answering IBM. Even though everyone just went through q u e st i o n s p o s e d i n n at u ra l l a n g u a ge . a long journey from Boston to New York, Watson was named after IBM's first CEO and nobody seemed tired due to the excitement of industrialist Thomas J. Watson. The computer their exhibition about Watson--- from winning system was specifically developed to answer against two human in Jeopardy TV show, a questions on the quiz show“Jeopardy!” whole wall of touch screen, to equipment and Watson later won the first-place prize room that has no end in sight. Maybe we of $1 million. Watson had access to huge are majoring in different areas of College information storage including the full text of Engineering; however, we yearn for high of Wikipedia, but was not connected to the technology and hope to bring convenience to Internet during the game. For each clue, human being in the same way. That is why the Watson's three most probable responses robot, Watson, came into world. He can make and each possibility were displayed on the distribution of food with different demands, television screen. Watson chose the most deliver anything by using drone, and even more debate with others. Here we can predict possible one in the game.

Watson has been applied to different the future trends, the world of robots. We love fields. For example, it provides doctors the research culture in IBM although there advices of prescription. Also, it can put is a threshold---to achieve your Ph.D first; ingredients that have no correlation together nevertheless, it shows the specialty of IBM. and make brand new dishes. It is still used by After the discussion, it is generally considered that if there is a chance to take the offer organizations instead of individual.

Furthermore, they created computer like IBM, and to make some contributions debating system which is assistive to lawyers to human’s technology, it will be the most or students who are working on writing paper. attractive job.

In comparison with Apple Inc., it has more industrial experiences. For instance, mining oil and gases and emergency response system are included.

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America Company

America Company

Zimmer

Zimmer is one of the global leading companies, at the same time, it is t h e b i g g e st s u p p l i e r o f orthopedics and surgical instruments in Taiwan. It is a precious plant visit experience.

The value of a company and what matters to them can be showed in their lounge. In their lounge, there are concise coffee shop, ball pit, and slide for their staff relaxing.

That is quite different from the vitality and seriousness in the offices of Taiwanese plants.

Overall, it unfolds their matters on providing employee’s excellent working environment exactly as their matters on providing their customers-improving customers’living quality.

First, we visit their test center and die-making center. The y do strict tests for their designed products in order to realize products’life cycles and damages on material; besides, they also simulate human body motion to make their test like their products used by customers. After the collecting lots of data, they can better their products for customers’best experience.

Furthermore, they always improve their die material to make production process more easily and reduce production loss.

Entering factory, to my astonishment is their clean and tidy. Clean floor, clear zone for walking and working not only improve the safety of factory but also make a good impression on us for Zimmer. In their design, they apply statistical approaches to decide the size of their core part, and for different injuries of knee joint or much serious skeletal injury, they add additional equipment on the core part’s slots. Thus, they do not need to

40

Railway Control Center

create new die for every special need. They could meet customers’needs with largely decreasing die’s cost.

Every detail is important. For instance, how many wax layers should be put, how long the wax layer should be dried, Zimmer has specific demands on every detail. How much machining should be done every time after mold releasing is also the key point in the process. The docent seems very proud of this. I think this attitude toward requirement of quality and responsibility for their products is quite worth learning from.

For biomedical products, sterilization is very crucial. If they do not sterilize well, the products inserted in human body would cause serious inflection. At the end of touring, the docent showed us their paging room.

They spend lots of money to make sure their products would not be contaminated. All of these show they really matter their products and proud of them.

Finishing the touring, I think the succeed keys for Zimmer to become the global leading enterprise are to carefully check every details, stress on employee’s working environment, and design combining manufactory in one plant in order to enforce the connection of their production chain. That is well worth learning.

Railway Control Center (RCC) is the place that Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) handles the subway system in New York City (NYC). New York subway system is one of the most complicated systems in the world. The system was originally owned by three individual companies with different types of car, platform and tunnel design.

When the companies went bankrupt, MTA took over the systems and merged them into the system we see today.

The statistical data shows that there are 5.9 million customers taking subway per day, 7800 trains in the subway system, and 550 trains on duty any time. Such a big system is all managed by RCC but they don’t have very high technology supervising system like Japan. RCC supervises and controls every car on the tracks by phone call and the signal board on the wall. However, the signal board is still under development since the subway system is so old that many tracks cannot install signal system. When building signal system, funding is a big problem to them.

The reason is that subway system is in New York City but owned by New York State (NYS).

NYC doesn’t give funding to MTA since the subway system is not owned by NYC. On the other hand, the subway is in the city instead of distributing evenly in the state and hence NYS does not give MTA funding either.

The situation of MTA is so tough that it needs to act like a social corporation. Trying hard to earn money from their customers and upgrade their services. their strategies and efforts make subway system in New York run smoothly with so many disadvantage conditions.

Feedback H: After visiting RCC, I find that the potential of government agencies can do if they work like a company. We should learn their strategies to run a subway system. I believe these tactics can make transportation system in Taiwan more efficient and helpful.

C: I think the plan of RCC is pretty complete.

The y tr y hard to investigate existing equipment and improve their ser vice.

The building of RCC is really amazing that employees can survive for one week without any support. Different from other subway system, their income is mainly from tickets. It sounds impossible to me.

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America Company

42

Water Furnace

Taipei Economic and Culture Office in New York

Water furnace is an air conditioner company.

Its working principle is based on thermodynamics t o h ea t e x c h a n g e . T h e fundamental concept relies on the fact that the temperature below ground stays fairly consistent all year , regardless of climates in different seasons. What many people do not’ realize is that the temperature below ground stays fairly consistent all year regardless of climate or season. Water Furnace geothermal systems use the free, renewable energy found in people’s own back yard to save up to 70% on heating, cooling, and hot water costs.

After staying in the U.S. twenty more days, I found that the living customs in the U.S. is very different from Taiwan. People in the U.S. were not used to turn off the air conditioner when they went out. The concept of energy conservation was not emphasized much in the U.S. In addition, we were seldom asked to recycle plastic bottle, or something can be used again. It makes us wonder that how American faced the energy crisis problem.

I had a private conversation with Professor Yen, and asked him why Americans were not used to turn off air conditioners when they went out. The answer of professor was because they thought it would reduce their work efficiency when the air conditioner is turned off. Where they have a comfortable working environment is where they can have best solution to problems as soon as possible.

Therefore, they tried to work out to resolve and improve the efficiency of air conditioners.

In Taiwan, we turned off air conditioners to save energy and this put us in a bad situation.

We are not only in an uncomfortable working environment, but also make us unhappier

Taipei Economic and Culture Office is located at New York’s Fifth Avenue which is a very vibrant region in NY. All men we meet on Fifth Avenue is Americans.

When we got into the office where we were really familiar with, it made us feel warmhearted. Especially, we were so excited when we saw our national flag hanged on the ceiling, and I would like to say aloud that is my country. There are so many politics problems that we cannot recognize Taiwan as a country.

During the luncheon, Ambassador Chang said to us that sometimes they could not say a word in public, even they had done a lot for raising awareness of Taiwan. Too many things are related to political issues, thus it is better to just do it and not to say a word in case lose the original intention. Few people know what they have done for us, but they really did a lot without a word. Taipei Economic and Culture Office is responsible for Taiwan’s diplomacy, economy between the U.S. Besides, they also provide several supports for foreign students when they encountered difficulty in the U.S. In the trip to NY period, they also helped us to connect with NCKU alumni in NY. They really gave us a huge help making us know more and see more.

After Ambassador Wen-Liang Chang gave us some brief introduction, he left a lot of time for us to raise questions. We asked many questions about the situation of Taiwan and how to deal with the problem that many talented people are leaving Taiwan. He said that the image of Taiwan is very positive, and also noted in high-tech industry. Besides, Ambassador Chang encouraged us to go abroad enthusiastically. When the foreigners

than others. That is the question.

F r o m t h e v i e w o f Ta i w a n e s e enterprises, to promote the competitiveness of company is always about is how to cost down rather to create an even higher value than others. In the U.S., the customers are willing to pay a higher price of product with higher additional value. In this positive feedback cycle, people can have a better life; moreover, industry can be in sustainable development.

During this plant tour, we understood more about the differences between Taiwan and America. Especially, we can learn from this old company , and expect that there will be more old companies in Taiwan in the future.

Taiwan America

feel confused about the relationship between Taiwan and China, we can explain and express that we have a free and democratic society.

He also stated clearly that the government is the most influential part to solve the problem.

One particular question we asked is that in his personal experience, if Taiwanese students want to be more competitive with others, what ability should we improved more. He answered that we are commonly lack of the aggressive traits. We should learn how to advocate ourselves. The image of Taiwanese students is usually polite, friendly and in good manner, and we also have professional capacity. However, we need to join the discussion and express opinions more actively, so that others will pay more attention to us. At last, Ambassador Chang reminded us that besides the professional knowledge, we should always widen our knowledge and enrich our experience.

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Taiwan America

Differences in Education between the U.S. and Taiwan About Leadership Workshop, Maggie Yen and Professor Yen

When it comes to the system and education itself, we have noticed some differences among different countries. We definitely cannot make a judgment on which is totally correct or wrong. However, the most important point is how we can capture the positive values and benefit from others. Then, we can adjust them and make good use of them to make ourselves better. To learn and broaden our horizons, that is why we have to visit the U.S. this summer and experience different style of living and culture shocks.

Unlike traditional majorities which only focus on specific professional fields, Future Elite Program of Engineering College in NCKU is still a cutting edge program among all the colleges in Taiwan. However, this kind of leadership program has already commonly developed in the U.S., for example, IPFW, the university we visited this summer. In the two-week Leadership workshop, we had an opportunity to meet college students in IPFW, immigrants from Taiwan in different ages and people with all kinds of backgrounds.

This unique chance for us to get along with various people expanded our mind and view.

No doubt that we have to show our gratitude to Professor Yen, the most important role in this program, also a founder of this innovative program. Professor Yen came to the U.S.

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along when he was young. As a new foreigner in an unfamiliar country, he had faced many challenges and obstacles. Fortunately, he met some people willing to help and overcame those difficulties eventually. In all the experiences, he realize that there is a gap of culture between America and Taiwan. He said,”if you have confronted some culture shocks, it’s good. It’s the key point why you have to come out from Taiwan and expose yourselves to others’attitudes and ways of thinking. You just cannot learn some important things or essential value in your country, such as how others dealing with economics, politics, social issues in different places. I expect you guys to observe and feel the differences in this trip on your own.

Then start to think about how to transform the strengths of others into ours. Try to make contributions to the society in Taiwan.

When we talked about the comparison in students’characters in two countries, Professor replied,”it’s obvious that American students are better in expressing themselves.

While Taiwanese students are shy and not used to speak out loud, American students are more willing to stand up and be more active in class.”From the traditional point of view in our society, obligation was highly emphasized. Being normal and ordinary like others is just right and safe.

However, we are facing a ne w era and global challenges. The only way to compete with others is to build your own identity.

Students in Taiwan are hard working and diligent.

We have skills and knowledge but we have to learn how to manage them well. To

show our strengths and talents properly is a key point to capture the opportunities to success.

Meanwhile, is there something have to be fixed in Taiwan’s learning environments?

W h y st u d e n ts i n Ta i wa n a re used to be quiet in class? I am wondering if it’ s because we were taught that good students should know ever ything. In Taiwan, if you ask too many questions in class, you are more likely to be considering that you are not good enough, or even stupid, because you don’t know the As a dean of the engineering college in IPFW, answers. Good students are supposed to know Professor Yen treats his students like friends everything and act smart. However, Americans sincerely. Getting along with him was easy and don’t think like that. They think there are no made us feel warm from the bottom of our hearts. “stupid questions”. They prefer students to He cared not only about trivial things in our daily raise their hands whenever they have questions lives, but also about how we, the next generation, so they can discuss the problems immediately. can learn and do for Taiwan’s society. That And how students respond to the speaker is very is a main reason for him to insist running this important. Interaction and communications program for twelve years. Arranging the agendas, between audience and speaker can lead contacting companies and plants for us to visit, people to think more and deep. It is easier to and inviting speakers to share with us ─ ─ all get audience involved in the atmosphere. As a the things he had to do to hold a big project like consequence, that makes difference in students’ the Leadership Workshop took him a lot of efforts learning performances between Taiwan and the and time.“You can barely take it (this project) out U.S. However, this kind of teaching style reminds of his life indeed,”said Maggie Yen, his wife, who me of our greatest teacher in history, Confucius, also supported a lot to this program. Professor who is considered as the best model for Yen believes that,”do one thing good, and then educators to learn from. How to rethink and reyou will get ten things back.”He hopes that define the meaning of ”teaching”and ”learning” we are willing to help others after we have the is an important issue in Taiwan now. capability just like what he is doing now.“You In IPFW, we were not just taking ordinary lessons do not have to worry that people around you to learn some specific skills, but more panels will be better than you if you have helped them. discussing about various cultural and global Because if someone you helped succeed one issues, which is unique and makes the time in day, it is your success, too.”This belief and spirits this workshop more inspiring. We were asked of dedication touched us, impressed us and kept to explore ourselves, to imagine the future. Who growing deeply in our mind. is your role model? What kind of life you want Professor Yen described himself and his wife, to lead? How do you manage your strengths Maggie Yen, as farmers. Each year, they meet and solve the urgent global issues? Not all the different students from the Future Elite Program, questions required clear answers at once. The and deliver their visions, values and passions to most important thing is to ask us start to think. new generations. Just like sowing the seeds, they First, we have to know ourselves better. Then, look forward to the growth of hope and finally it’s our own job to build up our own faith and can lead to a beautiful harvest one day. With a concerns to respond to those issues step by step whole new vision after the journey, clear our old in the future. minds and step out bravely for a new start.

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Taiwan America

Experience of interviewing the seniors in the USA

Only when we leave the“comfort zone”and start to face the challenges can we truly understand what life is and how we are getting stronger. No matter how difficult it will be, we should“change”, and we should put ourselves into the situation which we live should keep in mind is that we should get independently. Mr. Wu who has worked in the involved in the group, attend activities, and USA for more than 40 years said that there is most importantly, learn how to deal with no permanent success and failure. We should other people. By doing so, we can overcome “change”as the society changes. We can not only the language barrier but also culture never predict what the society will be in the barrier. next couple of decades.

Ivorine Yu who also finished her

Jimmy Yen, one of the speakers that postdoctoral researcher in the USA shares her shared his experience about studying and valuable experience to us. She did not want working abroad, said that he used to be the to follow the path her family wanted her to go. person with bad grades and speak poor She chose to chase what she really wanted to English. The reason why he wanted to go do: as an expert in the medical field. She tried abroad and develop his own career was that everything brand new, made her own way he wanted to change. ”Why you choose the to think differently, and came up with new USA as the place to develop your career?” ideas to do the research. After couple years “Because there are many chances and I accumulating her experience, she wants to believe it is the right place for anyone who start her own business. If we always follow the wants to find the opportunities to come here path other people prepare for us, then we will and to be successful.” have the limitation to exceed other people.

We are afraid of facing the challenges

Keep what the successful people or even the changes. We are prone to do said in mind and tr y to push ourselves what we are familiar with and what we are to tr y different things. Make sure we are good at. We seldom want to try and change accumulating various experiences and walk in order not to make troubles or errors. That on our own path. Talk to mentors and learn is why we hesitate to change our boring from them. As a result, we can also be the life. Language might be one of the barriers. ones who embrace the success.

Ironically, we have learned English for a long time. We also have brilliant scores and even high-level certificates. However, we are not willing to speak in English, or even want to escape the place where we can only use English to communicate with others. Jimmy Yen said that language barrier does exist but it is temporary not permanent. What we

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Taiwan America

Difference between Taiwan and the U.S

The cultures in Taiwan vary greatly from which in the U.S. This article is based on the observation and the experience in these 3 weeks.

The most significant difference between Taiwan and the U.S. is "scale". It is so lucky that we had a chance to study in IPFW for 2 weeks and to share cultures with American students. Campuses in the U.S. are extremely deep insight about these topic. The question large and facilities there are advanced. Also, seems to be simple, yet the answer is not. student housing is aesthetic. Classrooms and Studying in these kind of interactive other public spaces are delightful. environment made us think deeply to the

During the lectures in IPFW, most of world and ourselves. Moreover, students the speakers encouraged students to raise b e c o m e m o r e a g g r e s s i v e a n d m o r e questions, and the lectures were interactive. independent, and their communication skills However, the lectures in Taiwan tend to be thus increase. One of the speakers emphasized one-way. Speakers tried hard to engage all the importance of "advocate yourself". He of the students, so the students could follow encouraged us not to "be quiet and do good the path of speakers. Many questions would work", because no one would even notice be raised by lecturers during the lectures, that. However, we can barely see aggressive and most of them were "open question", students in Taiwan, and it is hard to see any which do not have specific answers. Students student to raise any question. There is a wide can use their imagination to figure out their gap between speakers and students in Taiwan. own answers. During the lectures, if there Students are afraid of making mistakes, or sowas anything ambiguous, we could just called losing face. Furthermore, students have raise questions in the moment, and clarify little chance to speak in class. confusion at once.

In conclusion, this 3-weeks-workshop

No matter what questions students gave us a glimpse to part of the U.S. and let a s k e d , s p ea k e r s a l w a y s e x p r e s s t h e i r us knew more about the cultures in the U.S. compliments at first, build up students’ When we talk about cultures, there is no good c o n f i d e n c e , a n d m a k e s t u d e n t s f e e l or bad, but there would always be different. comfortable. The speakers responded to Knowing and respecting other cultures are the the questions with passion and patience, most important task to the modern people. and they would make sure their response make sense. For example, during the lecture about the U.S. Government, speaker ask a big question "Everyone knows politics, but what is politics?”This was the first time we have a

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Personal Learning Reflection

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49

Personal Feedback

General Coordinator-Jack Hsu

Life is just like a journey; there is a different meaning every time. And it is no exception for this time.

By a curious serendipity, I received a recruitment letter from College of Engineering Future Elites Group in my email. I simply checked the curriculum then signed up to be part of the group.

Thanks to the teachers who encouraged me to participate in this program. For this whole year, whether it is curriculum in NCKU such as Enterprise Concept, Leadership Skills, Project Management, Global Trade Trends and Involvement in Care Week and oversea visit, all of the experience has given me a different height and breadth to think in my original learning path. I have learned to cooperate with others in the shortest time and made myself benefit in my final student year. After all, under the education system in Tiwan, we are not easy to break through the existing system. We missed a lot of valuable time and opportunities.

I was honored to be selected in charge of the oversea visit. There were not many previous document of oversea visit. Regulation provision also indicated that there could only be 20 people participating in oversea visit.

The confirming list of oversea visit students needed to be published in the end of the entire curriculum at the end of April. Arranging the three weeks visit was quite a challenge for me.

I had to make sure that every student was able to attend such important visit overseas.

I told everyone to just focus on their current work. If there were some students who really could not join, I would coordinate this issue with the Dean. At the same time, I began to draft the request letter for visit units. It was my first time to make out such letters in English.

I was not familiar with writing the letter. I 50

sincerely appreciated the help of my uncle who gave me so many wonderful advices, so I could let the request letters be sent as soon as possible.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in this o v e r s ea v i s i t i s u n d e r sta n d i n g h o w to coordinate and arrange things with others before entering the workplace. I needed to make several request. I realized my ability was very limited. Every time when I requested a visit opportunity, the other would ask how we could give them in return. As students, the feedback we could give was very limited.

But I think as long as we uphold the desire for knowledge, try our best to share the relevant information with them as much as possible, show the respect for this visit and do our best to give the experience to the younger generation. This is the most sincere feedback we can give.

Three weeks oversea visit is not easy to arrange. As a person in charge of the oversea visit, I must have high organizational and coordination skills. I had to make good use of all of the division of groups, give them confidence and relative discretion in order to make the right decision at the critical moment. Leaders must have a calm and stable personality. They need to understand its surrounding as much as possible before they can go on the trip. They should behave as a model for all the participants because it was the first time for most of the participants to join the oversea visit. Their mood was inevitable excitement. It would be hard to control all the situations with the single efforts of a leader.

The whole visit trip was responsible by the person who was in charge of the oversea visit.

The advisor just responded with the security and emergency problems. Leaders must have a clear understanding of each student's personality and family economic situation. The

most importantly, a leader, such as me, always pays attention to the physical and mental condition of all the participants in order to facilitate activities.

The oversea visit was a successful accomplishment because of help received from others. I would like t o g i v e m y g ra t i t u d e t o N C K U N e w Yo r k A l u m n i Association: Larry Lay and Jerry Cheng for arranging the visit to IBM Watson Lab and MTA Rail Control Center.

These two tremendous visits not only let us know how the computer can be applied to our complex living environment, such as cancer detection, drug interaction, making a recipe‌ etc. but also integrate the three major subway system for New York subway system, making the New York underground transport network smoothly. The most worthy thing for us to learn is how to have a farsighted planning to map out a long-term plan and not just focus on the immediate problem.

During IPFW activities, I would like to give my greatest gratitude to Prof. Yen and Kasey Price. Due to their help, we all had a great solid and comfortable time during these two weeks and got very valuable experience on nurturing future Taiwan talents from Prof. Yen. Also, we witnessed the efforts and contributions of many Taiwanese Americans. Prof. Yen hopes that through this oversea visit to the first-class universities and enterprises, we could begin to discover what we lack of. We need to let future Taiwan talents have different thinking and innovation in their mind that can affect the whole society in a good way. Although we can do very little right now, I hope, we can uphold

the spirit and concept of our predecessors from now. We need to make efforts and contributions for Taiwan and this community in the future.

Under the training in this year, I dare not to say there has been any change after I finished this program. I hope that I can use the experience of this year and put it into practice in few years by modeling over the American spirit of contributing to society and influencing other friends to work together, so that our society can have less strife and friction.

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Personal Feedback

General Coordinator-Jacky Lin

The contents of this report principally elaborate the three-week overseas learning workshop of 2014 NCKU Leadership Program for The Future Elites, which was done during 2015 July 26 to August 18 in Fort Wayne, Chicago, Boston, and New York City. The contents of this report include "growth", "change", "vision", and so on. Members in this group were 26 graduate and undergraduate students with one instructor Professor Qiu Jizheng.(Chiu Chi-Cheng?)

T h e t h r e e - w e e k o v e r s ea s l ea r n i n g workshop is divided into two main parts. The first part is the first two weeks and was held by the Dean of Engineering---Professor Yen (Prof.Max Yen)---in the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Campus (IPFW). With Dean Yen's assistance and arrangement, members gained cultural and leadership skills from training courses and companies visit in downtown or suburbs in Fort Wayne.

After completing the training courses in IPFW, we went to the eastern United States for learning and visiting in academic institutions, diplomatic and business agencies. During the time in Boston and New York, we visited various wellknown schools such as MIT, Harvard University, New York University, Columbia University, IBM Waston Laboratory and the Taipei economic and Cultural Office in New York

In the U.S. visit and training courses, we learned from a lot of business leaders and many experts with their wisdom and experience which made the students receive a great harvest. All of the people who received us praised for the educational philosophy of National Cheng Kung University Institute of Engineering. I feel thankful for IPFW Dean Yan and his team of teachers and students, who let us have a great time and learning in IPFW for two weeks ; I feel thankful for the experts and scholars who received us in Boston and New York, for all the wonderful introductions and instructions let members learn a lot. I would like to thank the person in charge of this program---Jack Hsu. His coordination and arrangements, as well as other members’working and cooperating enabled this overseas learning workshop to be successfully completed. Thank

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you everyone in the NCKU Leadership Program!

Four years ago, I was just a freshman. In the chance, I heard the seniors’sharing that encouraged us to participate in the NCKU Leadership program. Since then, I have focused on this target for three years, and never changed.

After three years of self-fulfillment, I finally had the opportunity to enter this particular learning community and started a wonderful story in my college time……

Courses in Taiwan

The first two classes were Enterprise Outlook and Leadership & Command. The Enterprise Outlook was instructed by Dr. Tsai, t h e p ro fe s s o r o f D e pa r t m e n t o f B u s i n e s s Administration. In the class we’ve learned some knowledge of Business Administration, such as business policy, marketing strategy, competitive advantage, and so on. We also learned to do the case analysis. We do some research and simulation, acting as a policy maker of a company, scheming the strategy and making a decision. In Leadership and Command class, we’ve learned the knowledge and wisdom of leadership. The teacher raised many instances to let us realize how to be a leader, leading and commanding a team, and make them willing to follow us.

Then, we had the classes Project Management and Global Economics. The Global Economics introduced the basic concepts of world trade, WTO, and so on. We learned to analyze the phenomena of world trade and stimulate the process of negotiation about the burning issue of Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). In the class of project management, we learned industry project management operations and methods about how to run it in a real industry. We also contacted with other organizations by ourselves and utilized what we have learned for these organizations to help their marketing development.

In the second semester, we focused on the writing and speaking abilities in English. During English Technical Writing class, we studied the format of English letter, email, resume, journal

paper, and so on. And we learned to express the content in proper ways. I think the technical writing lesson has equipped us some practical skills which may be really useful when doing research or finding jobs. In the Oral English class, we practiced English speaking by interacting with teacher, classmates, and even with exchange students. We also had to deliver a prepared English speech and impromptu speeches, which were really challenging but improved our courage and skills in English speaking.

In addition to the academic courses, we also have some extracurricular activities. For instance, we cared for the disadvantaged people and organized many activities for them; besides, we listened to professors of the faculty of arts curriculum. A series of humanities lectures let us know that there were more things than technical theories. I think the modern elites should have the ability and humane quality, rather than just the ability to have a strong science and engineering knowledge .In the process of care activities, we used some of our own capabilities and methods of all classes learned to organize this event, and brought happiness of disabled friends which was very meaningful for us. I believe that serving others and society is modern elites should do.

We can be thankful and continue learning for dedication at the same time.

The Overseas Camp

In addition to the great courses throughout the year, most people expected the United States overseas camp! During the threeweek visiting, we learned the vast knowledge, and also had a huge impact and change.

The three-week overseas learning program is divided into two main parts. The first part of the first two weeks in the United States was held

by Dean of Engineering Professor Yen (Prof. Max Yen) in the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne , IPFW. The workshop included panel discussions, which was really informative. He invited specialists in different fields to share their experience and knowledge, and then we discuss with each other, sharing our opinion on the specific topics, such as government system,

energy and environmental issues, women in leadership, role model, and so on. With Dean Yen's assistance and arrangement, members had cultural and leadership skills training courses and visiting companies in downtown or suburbs in Fort Wayne. In addition to the panel, we were arranged to visit the companies, which are related to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, material science, and other engineering related fields. It was really a great opportunity to learned practical knowledge and experience. Furthermore, during these two weeks, we experience the American lifestyle over there, and on the other hand, we also showed them our culture and traditions.

After completing the leadership workshop course IPFW, we went to the east coast for learning and visiting in academic institutions, diplomatic and business agencies. During the time in Boston and New York, we visited various reputable schools such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, New York University, Columbia University, IBM Watson Laboratory,and the Taipei economic and Cultural Office in New York. We visited the campus and experienced the culture of the top universities by exchanging our thought with students studying abroad. And they guided us to visit their laboratory, which really widen our horizon and bring us some ideas.

During the whole year, as a student of Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, I’ve learned lots of non-engineering skills from Leadership Program. Whether theoretical knowledge or practical know-how, all of them are very useful and heuristic for me. More importantly, I met a group of excellent and good partners. If someone asks me, “Through the whole year, do you think you are an elite now?”I think I’ll answer,“Maybe I’m not sure whether I’m an elite now, but I am sure that I have worked hard and learned a lot with a group of elites.”These are just as the beginning of my way to success.

I’ll continually improve myself to equip the skills and characteristics of leadership. Being a leader someday, I expect myself to make a positive effect toward the society, contribute to the world, and complete my dreams!

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Personal Feedback

Public Relation Team Leader-Chi-Min Lee

I was the leader of public relation team in the trip to the United States. The contents of our work belong to pre-job of this trip, and it contains the certificates of appreciation, the design of appreciation card, and the preparation of PR products. The certificate of appreciation is often with a college flag and they are primarily used for the institution visited by us; Cards are given to individuals and they represent the gratitude from all of us. Besides the cards, the PR products are given to the chiefs and volunteers in IPFW who give us lots of help in this trip. In addition to the bookmarkers and caps provided by college of engineering, we also prepared the NCKU thermos as a gift to give to senior brothers and sisters of alumni in the U.S. I have some suggestions for the contents of our work. Because the list of members who can join the U.S. trip is a little bit late to announce, the group work was delayed. Most work did not start until the semester ended, and the group members were dispersed in many places so that many things could not be delivered and dealt with in real time. As a result, the work efficiency was low. I hope that even though the members were not determined, some of the work could be also prepared in advance. Moreover, since we were not sure about the courses in IPFW and who the lecturers were, the PR products given to the lecturers were prepared by Dean Yen. Hope that this part can be checked earlier and taken into consideration about the estimation of the amount of PR products. After all, we should express our gratitude to the lecturers. Furthermore, we should estimate more preparatory amount of all the things especially in the last week. Although we could make sure who the main person in charge was, many guides would show up when we visited the institution and we also gave cards to them.

Owing to this reason, the amount of preparatory cards and PR products were in serious shortage.

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Then, we just gave based on the circumstances, so I felt pity for this part. As for the decision of PR products, I suggested to choose the product which is easy to carry and shatterproof because we had lots of luggage and it would be moved many times during the long flight. Moreover, the volunteers gave us lots of assistance, so we think that we can give them something meaningful or gifts which are made by us.

For the budget which could give to public relation team was limited this year, many things could not meet previous expectations. Hope we can search for more help to let all the preparation be well arranged. The work in public relation team is simple, but we should be also careful in the process of implementation. After all, the outcome of the group not only represents the elite program but also the college of engineering of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and NCKU itself. In order to work successfully, it is recommended to discuss with group members repeatedly.

After a one-year plan, I recalled the saying of Principal Tseng,“The lives after school of successful people are different from the others’.”

I am more certain that I make the rightdecision to apply the elite program.

Courses at NCKU

The elite program enriches my senior year, the course arrangement is different from the field of college of engineering, and this is a new challenge for me. We play the role of decisionmaker in the enterprise concept course to decide the company’s future orientation; Tseng’s saying in leadership skill course talks about the people skills and how to lead your group to success, and the most important is that when we learn how to lead someone, we also learn how to be leaded by someone actually. Project management course let us run a real project so we realize that how to

Summary

Along with the end of the U.S trip, I began to think about meanings I gained in this oneyear program. I got a conclusion, that is,“When people are away from comfort zone, the world will become more extensive.”If you are always satisfied with current status and do not want to change it, you will sooner or later die out in the process of world’s change. Away from comfort zone may face with unknown challenges, but you can discover that the world is more extensive than your imagination and realize that you have to work harder on lots of matters. After one-year training, I dare not be certain that I am different from before. But I am sure that the experiences will turn into the power which can let me keep growing and be fearless on the road to become Trip to the United States

The most impressive part for me is the the elite. two-week workshop and business visits in Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, I learned the attitude toward people and matters in the U.S. instead of the professional theory in a subject. In this trip,“People”influence me a lot. The impacts exist in each conversation and experience sharing with entrepreneurs, professors and students.

One of the professors said that,“The best way to serve ourselves is to serve others.”They are glad to share with everyone, like to cooperate to solve problems and create more opportunities.

I think that it is what we should learn. Although the personal achievement is one of the important parts in our lives, whether you want to give some feedbacks to the society or not is the most important. Finally, hope that we can reach Dean Yen’s expectation, and he said he was like a farmer and he sowed seeds every year. We are the new seeds of this year, hope that we can grow stronger and stronger after one or two decades and we can do something for Taiwan. Moreover, we can lead a better future for Taiwan someday. execute and manage the projects with systemic methods. The negotiation of ECFA’s dispute settlement mechanism in WTO course let us learn how to strategize in international stage to reach the agreement. The English courses in next semester trained us to express our opinions in English more easily. These courses emphasize the ability of independent thinking and solving problems, let me bring about some new ideas and solutions to lots of matters. Moreover, the cooperation and communication with classmates bring me lots of gains because everyone always faces with each challenge with positive attitude.

It is difficult to feel this kind of learning spirit and attitude in other courses.

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Personal Feedback

Institution Visit Team Leader- Jeff Chen

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It is my pleasure to be responsible for the leader of an institution visit group of this program, and because of this position, I learned a lot of experience. To be sure, there are still a lot of things that can be improved or ameliorated. I hope the following suggestions will help the people who would like to join this program in the future.

Approximately all our visit places in America this time are contacted by our leader of this program, so that we started to come up with the questions after everything is settled.

However, this might be a little bit hasty, and the questions for the institutions might not seem comprehensive. In order to mitigate this problem, I will strongly recommend that everyone should make the members determined before going abroad, also make sure the places that they are going to visit. Meanwhile, the members are able to start searching for the information about their research and how they put it into practice, building the connections between their fields and the company research as much as possible.

To be more specific, we had been visiting the University of Chicago for couple hours, and the splendid speech is mainly delivered by speaker Matthew Tirrell, who is the leader of IME(the Institute for Molecular Engineering). For us, this might be the area that we seldom get involved with, so we made our distribution work about their research at the airport before we arrived the university. Searching for the application of the material peptide amphiphiles in their research, we started to know that it can be used in cancer treatment and diagnosis, peripheral ner ve regeneration etc., so that we can deepen our questions to these fields and to be more precise.

Furthermore, we can ask our teacher for help, checking our questions in order to make them not so superficial and inappropriate. To talk about the categories of the questions, not only can we drill down but also can we extend the width of the question, such as:“What is the key factor to

hire all the experts into your team?”

“As a leader who found this team, what do you think about the required characteristics in order to be a pioneer?”

Besides, it is worth mentioning that the interface between the institution and us is also non-trivial. In addition to the questions we come up with, we have to be polite in our e-mails and our attitude must be felicitous in order to show our curiosity and the desire of knowledge. Last but not the least, we cannot always receive benefits from other, instead, we have to ''give'' something such as feedback. By asking questions, we set out to get more information and absorb more knowledge. Therefore, the preparation before the institution visit is indispensible.

When it comes to our domestic courses, I feel like learning a lot of things rather than the field I used to get involved in. Ranging from leadership, English critical thinking, the power of the presentation to team work, which is the ability that I always want to learn, can be implemented in this program. What I feel the most precious thing here is those talented classmates. They know how to perform these talents perfectly and also collaborate with each other harmoniously in different activities and project.

However, the time we spent in the U.S. is even more unforgettable. First of all, I would like to mention two important elements, ”passion” and ”independence”. A s we arrived at the America, the first thing that came into my sight is not only the beautiful street scenes but also the volunteers from IPFW. They all participated in this activity spontaneously, in order to take good care of us. Moreover, they break the ice with their enthusiasm and they don't mind how much they pay only for having good time with us. Facing the things they're interested in never makes them feel tired, they invest by the one hundred percentage of dedications into it instead. When talking about independence, American students

are really different from us. Rather than supported by parents economically, lots of them work for the tuition fee, some even apply for the scholarships.

Not only they are economically independent, but they also think independently. Although it might be slightly different in thoughts, they seldom completely agree with others. Instead of blindly following the crowd, they always have the courage to express themselves, and that's definitely worth learning.

While in the time of our institution visit, we not only saw a lot of products from the companies but also heard the remarkable elucidation from the speakers. Moreover, it is possible for us to feel their affection in their occupation. It might seem crazy but it just like a patient who is infested by that kind of passion which intrigue my interest in their field and makes me start to ask questions.

Then, I came to know that,”Only when we ask more questions, can we get more information and knowledge.”

Besides, ” Chicago Library”is also worth to be mentioned. Despite it sounds like a mundane librar y, it contains extraordinar y stories and meanings. Here, not only did I see the magnificent architecture, but also did I feel the persistence of all the librarians in this building. In my opinion, Chicago Library is not only the paradigm of all libraries, but also determines the new definition of the books. When they're displaying the process of books preservation, I just can't stop thinking that in the era of information that is fully developed, books might be probably replaced by ''e-books'' while their existence might be even be neglected.

Nevertheless, the librarians truly understand the real meaning of books; even they can perceive their souls. And that is the reason why Chicago Library is so memorable to me, also makes me realize that ''books'' is the greatest asset of the human beings.

Last but not the least, what makes me think about the most is the disparities between

different cultures ranging from everyday diet to our entrenched values. Unlike us, they are willing to try new things; however, it doesn't mean that we don't but the relatively small proportion compared to them. In Taiwan, people are afraid of making changes and desire to live a stable life.

They feel like following others instructions all the time no matter in the school or in their workplace to think that life is a bed of roses. However, this journey enables me to have alternative options in every intersection in my life. Though lots of people thinks that having an experience in the U.S. might not be meaningful, I would sincerely take this peregrination as the most correct and valuable decision I've ever made because it completely change my life.

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Personal Feedback

Photography Team Leader-Andrew Huang

I was the photographer in this trip to the U.S. There was only one teammate in my team, but some of my classmates helped me take pictures during this trip and also upload them to Cloud service, including Google Drive and Dropbox. In average I took 100 pictures per day, depending on where and what we wentand visit. In this trip, I brought my camera all day, and took pictures in ever y single memorable moment. In addition, group photo was one of my job, but there was no need to worry about whether I can be in the picture. Because there were always people who can help me out. So I strongly recommend that is not necessary to bring the tripod which makes the luggage heavier.

As a photographer in this trip, editing and uploading pictures I took was my daily job. First, having stable internet access was crucial to me to upload pictures. For editing, I used some software to make each picture more special and pleasant, which took me anhour per day. Moreover, all the edited pictures were uploaded to Flickr, a cloud service which provides full-size picture uploading service and all the pictures can be downloaded in various size.

In the time we were in the U.S., I collected all the links of uploaded pictures taken by other classmates and myselfin our facebook group. In the first two weeks in IPFW, the internet was stable so I can upload all the pictures every day on time. But things were different in Boston and NYC;the internet was pretty bad, so I could notupload pictures in the last week on time. Except for pictures, I additionally filmed some video of each person in the class, they shared what they learned and felt in the U.S. I planned to use these pictures and videos to make a reviewing video.

I took almost 2000 pictures in the size of 50 GB during 3 weeks;however, I did not feel tired with heavy camera. The best part of being a photographer is---all the memory will not fade away in my mind because all the pictures I took have firmly been remembered.

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Not until couple days off the plane and recovered from the jet lag, I realized the 12th elite program came to the end.

Joining the elite program was not an accident. I noticed the program in the freshman year and fully prepared myself during the first 2 years of my college life. Luckily, I became

one member of this program. It’s quite peculiar to find that all the senior students were your classmates. We built a connection with each other during every classes we had, including project management, case studying, and etc. But still, we didn’t deeply know each other. And of course, we learned a lot from those classes. The most impressive class to me is the sharing from principal Tseng, Tsahn-Deng. He transformed all his life experience into 5 classes and many great words.

are always a group of people who work as hard as you or even harder than you.

In the end, after 1 year of the elite program, I know that I have more resources and chances than others to become an extraordinary person. Living in an ordinary, normal life might be easy, but that wasn’t my choice.“Elite”is a verb, and you can only use it in present tense.

Personally, I didn’t know many persons more in this program until the classes and activity we held in 2nd semester. In the English oral training, for example, everyone had chances to stand on the stage and deliver their idea or opinion. Another thing that brought everyone together is the activity to serve those with disability. From the preparation to the day we hold the activity, everyone is dedicated himself/ herself to what he/ she was responsible for. I was pretty impressed by the efficiency of this team.

It was the remarkable trip to the U.S. that changed my thinking a lot and made everyone in this program memorable. The half-year preparation to the U.S was led by Jack. I originally thought this trip was only for sightseeing, but surprisingly, what I learned and got were more than what I expected. It was really hard to imagine the chemical reaction between these 26“elites”after living with one another day by day.

Frankly speaking, the 500-hours experience we had in the U.S. were completely different than what we have learned in Taiwan. For instance, I admired the confident attitude that U.S. people had, no matter from American volunteers or those Taiwanese people who studied or lived in the U.S. Additionally, living and talking to each one in this program about what we learned and our dream was changed my thinking considerably. In the past, I was very easy to be satisfied what I had and achieved, but meeting these“elites” made me find what my flaws were. After coming back to Taiwan, I felt like a fully charged battery, with positive mindset to face every day. With these amazing experience, I become more and more serious and concentrate on my study, hobbies, social ability, and etc. Because I know there

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Personal Feedback

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Personal Feedback

Kevin Lo

Lynn Huang

This year gone through so fast that I could not even imagine. If you want me to describe how fast it was, I would say it was like the roller coaster, extremely fast!!!

Future Elite Program of College of Engineering is such a great network to connect with alumni from the past to the now. I am so appreciated to have this chance to join this program in my junior year. Here, I can share my experience with the group members and exchange my thoughts to different point of view. Since, many of us are from different departments and majors. I met new friends and learned from them.

Talk about this program, it provides the class such as leadership, project management, marketing and sales, English writing and English speaking…etc. The teachers inspired us on different aspects opening our mind to face the world or how to become a great leader.

In the future, I hope this spirit can continue in my life and inspire more students in order to face to difficulties that we will be facing in the following years. Let’s fight for the future!!!

During the one-year-period program, I think what I’ve gained the most is expansion of vision.

Last summer, I was facing the bottleneck of growth which I felt partly because of lack of wide vision to see the world and to solve many problems around, so I submitted the application form to this specially designed program.

In the past one year, I was surprised again and again to discover what I’ve learned from the class is much more than my original expectation.

I n t h e a s p e ct o f v i s i o n e x pa n s i o n , m y m a j o r achievement comes from the expansion of cross-field knowledge and the deeper and clearer outlook of international affairs. From the classes of“Enterprise outlook”and“Global economy and trade trend under WTO frame”in NCKU, I learned how the international companies make decision for future development. I also learned how to collect the international data, to put together such scrappy information to make up an outline of the international trend, and then think about how the international companies compete with each other for future success. While in the oversea leadership workshop I experienced the American living style and culture from the volunteers of Indiana University- Purdue Unversity Fort Wayne (IPFW). From the talk with local leaders in U.S.A., I’ve seen the fundamental thought and methodology of American style leadership, knowing they are thinking more than us from the angle of humanity. By visiting the world-level enterprise IBM, I felt different working atmosphere, attitude and enthusiasm which I’ve never experienced.

In the meantime of vision expansion, I’ve learned how to communicate with people with different background. In this program, I met many outstanding people from different departments. To get along with them and learn together is a great experience for me.

I felt I am so lucky to know these great people, learn many from them and grow with them joyfully. In the IPFW leadership workshop, I met the coordinator, Professor Yen, who is indeed an admirable person. I saw his integrity and striving from his experience of being suffering from the race discrimination in the

foreign countr y, and he has been insisting to take action to feedback Taiwan by his own efforts. This let me have clearer idea how the emigrant lived and struggled in U.S.A., apart from the understanding of the American culture.

Those are the nice p e o p l e I ’v e m e t in this year who are with different background - experience, thinking, knowledge and attitude. Each time when I talk with anyone of them, I just felt opening a new window for my own thinking. Of course, it doesn’t mean that other people have better thought than me. Especially when talking with foreigner, we have to consider the different culture so that we may not lose ourselves because of the cultural conflict. It’s this process so that I understand it’s an important issue to adjust our own thinking to a better position during the communication.

I am thankfulthat I sent out the application form for the class bravely. Because of this bravery and the action took after that, I have been changed so much. Perhaps in the future, not every action can lead to the similar success like this, but I do recognize that it needs bravery to make the first step to try and we can change toward better.

What I’ve learned from the class, I think it’s a combination of experience, attitude and methodology. Of course, there are too many things to learn, almost endless. But, I believe that either in the communication of different knowledge territories or the expansion of international outlook, I’ve stepped out the first in this class and developed a more mature attitude and method to learn more and to expand my vision more.

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Personal Feedback

Wen Hui Huang

August 2014, I decided to apply 12th Elite Program in NCKU though I was still at Shanghai at that time and it left only two weeks to the end. Thanks to my friend helping me print and deal with all the application sheets so I could get the chance to meet a group of friends who are very ambitious. Moreover, the program is so awesome that I did never feel before. From business analysis to project management, courses are diverse and different from our department courses so we can learn lots of knowledge from it. At the same time, I found that everyone were very absorbed in these course, and I can saw this condition from other general courses. Even we need to space about 2 or 3 nights a week to take classes or meet each other for discussing topic on weekend, everyone still can balance the classes in department and in elite program; everyone are willing to lead the group better, this is the most important experience I learned from the program.

As time went, July 2015, after a whole busy year, we prepared to visit the unknown country. We didn’t regard this trip as a reward, but viewed it as a final test to check our improvement. We presented NCKU, the new generation of Taiwan,and the Elite Program.

Thus, though I lost my direction through collective efforts from everyone, it was not necessar y to worr y it at all. At the beginning of the trip, we were in IPFW for taking all different classes or discussion.

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Personal Feedback

Yi Pei Chen It’s a new experience, I found the education and life style here are ver y different from Taiwan, and I wish I can learn their strength and bring it back to change my country. The volunteers and professors are so kind that we felt embarrassed at that time.

Every city in America is different from each other and has their own life pace. As a student in design, I observed the appearance of city and people here for recording design elements. Moreover, we got a lot of assistance from alumni of NCKU, because of them, we visited many places where are not open to others. It is so grateful that every alumnus are will to provide chance for us and it enable me to think if I have ability in the future, I also need to help others.

At the end of this trip, we had chance to watch baseball game in New York, and it is so lucky that we met Taiwan night there. We heard Taiwan singer sing songs which we are familiar.

It was the first time I felt I was so proud of my country after meeting lots of Chinese people.

Foreigners and the diplomatic effort from our country during this three weeks. Though many people would want to go abroad for working or life, Taiwan still have many advantages and worth for us to make it better.

Time flies, a year just passed away in a moment. In this year, I nourished by NCKU Leadership Program for Future Elites. I learned a lot; think deeper and broaden my view by the courses in the semester and the visiting tour to United State in the summer vacation. Think of the words wrote in the application form a year ago.

The eager to learn new things, the expectation to know elites from different background, all these wonderings come true in the year.

Enterprise Concept, Global Trade are courses from business school. The style of learning is totally different from the engineering training I got before. The lectures and abundant group discussion made us become more familiar with the law, society, and international status. We learned how to negotiate, cooperate, communicate and express ourselves. We tried to put aside the thinking of engineering which pursues theorem, efficiency and efficacy, but look things through humanity and consideration. Also, we practiced to solve problems as a company, not only pursue the maximum of profit but also focus on corporate social responsibility. Project Management gave me the chance to contact Tobias Social Welfare Fo u n d at i o n , Ta i n a n . T h e opportunity let me have a glimpse on how a social welfare foundation w h i c h i s different from enterprise works in real society. At the meantime, we also use the resources and capability we had to

help mentally challenged youth. In the course of Leadership Skill, the teacher shared his various precious experiences with us. Even everyone has their own leadership experience and style, the teachers’words showed the way to becoming a better leader.

The project of Care Week is a pageant for physically challenged people and students from Leadership Program for Future Elites, Department of Physical Therapy and students from three high schools in Tainan. I had the opportunity to work with outstanding classmates and learned how to plan an event involving more than a hundred people. I hope every attendee of the workshop; the agency, physically challenged people and students are all benefited from the event. And the most importantly, we’ll know we should always be grateful and help others while we have so many resources and bless.

The English writing and oral class gave me great English training. I like the English oral class especially. Though there’s a lot of pressure at the beginning, I conquered the fear of speaking English at the end. The Humanities Lecture especially arranged by the dean of engineering opened a window to ancient sages, and help us think of the philosophy of life. Those lectures are really inspiring.

Three weeks visiting U.S. is the period that changes my life. In the journey, I understand the strength and weakness of Taiwan and see many things that we can learn from United States. I know more about myself through every talk with different people and being inspired by them.

I’m ver y appreciate NCKU College of Engineering for giving me the chance to see and learn from different aspects of the world, betting resources on us and nurturing our future. I will keep going and work harder, and one day I can be the one who can give resources to others and contribute to the world.

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Personal Feedback

Personal Feedback

Min Chiao Lin

“We need to know ourselves and know ourselves well to discover what we want to do.”

“Then how can we know ourselves?”

“Trying different things, discovering the differences between ourselves and others, and knowing how others see us are ways to know ourselves more.”

When it comes to address the whole-year study, these words has kept coming up in my mind. When I sent the application, I expected to make friends with people in different fields and to broaden my horizons. A year passed. I have not only seen more of the world but also known more about myself. This offers me to think more and think more deeply. It is more than I expected.

“I wish I could have applied the program earlier!”Although feeling the upset often, I am still glad that I applied at this term. The reason is the people I met, especially the classmates in this term. All of them have their advantage to learn. As Confucius said,“If I am walking with two other men, there must be a teacher among them each of them will serve as my teacher.”In this year learning, I have felt these words even more strongly.

The domestic courses and activities opened my sight I had not known. Simple and basic knowledge in the courses and the practice in the assignments allowed me to know about how to learn more advanced knowledge. Often, the assignments were the projects taking collaboration with partners. I found it highly interesting to observe how others looked for information and the logic in their arguments. It also made me think how the differences between us are made and how these differences played a role when expressing opinions and dealing with things.

In the case of the activities, thanks to the week of caring and the cooperation with Tobias Social Welfare Foundation, I have gained more but still limited understanding of social care. At this age and this identity, we often take too much from others and give too less from ourselves. I really appreciate these opportunities allowed me to learn to serve others and moreover, to realize that my serving can benefit myself indeed.

My memories of the activities are still clear. I remember when we were in the workroom of Tobias Social Welfare Foundation, the teacher lead the students with intellectual disabilities to meet us. A student gave me a piece of cookie to welcome me. A student shyly asked me to take a photo with her. They could easily laugh 64

and smile when we talked with them. Their smile warmed me up and has been memorized since. I remember the times we were holding activities in NCKU to promote the products made by Tobias Social Welfare Foundation. The students with intellectual disabilities watched our play and laughed and they expressed their admissions after the play. I remembered that every time discussing with the teacher or the social worker in the foundation, they would pay full attention on how to make things better and they always thanked us. We had worked hard to make Tobias Social Welfare Foundation more well-known. We hoped to help promote them and sell their products. However, we had got the warmth and strength they gave us without noticed. It is so true that you will harvest the most when you help others. I discovered that I am able to serve others because of them. That is extremely more than what I had helped them.

As for the oversea visit, I had the opportunity to see more. I heard different ideas from different people and units, and therefore I had the chance of self-reflection and discussion with others.

Among the things I have learned in the United States, there is one that I would like to share. It is“asking questions”.In the lectures in Taiwan, we rarely have chance to discuss with speakers and we are not used to thinking how to ask questions to get the information we want. In the interaction in IPFW, Prof. Yen once mentioned that conversation can be started by asking questions and responding. The method how to ask and discuss seems important. In the United States, I found the speakers did not think that they were“giving a lecture”but“discussing”. They encouraged us to ask, and ask more. A speaker once said,“The answers you want are obtainable only by asking a question. If you do not ask, it means that you are not able to get the answers that you supposed to get.”During the frequent asking, we could feel the speakers did care about each question and became more used to ask.

I deeply appreciate that I had this year of learning. And it has come to the time to end this year. I am thankful for the people who pushed and helped this program. I am thankful for every chance to learn and experience within this year. I am thankful for everyone who has learned with me.“The sky is the limit.”I remembered the conversation with Hallel, a volunteer in IPFW shared his learning attitude with me. He said that do not just think of doing or doing your best, think of reaching the requested level and excelling. These words have a profound impact on me. I believe I can motivate myself to be better.

Mei Zhen Su

"Leadership program for the future elites" is the place where I reflected on myself and grow the most. Here, people is the most valuable.

I have great admiration for their outstanding performances.

Excellences are not only shown in capability but also in attitudes and details of interaction with others. By learning from one another, we also make ourselves become better. I was confused the reason why I could enter this program many times because I thought I was not good enough compared to the others. I do not remember the impulse of sending application form at that time, but I can firmly say that I come to the right place.

In the courses we took in NCKU previously, I think the most important thing is that they trained our abilities of working with others. We cooperated with people who have different personalities, and we tried to do our best, contribute to our groups. Comparing to the other organizations that I have ever joined, this program is very different. I can see "passion" from everyone. Furthermore, it is my first time to see people have both great attitude and ability. Many members had lots of schoolwork and activities to deal with, but they could still be very engaged in what they could contribute to.

Especially in the courses of Project Management and Care Activity, there was deep voice in my mind that I believed as long as things are in charge by these members, then things will be done very well. I hope I can become a person like them!

The course of English Oral Training gave us opportunities to practices speaking English on stage. I realized that it was not easy at all.

How to speak fluently, logically and manage

the time well, are that we need to practice in all lessons. In addition, "critical thinking" itself is not an easy thing, it become even harder to let others understand and be convinced while using English. Those were what we learned from these class.

I have been abroad many times, so I did not think this trip in USA any special at the beginning. However, it was all beyond my expectation. It gave me quite precious learning experiences. Professor Yen hope this trip could inspire us like seeding and the seed may germinate one day, making contribution to our society. Perhaps we are not sure what we can actually bring huge difference to our society, but I know that we have such mission and also become a better person after this trip.

The previous days of our trip, I told my family that I already has some change, and maybe they will see a very different daughter when I come home. I usually believe that the things we experience in our life will become the energy of ourselves. Experiencing and thinking make us grow up and become a better person.

It is my first time that I contact so many people in short period of time, training us how to face social occasions. Besides, I care more about issues happened in our society and our world.

In addition, I deeply realized that language is a very important bridge between people. It can help us get the first- handed knowledges from others. Also, because of language, we are able to make friends more easily. I think, after this trip, maybe I will have several times of motive force in learning English. "USA" is a noun that leads the whole world. It is no more a far place, but a land that I have ever seen and walked on it. The most important is that the trip that gives me touching feeling and growth.

Having great gratitude to the members in elites program. In this year, we grew together and they made me reflect and recognize myself again. I believe we will all do our best, become a better person and continue to go toward our goal.

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Personal Feedback

Jane Chien

Attending the Engineering Leadership Program for Future Elites was meaningful for me. The program gave me the chance to take courses in different areas. It took a lot of efforts to take these additional courses, not to mention that we have spent much time searching for information, discussing in group, negotiating, and so on. However, the effort was worthwhile; it helped me acquiring some skills I lacked.

There were many chances to have discussions, and it was my favorite part of the program. It is cheerful to discuss with people who have many different thoughts and who are willing to share them. Once, we had to set a goal and to design the activity to achieve that goal.

Although our proposal was not adopted, the process was still enjoyable.

Through a yearlong learning, I came to the United States. In the first ten days, we stayed at the Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne. The dean of the engineering college, professor Yen, invited many great speakers to share their life and career experience.

In the classes, we sat in a rectangle, so we could see one another’s face and interact. When a classmate was asking questions, he/ she had to tolerate everybody staring at him/ her. We did not just listen but we had the chance to actively participate in the discussions.

Many of the speakers just introduced the subject briefly, and then we would ask them questions for one to two hours. No matter what the question was, the speakers would try their best to answer it. Even if there is no perfect answer, they still gave us many different kinds of thoughts.

The best thing, I thought , was the people with us. I learned a lot from the volunteers, professor Yen, and Mrs. Yen. The volunteers accompanied us without paid. After the classes in the morning, the volunteers drove their own cars to take us to a few places

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Personal Feedback

where we got the chance to get involved in local activities; so we could know more about the local culture.

Mr. and Mrs. Yen contributed a lot to the community. Although there is no fruition immediately, they said they hoped to bring some seeds of change to Taiwan, and maybe some of them would blossom in the future.

The most special experiences there were the welcome party and the farewell. We were not really familiar with attending this kind of formal parties, but we got the chance to be dressed up and learn to talk to professors or bosses. It also gave us the chance to train our social skills.

During the three weeks, we visited many universities. I found that practical work is important in higher education in United States.

However, we often spend much time dig into a theorem without putting it into practice in Taiwan.

This year, I had the chance to experience multiple ways of teaching, to inspire my vision, to widen my horizon, and to know a group of friends who were all so busy but still plunged into this program. It also gave me the chance to review myself, and to get to know what I want and who I want to become.

OU I-CHIA

As a saying goes, "The one thing that never changes is change!”Of course, we are always learning and changing in our life, and with changes come progress. Therefore, when people asked me,“Who do you want to be?”, and I always said,“I want to be a better person!”

H o w e v e r, I w a s a l w a y s b u s y i n p u r s u i n g t h e achievements of extracurricular activities and academic subjects before entering the Engineering Leadership Program, and I lost my passion about my academic life.

I really appreciated this chance given by Engineering Leadership Program because it made me change myself and reflect on my past life.

I had had courses here that are totally different from engineering for a year. They covered Business Strategy, Leadership, Dispute Settlement Mechanism of ECFA with WTO, Project Management, English Technical Writing and English Oral Training. Multiple courses inspired me in different fields, and I thought,“we should keep learning in these areas and develop self-learning ability because a great leader has to keep pace with the times to enhance new knowledge of multiple areas and cultivate macro perspective in order to gain a foothold in this changing tide and society."

“Elite are not only capable people but those who want to contribute to society.”I really appreciated this chance given by Engineering Leadership Program because it made me change myself and reflect on my past life. We served physically challenged people in Care Week and assisted St. Theresa Opportunity Center in developing and marketing new products.

It not only made me know more about social vulnerable groups but also made me feel satisfied mentally. Therefore, I deeply felt that“being a student can also make our society more positive and wonderful as long as we are willing to give more love to the edge of society.”

Flying out of Taiwan, over half of the Earth, I not only saw the academic achievements and cultural riches in big cities in the U.S. but also made me realize how the big world is!

Professor Yen arranged a variety of courses and topics discussed for us in IPFW, and from the speaking of lecturers, I found that educational model there is very different from Taiwan. The features,“Librar y, Originality, Independent Thinking, Thanksgiving and Feedback”, all gave me lots of encouragements and inspirations.

Besides, we had the honor of visiting many famous universities, labs and big companies in this trip; it really astonished me a lot! Therefore, I thought: “international perspective is inspired by discussing from different cultures and ideas, and realizing originality and operating mode of foreign businesses can largely expand my horizons."

I was deeply touched by all volunteers in the IPFW workshop; because of their selfless help and assistance, we could fulfill the wonderful“American Dream”successfully. They were very kind, enthusiastic and willing to share life with us; besides, their graceful speaking and optimistic attitude towards life are worthy of emulation.

Furthermore, I thank Professor Yen and Kasey for dedicating their efforts to this workshop very much. They arranged many courses, factory tours and everything related to our life in IPFW; therefore, I deeply realize that how many resources we have received, and I really appreciate being within the 12th Engineering Leadership Program. Experiencing lots of academic and business visit, meeting an ambassador in New York and communicating with senior alumnus in NCKU Alumni Association of New York, which all make me more confident to think about studying abroad or starting an enterprise in the future and that also make me get ready to face a variety of challenges more courageously.

“The best way to serve yourself is to serve others.”

After returning home, I will work harder and more humbly to learn. I hope that I can achieve the Professor Yen’s expectations and face the Leadership Program’s cultivation one day, and using my influence to make Taiwan a better place.

Now, when people ask me,“Who do you want to be?”again, and I think that I will say,‘I want to be a better person who can not only appreciate what he have received but also be willing to contribute to others!”

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Personal Feedback

Jingfei Yang

Owing to new technological advances, maybe it is impossible to repeat“Christopher Columbus discovers America”again in contemporary society.

However, for me, who first time stretch over the Pacific Ocean, the curiosity with new things and what I yearn is the same.

We have been surrounded by American culture since we were children, such as movie, music, food, sports, and even education. Besides the local culture we originally owned, we are also influenced by heritage of western civilization. We advocate freedom and pursue democracy, and make English as our second foreign language gradually. Therefore, I’m bursting with curiosity for the powerful country, United State, over the world. Hope that I can get over myself by this trip.

Before the trip, we had the training about leadership course such as the view of enterprise, how to be a leader, English oral, and etc. for a year. In addition, we had cooperation with companies. Hope to make some contribution to projects, and help them solve the problem at the same time. Then we held the activity, the week of caring, trying to devote ourselves to the society while getting the resource. During this year, we went through a couple of failure, however, we got familiar with each other by the teamwork. Thus it makes us get more confidence having a three–weektrip to America.

After the arrival to Chicago Airport, we went to IPFW (Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne). During the ten days, we almost have the same schedule which is the discussion courses in the morning and school or company’s visiting in the afternoon every day, except for weekends.

It is different from my college l i f e i n Ta i w a n .

I want to start from what we’ve already known.

The relationship between teacher and students is interactive in classes; furthermore, they 68

encourage students to interrupt them whenever students have questions. I think we heard the concept from elder generation who had studied aboard to America before. More and more courses in school is directed to the way gradually. Therefore, if we, students in Taiwan, are able to express our opinions enthusiastically, we won’t lose the students in western.

Due to the different environment, the students here are open, enthusiastic, and independent. They all have their own ideas. Volunteers who received us from IPFW are the good examples. When we need help, they always try their best to support, and find the greatest solution for us instead of brushing us off.

They are very patient to listen to us when we can’t not express ourselves fast by English, and reduce our pressure. We can find out easily that they aggressively look for the work or internship, in order to increase work experience and their superiority after graduating.

What they do now totally show their independent character. Therefore, each of them makes us impressive strongly.

During visiting the companies, I found that the difference from Taiwan is their concious of safety in addition to the production line, achievement and etc. Some corporation in Taiwan will use every kind of tricks to avoid the verification from the government for reducing costs. On the contrary, the safety facilities and rules are made with their heart. Even though we were only visiting within a couple of hours, the safety glasses are the basic. Moreover, how they treasure talented people and how they show their feedback to school make me have a feeling from the deep. In Taiwan, when it comes to employee training, it’s far behind enterprises’profit. However, I can see the respect they represent to school, and the importance they show for our visiting. In their opinion, students are the talented people in the future, and they are also the sign of the next generation, so they are willing to do the investment of cultivating.

It is my pleasure having the chance to America. I think I take a stride to inspire my wits.

Because of this plan in College of Engineering, I can not only see their culture and institutes but their ideology. Hope that I can bring my feeling here to my classmates in NCKU, or make some changes to make the island we live, Taiwan, get more respect over the world by this chance.

Youqi Lin

Courses at NCKU

We take a lot of courses during the whole year, including business view, leadership, project management, English technical writing, oral English that we can’t learn in our engineering department. After learning the knowledge, we broaden our horizon and use the knowledge to see the world. We know if we want to be a leader in the future, it isn’t enough to have professional knowledge. We need to learn widely and foster our soft skills. Most important of all, we should apply different knowledge to insight perspective of overall situation. The goal of courses which we take in the program doesn’t let us know the complete subject, instead, they make us know why the knowledge is important and give us simple concept of the subject. After that, we can learn the knowledge further on our own. Except for knowledge, we also did a lot of reports on the course. We apply the knowledge on our reports.

Especially, the course of project management, w e c o o p e ra t e d w i t h t h e o r g a n i za t i o n f o r disadvantaged minorities. We discussed with them to help them solve their problems. In addition, we held an activity for a group of physically challenged people by ourselves. We made a map containing accessibility of facilities in the campus. We took the physically challenged people to NCKU campus, and created activities for them. After they finished the activity, they brought huge smiles on their faces which make all of us feel full of gladness. In the summary, the courses and activities this year give me an opportunity to touch new and useful knowledge. Working with partners and training the ability to cooperate with others.

Personal Feedback

is excellent. If we can improve our ability of expressing, our competitiveness is quite enough.

During the courses in IPFW, we experienced the class in America. For example, on a three-hour course, lecturers would briefly introduce the topic for one hour, and then, students could ask questions for the next two more hours. I think it can make students get knowledge which they want and students can train their ability to express their thought by asking question.

W e a l s o v i s i t s o m e co m pa n i e s a n d universities, and I make some conclusion. The relationship between their education and industry is close. They will cooperate with each other.

Industry will tell the laboratory what they confront in their product, and the laboratory can focus on those problems to do their research. And industry also offers some interns for students, so that students can know what they are doing in the company. In universities, they encourage their student to start their own company. There is center of incubator helping their student start their own company.

In the summar y, the trip to the USA broaden my horizon, I get the opportunity to connect the students, companies and universities in the USA, so that I can know more about American culture. I’ll bring what I saw in this trip back to Taiwan. I hope I can influence people around me. I think this is the important goal of this trip.

Trip to the United States

On trip to the USA, we stayed in Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in Fort Wayne for the first two weeks. During the days, there were volunteers which were students in IPFW assisting us to deal with our daily life. By making conversation with them, we understand students in America. They are good at expressing their opinion. When they have problems, they’ll speak out. I think this is the skill Taiwanese students are lack of. On the other side, we pay more time on our studying, so our professional knowledge

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Jack Kao

How to define the word”Elite”is always a problem since the first human evolved. These people called elite can always connect to the word “Leadership”. I think this is why they call this program a cradle of future elite.

As an engineering department student, turning impossible issues into reality is our mission. This can be proved since the first human city Ur; Mesopotamia built ,the last keystone put on the Florence Cathedral; and the Burj Khalīfa stand in the dessert. Engineers give their life to their masterpieces, but they all get one thing in common—lack of training in leadership. This future elite program is here to train those who are believed to change the world. All the courses give us a new aspect of the college life. Those we once ignored are what we need besides our profession. The most impressive thing I learned during one-year-long program is the way to make a business model for the GE health care. This session based on a report once studied in Harvard EMBA. The seesion is about how to push over the GE health care system through the mainland China. To give born to this huge project, we spent nights in the school stuffed with meetings that seems never come to the end. During the days, I learned many things from my partners and the whole class. The first important element to deal with the program is team work. Without communications

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and negotiations, we can not get over the whole year courses.

The most interesting part of the program is the oversea workshop. It is a series of impact from citizens’lifestyle and education plan. First, I want to bit my appreciation to NCKU engineering department, IPFW and other kind people who show their selfless to help us step on our journey.

When it comes to the difference in life style, American show their high concerns to their surroundings. The United State is a free land, but the definition of freedom is the respect to others freedom.”No one knows when would their neighbors take up his riffle and shoot someone down,”told by a member of the NCKU Alumni.

Because of this emotion of fear, they tend to protect themselves by showing their concern to the others. The other point is the boundary of private and public. American children are told to show their respect in the public area while their room is absolutely their personal space. This kind of recognition builds a relatively organized society.

People in their mind know how to treat others when set in different environment. It is also a chance to speak of the respect to the professionals. According to the experience in IBM, we know they are forced to lay out a bunch of employees in the past few years.

Except for those replaceable assets, they keep their high end experiment institution, the brain of the whole company. This is what our local companies need to learn. The fact is that our huge business units tend to lay out more R&D expert to keep their producing lines working. Combining with premature business strategy, Taiwanese company falls into a cycle of losing core technology advantage and people who lead the group’s future. These are what I learned from talks with people during my living days in the USA.

Education problem is always a topic under critically debates. American Education system built on a value of“Trial and Error”. What they believe in is a faith that they will never make the same mistake again. American parents are willing to help their

children to develop their own interest and seldom ask children to abandon it because of school work.

Our education in Taiwan put more emphasis on” correct answer”, which result in our students refuse to create new idea. Taiwanese students are trained to be academic labors since their first day in the school.

Actually that’s why we are the best living calculator in the world but not the most creative engineers.

From the words, some may think our education is not as well as the United States, but the fact is not so simple. We can take a look in the formation of the population in the United States. It doesn’t seem like everyone is Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or any successful person we know. The truth is that the United States has a huge number of people from different cultures and races. If one out of a hundred is successful the whole number is much more than other countries around the world. How about the other 90% of population? They live in an averaged life as others.

For those who are not so fortunate, they are caught by drugs and violence groups. There are some voices which tend to follow the eastern education style in the western world. They find that some students get better performance under education bases on detailed teaching structures like those working in Japan, Korea, and of course Taiwan. What we have to do is not blaming our education environment, but try to strike the balance between eastern and western thinking pattern.

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Personal Feedback

Personal Feedback

Hung Shih-Jo

Sean Kung Preface

Life begins at the end of the comfort zone. It is incredible that I was admitted to the Future Elite Program in College of Engineering. I suspected that if I don’t have any elite trait inborn how to be fostered in one year. Before joining into this program, I was confined in my comfort zone of the chemical engineering. It is not going to change anything without courage. Think carefully, it is not whether you are an elite at the end or not, the most important is what you learned in this process. After this program, I found the element affecting me the most is the people who I met and exotic culture I experienced.

The people-Like-minded friends

Unlike the normal learning culture in school, every person has a great potential to become a leader in the future. Actually, we not only learned how to become a distinguished leader, but also learned how to be leaded.

T h e e l i t e c l a s s i s co m p o s i t e o f e v e r y department from different field of Engineer College, electrical engineering, chemical e n g i n e e r i n g , m e c h a n i ca l e n g i n e e r i n g included. This showed up interdisciplinary which is emphasized on teamwork in U.S. Through interaction with our classmates, we can brainstorm together, work together.

It is worth team working for presentation.

We not only learned from course, but also learning from each other to keep us moving forward continuously.

America dream- exotic culture

Whatever I learn or research, the information always comes from America.

Besides, we are also like to work in foreign company, like American enterprise. However, I don’t recognize the real American culture at all. Through a 3-weeks oversea workshop, the experience is priceless for students all 72

went through culture shock and to learn from successful people from totally different culture. The curriculum in IPFW(Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne) gave me lots of influence on the way they cultivated a future leader. We took some courses regarding U.S Government, women in leadership, diversity, Equality, Religion and so on. They did not teach us how to lead a group directly, rather than to involve a group discussion in every course indirectly observe how to guide a group move on. Excluded the classes, we also had some activities that we could interact with foreign friends in IPFW. From these experiences, it really widen our horizon and bring us some ideas.

Postscript

I will attend this program earlier when I have a chance again. It takes time to make a change. It made me understood that you have to fake it till you become it. Originally, I am just a nobody, and lack of confidence.

However, when you are pursuit of your dream or success, the one thing you need to have is confidence. It doesn’t matter whether I become an elite in the end. Eventually, I know the most important is not how many you learned, but what you did. I expect myself to make a positive feedback toward the society and contribute to the world.

It finally came to the end of the Leadership Program for the Future Elites.

From submitting application, preparing for the interview to receiving admission, they seemed just happened yesterday. Because I was interested in the courses that provided by the program and also the overseas workshop after the courses, I resolutely signed up for it.

In addition to attending class on time, it was project-discussing that took most of our time. We discussed on topics face to face, and then we edited online document together. Before our presentation, we spent time working on project integration, and held rehearsal repeatedly in order to present more fluently. I appreciated that team members felt free to express their own idea and were also good listeners. Real multifaceted communication can finally come to complete the results.

Besides, within the series of caring activities, I became one to be caed by the activities after a serious accident. I was frustrated, helpless to any activity, and in need of help. Soon I realized that caring is not only giving but also knowing real needs of the people you help.

Furthermore, in three weeks overseas workshop, I benefited from the courses, laboratories-visiting and factory tours that were arranged by Professor Max Yen’s group and us. The biggest change of me was raising hand to ask questions and expressing ideas in front of everyone. The biggest gain was within questions and answers. When listening to what American students said, we could tell the difference. In this way, we were able to put aside our prejudices and our inclination, so as to start thinking from other angles. In the conversation with Taiwanese students in America and American settled predecessors, we realized their hardships or reasons why they chose to stay in America. We also shared

recent condition in Taiwan, and it was not hard to notice that they were still care about Taiwan, even more than people who live in Taiwan.

In the beginning of the overseas workshop, there were a lot of problems in my mind hoping to be answered. At the end of the journey, I feel that puzzles were mostly solved. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who helped us or gave us tasks. Carrying the harvest that I had gained from this special program and fascinating workshops, it is time to embark on my own journey, and I will never forget the promise to go study abroad.

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Personal Feedback

Peter Yuan

I am glad to join the Elite Program.

In this year, I gained a lot besides my own field, urban planning, from the class about business management , English ability and the visiting in America.

And I am familiar with students from different department . Through the communication and interaction, it makes me be able to consider issues from more aspects of view.

In the lecture taught in NCKU, I earned more from the process during the discussion of reports in group work.

For example, I applied the knowledge o f p ro j e ct m a n a ge m e n t to h o l d a charity activity with Tobias Social Welfare foundation, and planned the future tactics of a company in the class of business management . Because operating the projects practically at the first time, we were immature in some details. We still do our best to complete them.

During the visit tour in America, the thing I enjoyed the most was the discussion in classes and in the trips. People talked about the cultural confrontation they experienced, future plans for studying abroad, and their dreams. With various points of view, we created new thoughts unceasingly. Some of us were preparing GRE and TOEFL, and some were going to study abroad for student exchange. I am still wondering how to plan my future career.

I also saw so-called“melting pot” in America. You can see people of various races and speak different language, especially in big cities. Once you are

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the people with professional skills and ability, you can find your own ways. They are like Mr. Yen and alumni from NCKU. In addition, I was impressed by the computer and information technology through the visit of Media Lab in MIT and Watson research center in IBM. They are on the edge of technology development.

It makes me understand the importance of interdisciplinary work, information and AI. With them, creative thoughts can come true and become the power to change the world.

At last, I appreciate all the people who assist the Elite Program. As a student in NCKU and Elite Program, we enjoy more and better resources than other people. We are responsible for giving back the society what we learned and took. I expect that in the near future, the knowledge and the thoughts bear in our minds will gradually make us grow up to elites of the society.

Chi Ching Hsu

This project gave me lots of va l u a b l e k n o w l e d ge , fo r e xa m p l e , different way to live, to think and to love.

Different kind of courses in Taiwan made us know more about this world.

Not only learn about our major subject, but also others. For example, business, economic, and so on.

The most important thing that I realized is education. It is really lucky that we had a change to study in IPFW for two weeks. In general, most of the campuses in U.S. are fabulous, not only the classrooms, dorm rooms, or even the stadiums. Furthermore, interaction and asking question are two parts that I want to emphasis.

When we had lectures in U.S., most of the speakers gave many questions to students. They tried to engage all of people in the classroom, so that every students can follow the path of speakers. If there were anything ambiguous, students would raise the question at the same time. No matter what question students asked, speaker always complimented students on their questions. Thus, students built their confidence and they won’t afraid of asking questions. After the question, speaker answered those questions full of passion, and they always make sure their answer make sense to student or not.

T h e m a j o r i t y o f st u d e n ts i n Taiwan follow the same path from kindergarten to university, they share similar characteristics. If anyone wants to try different ways, he or she will face sarcasm from the society. However, it

seems to be really common in U.S. that everyone has their own path of growth and living. Many people we met in U.S. experience various life paths.

P e o p l e i n Ta i w a n a l w a y s concerned about trivial, insignificant things, and they don’t like to change.

They said:“We did these before, so you need to do it as well.”Even if there is another better way, or may exist better way. They used this as the reason why they don’t want to change. ”The only thing that never changes is change.”

Modern world changes constantly, knowing yourself and trying new things are two ke ys to follow this rapidly changing world.

In conclusion, I met a group of outstanding people in this project.

Moreover, I know more about myself.

Looking deep inside my heart and trying to figure out who am I.

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Personal Feedback

Chiao Yu Chiang

Domestic courses:

In the year of future elite program, the courses mainly divided into two parts, one was domestic training, and the other was oversea workshop. Domestic training was designed for us to broaden our horizons who always focused on our engineering specialty. To learn how to think outside of box and knowledge was the goal of this series course. Although I was always exhausted, I took classes in daytime, had training courses at night and discussed some homework after the courses. However, it brought me to learn a lot. No pain no gain. I did finish some small achievement and learned precious knowledge. For example, in classes of Enterprise View, teacher said that to create fortune is to discover new commercial pattern. In classes of leadership showed the difference of leader and manager.

Besides the designed courses, we also planned an activity called week of social care. It helped us look for method to help the people in need. The most precious part in this activity is that we put contacting the people in need, experiencing the inconvenience physically challenged people facing every day and taking brain storm to figure out what we can do for them. This series of activities led us to care the need and think what we can do for them. We not only feel and see the problem but also try to solve it. That is the most precious parts in this activity.

Oversea workshop:

Workshop is quite different from traveling. Enterprise touring, discussing serious topic with local student and learning experience from professor a n d Ta i w a n e s e in America are n o t l ea r n e d f r o m t ra v e l i n g . H e n ce ,

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thank everyone who gives us a hand to recognize USA in different angle.

I find the most different point between Taiwanese company and American company is that American company is willing to help university and students. They give touring for students for free and encourage students to ask questions as many as they can. They regard students as future property.

Introducing their company to students can enhance students’understanding on industry as well as strengthening students’willingness to work for their company. Furthermore, asking not only strengthen students’ability on finding problem but also give the company a chance to rethink their products to find blind spots.

Professor Yen always emphasizes the importance of roles we wanting to play in our society in this workshop and connecting with others in this workshop. This idea inspires me to wonder what I really want to do and invest my whole life to realize that dream. After I told with local students, I find that every student interns in their summer and winter vocation in order to find what they can apply knowledge learned in school. However, I am not sure what I really want to do. I believe that I asking the life all the time, and life would figure out the way someday.

In the workshop, there was a class that Taiwanese in America shared their experience. I do like the idea that they want to give a hand to make Taiwan better wherever they are. One of them is professor Yen. He told us he would like to go back to Taiwan when he is fifty years old. He wants to share his experience and help Taiwan. After I heard this, I make my mind to learn hard and serve other as much as I can. That is just the same as professor Yen said every one need to think about what we can do in the future for the society.

I think the most important thing I learned in this journey is that knowledge is infinite and serve others. There are two sides in every question. We could learned the pro side and deliberate the con side. If everyone helps others and seizes the chance to better life, society would get better.

Joanie Liu

During the Future Elite Program, I am glad I can have a chance to touch the fields other than engineering. The program is divided into two parts, which are intramural training courses and oversea courses. We not only learned a lot in intramural courses which were different from classes in our department, but also cooperated with people in different fields. We learned how to conquer difficulties when cooperating. I believed it is helpful in future career after having this kind of experiences. We went to the U.S. to see their culture and enterprise. It was really a precious opportunity to go oversea. We compared Taiwan with United State to see how we can change our society. The main goal of this program is to cultivate the leader in the future to improve the economic and social situation of Taiwan.

The intramural courses gave me a lot of knowledge I have not learned before.

For instance, one of classes was project management . We cooperated with some organization to do the project. The instructor was from an enterprise and his work was project manager. Our group was to help De-Lan, which is charitable organization, promote their products and improve their advertisement on Internet. We even established the online store to sell their products. During the project, I knew how the enterprise manages the projects and some professional system of project managing.

We applied some in our project, but faced the difficulties during that time. I am glad we had chance to touch this field and not only finished one project, but also help the people in need.

Besides the business classes, we also had some literature, international, and English training classes. I thought the most useful class was the English speaking. I practiced impromptu speech, debate, and etc. These kinds of training made me feel free to use English in daily lives.

It was worth to spend time on these abundant courses.

The oversea courses made us to

experience multicultural lives in U.S.. We also learned their thinking and the culture differences comparing to Taiwan. In first two weeks, we went to the IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne) to take many classes which we did not have in Taiwan. I learned the strong concept in the mind of US people which was serving people. They believe that serving people can connect with each others, and make a better world. I want to bring this concept back to Taiwanese school, enterprise, and society. In the third week, we went to Boston and New York to visit some famous universities, for example, MIT, and some enterprise like IBM. When we went to IBM research center, we understood their latest research. In addition, the more important thing is communicating with people there. I think we can improve how we expressing our thought, sharing with others, and then cooperating.

All of this program made my goal much clearer and let me see my drawbacks. I hope that I can take all the things I learned from this program into my future work. Though facing many difficulties, I'll still want to try to change something to make our society better and better.

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Personal Feedback

Felisa Liang

After one year of the courses of this p ro g ra m , t h e f i e l d s i n c l u d i n g q u a l i t y o f humanism, business model and language, we can reach the content different from what we usually learn in the college of engineering. These courses inspired us to develop broder thinking and view things in different aspect.

The place we visited this time is America, which is called“culture melting pot”. I had many expectations to experience multiple cultures there before this trip. And the fact is that we do meet many different people, experience the different culture at different place. The diversity we learnt really valued a lot.

I want to mention the interview of the Future Elite Program one year ago especially.

The interviewer asked about why do I want to participate in this program? I answered with the most ordinary way, to”broaden my horizons”.

The interviewer said,”It’s weird. How come everyone says this word today?”But, this is indeed my original intention, and also it is the thing that I gained the most after this trip.

During the conversation with the Taiwanese faculty working in IPFW, the seniors in alumni association and Professor Yen, a saying like this comes up frequently,“Taiwan is a small island, it is necessary to go global to see a bigger and wider world for young people.”It is hard to accept it, but the truth is undeniable. Visiting the school like Har vard and MIT, knowing what they are doing. Those creative and crazy ideas that only exist in our mind someone is already making effort on it and moving forward fast. Used to stay in the comfort zone and feel satisfied with what I have done, after this opportunity, I discovered my own weaknesses.

Rethinking how to foster a proper attitude to stride toward the future and knowing how to make change.

A particularly special experience is to visit the family of one of the volunteers, James. His family is Amish. The Amish are known for simple

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living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology.

They usually discontinue formal education at eighth grades. It is rare to study in the university for them like James. This way of life seems to be contradictory to what we want to seek in America. We pursue excellence and advocate competition and individualism. On the contrary, Amish value the collectivism and collaboration, avoiding the material life. The difference seems to be huge, but all of us are chasing the desire in our heart essentially. I think it can be extended to the so-called success; the definition of success depends on your own. Doing the right thing that you want to achieve can be called as success, no matter it is big or just a small thing.

Furthermore, we accepted a lot of helps during this trip, especially the support from Professor Yen. He shared his course of his schooling, and the reason why he try to continue this program. After receiving such a great help from him and any other we met in this trip, hope I can also have abilities to contribute and help others.

At last, the gain is not only from the courses we took or the trip abroad as I mention above, it is precious to meet with a group of great and ambitious people who can motivate you to become better and pluck up the courage to chase your own dream.

Amelia Jong

Fu t u re E l ite P ro gra m o f E n gin e e rin g College has been running for twelve years. It is an opportunity for students to learn with other students from different majors and even from different ages which is extraordinary in all colleges in Taiwan. The meaningful experience and journey to me have made huge impact to my entire life.

Last year, attending the program gave me a chance to learn from different aspects and get along with people who are not major in the architecture. By cooperating with people with different backgrounds, I learned more ways of thinking and methods to deal with things. The most precious thing I received in this year is to build an open mind and expand my horizon. I am sure that I have learned will make me a better person and have more flexibilities and abilities to face all kinds of situations in the future.

The most unforgettable experience for me when we were taking courses in NCKU was to make a negotiation about Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). It was not a personto-person conversation, but we, 30 college students, had to act as two governments, which represented Taiwan and China, to deal with political and economic issues. Therefore we had to separate into two groups. To reach the greatest advantage and profits of our own group, we had to study the laws about the issue and tried to figure out the current situation between China and Taiwan.

It was not a hard part of the whole thing but how the discussions were going through.

During the process, classmates showed their different thoughts, all kinds of points of view about the issue. It

reflected different values that people concerned.

We had to make a guideline of our team and clarified our belief to make sure we were able to defend ourselves with the same statement when making the negotiation with the other group. On the other hand, to be more active in the meeting of our own group, I had to speed up my thinking process and learn to understand information quickly in order to follow the discussion. I even tried to make it more efficient so we could get a more effective and precise solution to defeat our opponents. Through the training, I found myself made progress in expressing my own statement clearly and thinking sharply, deeply and precisely at the same time. All the skills I improved make me feel more confident. In the one-year program, there were many chances to collaborate with others, which made me feel easier to enjoy working with different people and learned more about how I could act in a group.

There is a saying that“there is always someone to learn from.”When I got along with different people from all kinds of ages and backgrounds, I could always learn something new from them. Not only those partners in this Future Elites Program, but also the college students and people in Indiana － Purdue university in Fort Wayne (IPFW) who we met in the journey, are also important for me to broaden my world. By having the experience and culture shocks, I look back not only to myself but also the whole society in Taiwan, trying to figure out the more possibilities and opportunities for the future.

In the three-week visit in the U.S., I had a chance to explore the world, preventing myself from confined in the small island, Taiwan. I have seen many beautiful landscapes in the journey; however, it does not mean that we could merely admire other cultures and countries. It is about the reviews and reflections of our own. By adjusting and learning from the past, We have to figure out how to play our role on the international platform, but also remain our spirits of Taiwan.

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Roy Huang

In this year, I have learned many skills and knowledge. The most important thing I have learned is teamwork. In this program there are many chances to cooperate with other classmates and modified myself to fit the group. The most important class for me is project managing class.

We separated into several teams to do some projects. Our project is to serve Tobias Social Welfare Foundation, which is aim to help mentally and physically challenged people. In the process, my team members and I had many quarrels.

I didn’t deal with it very well and the result of the first check point turns out bad. After the first check point, I change my way to run the project.

Stopping getting involved in every detail make every member had freedom to finish the task. At last, we successfully raised some money for Tobias and made community know this foundation.

In the three weeks in U.S., I had conversations with many students, professors, company managers, and entrepreneurs. From their talk, I found many things that Taiwan should learn. For instance, Taiwanese think university education is to train students’professional skills.

So, professors in Taiwan teach students very hard.

The information flows in students’mind every day.

When it comes to professional knowledge college students in Taiwanese are better than students in U.S. since the knowledge that Taiwanese students learn in college is postgraduate course in U.S.

Even though Taiwanese students are good at professional skill, we are lack of competitiveness in global market. What makes U.S. students become a good brand in international human resource market? What is missing in Taiwanese education? From this experience I think the key is the difference of definition of high education. In their eyes, high education is building students’ personality and teaching them to be a human instead of focusing on building skill. A young person needs many personalities to be mature.

Teamwork, spirit of ser ving, independence, proactive...etc. these are the goal of U.S. high education.

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The ways to build personalities are not only classes but also arrange learning process into every activity in the college. Designing the whole environment to make students have chances to solve problems by themselves and the experiences will be their power in the future. When students have the same experience, the culture is finally established. For example, MIT students they really like to do great hacks. School won’t punish anyone if no one gets hurt. This culture makes MIT students very practical and follows the motto of MIT- Mens et Manus.

In this experience of elite group, I think cooperation is very important to me, because every education program is to building individual capability in Taiwan. Every person around you is competitor. But individual power is limited in international economy. Teamwork is so important that every manager we have met in U.S. said that the first ability they consider is teamwork.

However, there are not many students have the chance to involve the program. Students graduated from NCKU are always appreciated by great ability of teamwork. I think we should go deeper in this culture and make NCKU students build the ability of teamwork more systematically. Finally NCKU students can true elites in international market.

Cheng Hsuan kao

During a year, thirty students who come from different departments collaborated to finish their course and prepared for their workshop in the USA. There is a saying that the value of knowing a person is ten thousand dollars and one hundred thousand dollars for knowing an outstanding person.

Here, I learn how they deal with the problems they met, how they arrange their time, and their attitude toward everything. Therefore, I am really satisfied with my choice that I decided to attend this leadership program. Most importantly, I have earned one more million dollars for my life since I finished the course.

Standing on the USA again, I still felt nervous and excited. But, this time, I was no longer a visitor, not for fun and even not for enjoying my summer vacation. Changing the attitude and the life goal I, as one of the members of leadership program, had to spend three weeks visiting couple of companies, famous schools and institutions.

We are ready for the challenges we are going to encounter. Just like what we always do, as the leadership program students.

Actually, I was really struggling for whether I should study abroad after graduating before I go to the USA. I may choose to work in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturer Corporation (TSMC), the biggest semiconductor company in Taiwan if I did not attend the leadership program. However, during this visiting tour in the USA, we are so lucky that we have the chance to have discussions with the successful people who grew up in Taiwan and then studied and worked in the USA. Mr. Wu, who has worked in the USA for more than 40 years, said that there is no permanent success or failure. We should“change”as the society changes. We can never predict what the society will be in the next couple decades.

We are afraid of facing the challenges or even change. Prone to do what we are familiar

with and what we are good at. Not wanting to try and change in order to avoid inconvenience and embarrassment. That is why we hesitate to change our boring life, and language might be one of the barriers. Ironically, as Taiwanese, we have been learning English for a long time. We even achieve brilliant scores in certification exams. However, we are not willing to speak English, nor do we want to visit places where we can only use English to communicate with others. Jimmy Yen said that language barriers do exist but it is temporary. What we should remember is that we should be involved in group activities, and most importantly, learn how to deal with other people. By doing so, we can overcome not only the language barrier but also culture barrier.

We should keep in mind what the speakers have said, and tr y to push ourselves to tr y different things to be successful. Make sure we are accumulating the right experience and walk on the right path, as well as talking to mentors and learning from them. Ultimately, we will be the ones who embrace success.

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Brian Ho

It is my pleasure to attend National Cheng Kung University Elite Program, the course included English Writing, International Prospective, Issue Debate, Project Management and Leadership. The courses are different from the engineering department, by the diversity course, can cultivate the knowledge different from our professional field. In the process of the class, we learn how to cultivate the independent thinking, learn how to solve the problem, all can help us to plan our future life and life career.

America visiting is the most important to me, and it impacts me a lot. The first two weeks, we went to IPFW (Indiana University, Purdue University, Fort Wayne) to learn the issue course discussion. In the process of the class, I found the professors in America guided us how to think about the issue, and think in different horizon , the answer of the question may not only one.

I appreciated Dean Yen, who plan our America visiting in IPFW, gave us some lectures, which we never learn in Taiwan. He always told us who is your role model? What is your life goal? What do you want to do in the future? Also, he asked everyone to ask questions, to express your own thinking. Taiwanese students lacked of asking question in the class. Furthermore, we spent some times thinking what we gain a day.

We went to some companies and university visiting, Zimmer, which produce the prosthetic replacement for joint, also matched to my biomedical engineering field, to learn how to produce the prosthetic and ask some questions, in the future, it may be a choice and opportunity to work in Zimmer

I spent some times on what is the difference between Taiwan and Americastudent, culture, lifestyle, food and prospective.

The volunteers took us to farm to experience the life in the farm, which I only saw on TV in my childhood. Amish impressed me a lot; they

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always lived by themselves with using minimum electronic product. I also found the students are nearsighted. It may results from that they have many group activity and get close to nature.

We also went to Sky Zone, played Frisbee and baseball in the park, and saw the minor league baseball game. During the game we were also on the big view screen for the kiss cam, what a nice experience. The volunteers also took good care of us such as the plan, food, extracurricular activity and so on, because of that we can realize their life style and what they think in short time. I asked myself, if one day when they come to Taiwan, what can we treat them?

We also went to Chicago, Boston and New York, to visit their company and college. I hope I will face up with everything in humble in the future, express my concept bravely, know how to make friends but do not forget that how to be a person with humble and will not be replaced by others.

Finally, I appreciate that I can join this elite program in Taiwan and America, I have many think in the future, I hope the world can change because of me.

Alan Yu

The reason why I join the elite program is to learn new stuffs besides my expertise. After graduating from the program, I am glad I made the right choice.

The program includes interdisciplinary courses, like marketing, global business and leadership development.

These courses are very different from what I’ve learned.

We need to work on a specific problem, and find the solution for it. For instance, in the Project Management course, we need to solve the problem for a public transport company. The company wants to make the most use of their bus during their idle time. It’s really challenging for me to deal with the problem like this. It’ s a REAL problem, and must find a good solution. Thanks for my teammates and wonderful teamwork, we finally came up with some good ideas.

Besides courses, the most valuable asset is social network. I met many outstanding friends from different background and ages. Through group works, I am really surprised that some of my group members have deep understanding on global economy and business knowledge. It’s really interesting to work with people from different area. I’ve learned to communicate efficiently and look things in different aspect. In the Marketing course, we made a research on GE’s Six Sigma policy, which is about globalization and customers conduct business. For me, it’s a brand new task and really hard to understand even a word.

But after reading several data and reports, I finally can roughly realize why they did such innovative decision.

Though at last I am not able to join the America trip with my classmates, I am still happy to meet every one of them.

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Personal Feedback

Ricardo Mingot

I am a foreign student from Haiti, a small island in the Caribbean Sea, and I am a big sport fan and an avid reader of 19th century French literature.

T h i s p ro g ra m wa s a memorable learning experience. Right from the start we had the chance to learn a great deal about subjects that are not part of our respective curriculums such as WTO, Leadership, etc‌ but that are undoubtedly of significant importance for future professionals. We mostly had to think and analyze; and there was a rather relaxed atmosphere which made this program e ven more interesting and enjoyable. I must say that the class that left the strongest impression on me was the Oral English class for which I served as TA. We had very spirited discussions that allowed us to know and understand each other better. But, for me, the most memorable day

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of the whole program was certainly when we organized a quite engaging activity for a few physically impaired people along with some high school students. We had snacks, we played a few games and we tried to find ways to improve the overall design of wheelchairs and facilities destined to people with disabilities. That activity brought the feeling that it only took a little effort to make a difference and to have a positive impact on people around us, even for a single day.

Tom Lin

This program was a great learning experience for me. Frankly, it is a program that teaches you things that you do not learn anywhere else, such as our department. I believe the best part of this program is the social networkng. I got to meet amazing people in this program that all exel in their respective fields and gave me really good insight, whether on life or career realted matters. Speaking about social networking, we got to meet wonderful and successful alumni’s from our program that gave us top tips for our career.

This program pushed us to become more interesting and better prepared individuals with the courses that were offered. For example, we took courses on entrepeneurship and leadership that required us to give presentations and write papers. Some of the projects were tedious but it taught me a great deal. For one of the class, we had a

mock meeting where one side acted as China and the other side acted as Taiwan for the ECFA agreement. I believe that the program was well planned because they gave us a whole range of course that truly taught us to be the future elites.

The y did not only focus on leadership, but also on English skills, which taught us how to give presentations and write resumes.

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Suggestion

Suggestion

Preparations for the Leadership program --The Leadership Program has turned to the 13th term and has been managed by several terms of dean and principal. Professor Yen thinks it is necessary to revise and reconsider how the program has been running in NCKU. (Domestic training in courses and the core value of the program) --The preparation of the oversea visit should be started half a year before or even earlier.

The confirmed list of oversea visit students needs to be announced half a year before the oversea visit. The examining mechanisms can take the performances in the first-semester courses into account. This can help to book airline tickets and make hotel reservations in advance.

--The work---including administration work, budget confirming, communication and arrangements with different visits---should be shared with everyone.

The workload for everyone should be as equal as possible so as to ensure all the classmates have enough knowledge about all the arrangements in oversea visit.

--There should be more connection among different terms of the Leadership Program, especially among the adjacent terms. The connection should not merely be the knowing on the Internet; instead, the direct interchange is very important. Sharing the experiences can double the efficiency of the preparation work.

- -W e h o p e t h at e v e r y te r m ca n a rc h i v e t h e information completely and in detail to pass on the experience and the information. For the contact information and the visit information, it is best to record the preparing process and the reasons of the final decision as the references for other terms in need in the future.

--We can offer the brief costs of the oversea visit this terms to make it easier to evaluate the budgets in the future terms.

It is suggested to read the suggestions in the reports of past terms so as to learn their experiences.

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Orientation before the oversea visit --There should be formal orientation before departure. It is suggested to invite the principal and dean to host the orientation. The participation of the principal and dean can make the students to realize how great the responsibility they are taking in the visit -.to let all the students hold the fact that the main purpose of the oversea visit -to know the cultural differences and international etiquette in advance --Connect with the domestic courses and sharpen the abilities related to self-expression such as deportment, self-introduction, and oral English.

After the courses of the workshop and the visits are decided, it is suggested to collect the relevant information and practice discussing them in English so that the students can learn more at the oversea visit.

Public Relation Team --In addition to the gifts for the contacts on the list, there should be some more in reserve.

The certificates of appreciation can print 3 copies more.

--The cards of appreciation and gifts should prepare more. We can confirm the situation of the visit---such as the numbers of the guides in a visit unit---in the contacting procedure and evaluate the amounts.

--Though the visits in IPFW are arranged by Prof. Yen, and they are all voluntary to accept our visiting. It is still necessary to give the certificates and cards to show our appreciation.

--In additional to the gifts from the college of engineering, it may be better to make some meaningful gifts such as handicrafts or hand-made cards for the volunteers in IPFW to show our sincere appreciation.

--Since we are the representatives of NCKU and Taiwan as well, we may bring the school banner

and national flag in order to take photos at some be settled before the oversea visit. occasions such as the meal with alumni association.

The week of visiting program IPFW --It is suggested to decide the visit units in the --The transport costs of the every-night activities week of visiting program in December, to send the should be covered by all the students instead by the request letters after New Year's Day, to arrange and volunteers in IPFW. coordinate the schedule before the middle of May. --It is suggested to interchange with the volunteers in The time from the middle of the May to the departure IPFW before the oversea visit. Therefore, the students is the buffer period. can be familiar with the local life faster after they --The arrangement of the visits and lunch meetings arrive in the United States. should consider the restrictions of the locations --The amount of the food offered in IPFW can be and the working hours of the tour guide and the lessened to 70% to avoid wasting. It is needed to call driver. The arrangements should not be too full in many preparation meetings with IPFW to discuss the the schedule in case that the detailed visit and deep work within the two-week workshop. The workload understanding are excluded. should be divided by our students and the volunteers --The visit units are more specific to some certain in IPFW. majors this time. It may be more fields included.

There can be more professional questions prepared IPFW(courses and visits) for the factory visit by the students studying relevant --It is suggested to discuss with IPFW about the majors. issues and form of the discussion and the enterprises to visit in the two-week workshop.

Other matters needing attention --Instead of private chatting and semi-formal --The security is the priority! The moving between understanding of their cultures, we hope to have different events should avoid dispersing of the group formal courses to know their learning cultures in and running on the road. The arrangements of depth. For the issues discussed in the courses, we events should not be too tight because there should should have enough understanding and learning be some time reserved as buffer time. about the situations in Taiwan so that we are able to --Moreover, the arrangements of transportation and express more. moving should take the students' physical situation --The form of the courses may include doing projects into account. Be on time. The announcement of time with the students in IPFW. Through using their tools and place to gather should be repeated before the and resources, teamwork, and discussion, we can group disperses so as to ensure that everyone has it further experience the differences between the clear. students in the United States and us. We hope to --The passports should be carried with the students. know the visiting schedules in IPFW in advance.

The voice volume in the hotel rooms should be noticed and controlled to avoid disturbing other Travel agency travelers.

--It is suggested to assign someone to specifically be --The sleeping habits, such as the intolerance of in charge of the arrangements and communication snoring, can be surveyed in advance to help arrange with the travel agency. Also, the details of the the rooms. Some daily necessaries can be brought arrangements in the week of visiting program should by ourselves such as the tableware in IPFW.

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第 12 屆工學院新世紀領袖菁英培育班 // 美國行分組 //

帶隊老師 邱繼正

總副召 徐翊捷 林士傑

參訪組 陳畇綸 林佑齊 袁培倫 黃郁揚 高翊庭 許祺景 劉俐君 郭丞軒 龔俊豪 梁品筑

作者

執行編輯 校稿編輯 美術設計

公關組 李啟民 黃齡儀 楊靜妃 陳宜珮 何政育 洪詩柔 江喬昱 鐘予萱 簡嘉貞 歐易佳 林敏巧 蘇美甄 紀錄組 黃奕穎 黃玟慧

// 成果報告書編撰 //

全體第 12 屆工學院新世紀領袖菁英培育班成員 黃玟慧

黃郁揚 林敏巧 洪詩柔 江喬昱 黃奕穎 陳宜珮 林士傑 陳畇綸 鐘予萱 梁品筑

黃玟慧

NCKU Engineering Leadership Program for Future Elites 成功大學工學院菁英培育班 粉絲頁 https://www.facebook.com/NCKU. Elites.Program?pnref=story

Gratitude ▪ Belief ▪ Vision