The Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs held the “2024 Academic Year Student Study Abroad Flag Presentation Ceremony” on June 25 at 2:30 PM in the Activity Center. A total of 391 students from 11 departments will be studying abroad as exchange students in 25 countries and 111 schools. The event was attended by President Huan-Chao Keh, Vice President for Administrative Affairs Chun-Hung Lin, Vice President for Academic Affairs Hui-Huang Hsu, first-level supervisors of various academic units, department chairs of the students going abroad, 260 students going abroad, and over 70 parents. Distinguished guests such as Chu-Lien Yen, Minister on Home Assignment from the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Eduardo Euba Aldape, Director General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Kouta Ouchi, Director of the Cultural Affairs and Public Relations Department, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association; and Ms. Aurélie Jobert, French Language and Publishing Affairs Officer of the French Office in Taipei (Bureau Français de Taipei), also attended to offer their encouragement and blessings.

President Keh first congratulated the students who are about to study abroad on obtaining this rare exchange opportunity, wishing everyone a joyful departure and a safe return. He explained that globalization is the foremost of Tamkang University's Three Objectives of Education, reflecting the university's commitment to this goal. Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, significant achievements have been made, and the university will continue to move forward in this direction, enhancing students' professional abilities and promoting diverse cross-cultural learning. During the flag presentation ceremony, the students going abroad took turns going on stage, where the flags were received by the Dean of International Affairs, Dr. Chien-Mu Yeh, and the respective department chairs. Friends and family members who attended the ceremony eagerly took out their phones to capture this memorable moment.

Chu-Lien Yen, Aurélie Jobert, and Kouta Ouchi congratulated each student on their study abroad opportunities and encouraged them to bravely step out of their comfort zones, enjoy the enriching and wonderful experiences that studying abroad brings, while learning about different cultures and broaden their horizons, also introduce Taiwan to the local community to enhance its visibility and recognition. Ms. Yen motivated the students with the words, “Life is like a book, you are the only author,” inspiring them to create beautiful memories of their own. Returning exchange student representative, Ju-Chi Cheng, a senior in Banking and Finance, shared their experience studying in Japan last year. She emphasized the importance of setting goals and directions, reminding everyone, “Don’t overthink – just move forward and seize every opportunity to enrich yourself.”

The junior representatives about to study abroad, Yi-Chen Yao from the Department of Spanish and Yun-Yun Chien from the Department of International Business, are facing everything with a mix of excitement and nervousness. They hope for a safe and successful year-long study abroad journey, viewing it as a great opportunity to broaden their horizons and international perspectives. They expressed their gratitude to the school’s teachers for providing them with this learning opportunity and to their parents for their support. In his speech, Dr. Chien-Mu Yeh explained that the junior year study abroad program is one of the concrete manifestations of Tamkang University's globalization efforts. He noted that it is a source of pride for the university to see the growth in students when they return from abroad each year. He emphasized that the university would continue to work hard in promoting internationalization, contributing to the connections between Taiwan and the world.

Ms. Chang, a parent at the ceremony, expressed her pride in her child’s decision and hoped this opportunity would broaden their worldview. “With such a rare opportunity to study abroad, I believe they will learn many new and different things.” Ms. Hsieh thanked the school for its thoughtful arrangements, which allowed her to feel at ease sending her child abroad. “The most important thing while being abroad is to stay safe, and I hope they can fully enjoy both their studies and daily life.”

SDGs #SDG04 Quality Education #SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities #SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals

---