(Me enjoying a sunny day at our beautiful campus in Sanxia. Jan, 2022)

Moving alone to a foreign country to start a new chapter of your life can be an extremely rewarding yet so intimidating experience. Leaving your whole support system of family and friends back at home and starting over a completely different life in an unfamiliar environment is terrifying. I know exactly how you feel. Trust me. I’ve been there. The excitement and the anxiety…

Fast forward to two years ago, I was working full time, and like many other young professionals trying to make their way in the corporate world, I was pinned down to a 9 to 5 lifecycle. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job back then, but something was definitely missing. I wanted to explore, and I wanted to grow.

Choosing Taiwan and applying to NTPU was such an easy decision for me. I am from the coldest capital city in the world. Who wouldn’t want to trade long, cold days with Taiwanese tropical weather? The convenient living environment in Taiwan and its beautiful nature were definitely among the top three reasons I chose Taiwan to pursue my higher education.

(This picture was taken last September while I was on a trip to Penghu island with my friends. You wouldn’t believe your eyes when you see the beauty of this island. Astonishingly beautiful.)

           Studying at NTPU not only allowed me to grow academically but also helped me to take a moment for myself and understand my true capabilities as an individual. My years at NTPU really helped shape my firm beliefs, values, and professional ethics. I believe our education should not be measured by academic achievements only, but rather by how we dedicate our knowledge to critically address broader issues and effectively engage in solving real-world problems. Just last year, I took the Financial Ethics class, where we discussed pressing environmental and sustainability issues in depth. Under the guidance of our professors (professor Huang Chi-Jui and professor Chih Hsiang-Lin), we were able to understand how we, as MBA students, can contribute to solving these issues through our ethical professionalism in the future when we get back to the work field. I was thoroughly impressed by how the International College of Sustainability Innovations at NTPU has shifted beyond singular academic disciplines and effectively designed its programs to prepare professionals capable of looking at the bigger picture of issues in the rapidly changing world. I can assure you that participating in the well-designed courses while exposing yourself to a diverse international student community will help widen your perspective on many issues and let you see the world through different eyes.

(After a lecture by former Chairman of SinoPac Holdings, Mr. Ong. Jan, 2021

We often had guest lecturers from various fields to discuss about real world cases.)

As I said before, studying abroad can be extremely rewarding yet so challenging. Life throws obstacles your way only to make you get over it stronger than ever. My days at NTPU have not always been sunshine and rainbows. There were definitely some days where I felt down and homesick. Three months after I came to Taiwan, I was hospitalized due to an unfortunate accident. This is one of these events that leave you feeling so alone and too far away from home. I am forever grateful that my friends and program office staffs were there for me during this hardship and did their very best to make sure I was feeling better. I was so fortunate to make so many great friends at NTPU and get acquainted to many kind people whom I would like to call my family in Taiwan. Their kind care and warm words encouraged me to recover soon. This made me realize, I already have my second family and home in Taiwan, even when I am away from home.

Manalmaa Saranjav (Maggie)

International MBA in Finance program, ICSI, NTPU