FJU English Department Students on Exchange in the US, Germany

Author: Vincent Suselo

This semester, several students from Fu Jen Catholic University’s English Department have participated in an exchange program or dual degree program in foreign countries. This article explores their experiences in their host country and university.

Three students from the English Department have successfully enrolled in FJU’s dual degree program with Germany’s University of Bayreuth, completing their final undergraduate year there. The University of Bayreuth is considered one of the world’s best universities; according to the QS World University Rankings 2024, it is ranked 509th in the world and 31st in Germany. For comparison, Fu Jen Catholic University is ranked 1201-1400th globally. Having moved across the world to study in a foreign country, these students earned the privilege of  being admitted to the dual degree program, which is no easy feat. They had to prove their proficiency in the German language, and maintain high grades during their time in FJU.

In Taiwanese classes, high school and university, it is common for the classroom to be quiet with the exception of the teacher. Taiwanese students are generally expected to sit quietly and absorb the teacher’s lecture. However, in the University of Bayreuth, students are at least expected to have read up on the class material beforehand, and share their thoughts and discuss with their peers during class time.

  The students have also shared several culture shocks they encountered during their time. In Germany, there is the concept of “Lüften,” which means “to air out.” No matter how hot or cold it is outside, or if the heaters are on, many Germans habitually open the window for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours to let fresh air in. One student shared how they found that Germans don’t usually power nap in the library. Power napping is very common in Taiwan, so much so that high schools often dedicate one hour to napping. However, one of our classmates resorted to drinking coffee or taking a walk instead to refresh their brain. In the United States, Felicia was initially shocked that most people she met were kind to each other. They are not shy about complimenting each other, and they often end their conversations with “have a good one” or “have a nice day” even with people they don’t know well.

One of the questions the students were asked was if their experience abroad had “rewired” their brain in any way . One said that they started to “view this world [from] different perspectives and have the capacity to be more inclusive and diverse.” This is because they met and made friends with people from different cultures all around the world, and their previous knowledge about them was  “reshaped”.

FJU offers extensive study abroad opportunities through its network of partner institutions worldwide. According to TaiwanHot.net, FJU has around 500 sister institutions globally, ranking third in Taiwan only behind National Taiwan University (NTU) and National Cheng Chi University (NCCU). One partner institution is The University of Notre Dame Australia, which recently celebrated its 20th year partnership with FJU. According to The Record, this will “increase opportunities for exchange programs and international research collaborations.”

Other universities in Taiwan are also sending more of their students abroad for exchange programs. For example, Chung Yuan Christian University has enrolled 24 students at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee as part of their dual degree master’s program in various engineering fields.