Tainan, Taiwan, July 2, 2013

The 2013 Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) Summer Scholarship Program kicked off at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, recently. 36 ambassador students come from different universities including Yale University and Princeton University join the program to study Mandarin and experience Taiwanese culture.

At the opening ceremony, July 1, NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung welcomed the young friends from America, “What brings you here is the passion for Chinese culture so I guarantee you the next two months you will not only improve your Chinese ability, but also receive an unforgettable experience at Tainan.”

The TUSA program provides a quality Mandarin Chinese immersion program with both language learning and culture experience, according to NCKU Chinese Language Center (CLC).

Eduado Lima, a 19-year-old student from Princeton University, who expected much of the program and said, “I’m really interested in learning about Taiwanese culture and learning Mandarin as second language.”

Lima also said, “This is my first time in Taiwan and I feel very welcome here. I’ve never feel so nice. Tainan is so hot but very beautiful.”

John Lee, a Korean-American student from Yale University, told the reporter that after the program he has the confidence that his Chinese will improve.

“My Chinese teacher in America recommended me to apply the Chinese program because NCKU is one of the best universities in Taiwan.” according to Lee who added, “The campus is very beautiful and I feel so excited to be here and I can’t wait to get out to explore the city.”

David Klemperer from Rhodes University who interested in ink painting as well as Chinese writing, said “I like symbolism and Chinese characters are very good examples. I think Chinese characters look nice and I really appreciate it.”

“I am fond of Chinese ancient poems. Authors like Bai Juyi, Li po, and Su Shi are my favorites,” according to Lara Hinojosa from University Arkansas at Fayetteville who also said, ” I hope during this program, I can have deeper understanding of Taiwan’s culture.”

During the weekdays, students will study Mandarin with experienced teachers from CLC. At weekends, students will visit some tourist attractions in Taiwan including Kenting, Taipei National Palace Museum, Quijin Dock in Kaohsiung.

The TUSA program will last for eight weeks. With the help of one-on-one language class, TUSA students can feel free to ask questions when they have questions in studying. Also, activities like Chinese word play, calligraphy, Chinese painting, Taichi, and a field trip to explore the city of Tainan are all included in the program.