The NPUST Center for General Education has launched a “Centenary Celebration” lecture series under the theme of “At the University of Science and Technology Where We Are”. For the inaugural dat, which took place on September 25th, Special Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Michel Ching-long Lu, was invited to the share. Providing two consecutive lectures, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, Ambassador Lu discussed the many things that he has seen and heard in his 42 years of diplomatic work. NPUST Vice President for Administration Wen-Ling Shih, Chief Secretary Fang Ming Lin, Director of the Center for General Education Herlin Chien, and other faculty members extended a warm reception to the ambassador.
Starting the afternoon session with a cordial “Bonjour”, Ambassador Lu shared a variety of experiences from his time working in France. Throughout his talk, the fluent French speaker accented his presentation with French expressions here and there, making it more vivid and exciting for the audience. The students in attendance, mainly from the Department of Management Information Systems and the International Bachelors Program on Finance, found the lecture to be informative and rewarding.
For the main event, which was scheduled for 6 PM at the Shuyun Hall, Ambassador Lu spoke on “Diversified Globalization, New Changes, Geopolitics, Changing Generations—My Future Is Not A Dream: Happy Learning, Challenges and Opportunities”. The diverse subject matter touched on the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, 42 years of practical experience in the professional diplomatic marketing of Taiwan, new interpretations of modern “diplomacy” and much more. Ambassador Lu encouraged the students by telling them: “Know yourself and your enemy, and be strength-oriented. Taiwan will be better! Be rational and wise, and look at the world with a grateful heart, handle cross-strait relations wisely, increase competitiveness, and convey the message to everyone: ‘you are the most important and noble person’. If you work hard, you will definitely have a chance!”.
At the end of the lecture, Director Herlin Chien of the Center for General Education presented Ambassador Lu with a plaque to thank him for sharing his wonderful international diplomatic insights and life experiences. She also expressed her expectations that the talks would help enhance students’ view of general education and strengthen their holistic knowledge and development.
This semester’s lecture series was organized to start with a look into current global affairs, and then focus on the school’s core development strategies, which are oriented towards “life, production, ecology and health”. With speakers invited from both inside and outside the school, a total of eight lectures are planned out to inspire cross-field discussion and encourage students to adopt interdisciplinary thinking and cultivate cross-domain capabilities.
