The NPUST Office of International Affairs (OIA) organized a week-long University Experience Camp for Malaysian High School Students, providing the prospective recruits with a chance to learn more about the study opportunities available at the university.
Running from August 26th to September 2nd, 2023, the camp offered a variety of activities designed to give the students a taste of what study-life would look like for them in Southern Taiwan. The opening ceremony for the camp was held on Monday August 28th and hosted by NPUST Vice President for Education, Shang-Min Ma. During the opening, the students dressed in their high school uniforms to add to the atmosphere and share some of their school culture from back in Malaysia. The uniforms at public high schools in Malaysia generally are a combination of white dress shirts and baby-blue skirts or pants. However, the private high schools established by Chinese residents have their own rich, diverse, and unique styles.
Vice President Shang-Min Ma delivered a speech at the event saying “thank you very much to all the students for showing your affirmation of NPUST by signing up for this experiential camp. NPUST is an institution which gives equal emphasis to theory and practical operations in its teaching. It also has very well-equipped facilities and resources, so it is impossible to experience it all in one week. Next year will be the university’s centennial anniversary, and we believe that studying at this historic university will be a great life-experience for you. I hope that in the future, each of you will have the courage to leave home so that you can come to Taiwan and return to NPUST for studies.”
The participating students unanimously expressed that NPUST provided a very good opportunity for them to explore their aspirations for future development. They were very grateful to the university for arranging the camp and allowing them to get acquainted with various fields of study before entering university. The one-week course content covered a diverse set of practical exercises. Experiential activities included smart agriculture, plant medicine, machine operations, environmental education, aquatic biology, animal science, leisure sports, Western cuisine and baking, fashion design, virtual reality, and cultural field trips. Through the wide range of learning activities, the students were able to explore their interests and consider which path they might like to pursue in university. For the cultural fields trips, the students visited Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, Pier 2 Art Zone, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and Ruifeng Night Market, where they enjoyed snacks and other features of Taiwanese culture. The trips allowed students to get acquainted with Taiwan’s different religious and cultural characteristics and its historical and cultural background.
On the afternoon of September 1st, a closing ceremony was held for the students. For the event, the 29 participants gathered at the NPUST Big Data Center, and enjoyed a musical performance as they reminisced about the week behind them. The students who attended the camp represented 10 different Malaysian high schools, including SMJK Chung Hwa, Hin Hua High School, Chung Hua Independent High School, Confucian Private Secondary School, Chong Hwa Independent High School, Chinese High School Batu Pahat, Poi Lam High School, Kwang Hua Private High School, SMK Bintulu, and Pontian Pei Chun Independent Secondary School. The week went by quickly with many memories and new ideas for the students to bring home with them as they prepare for their futures. As they departed, members of the OIA wished them the best and expressed their hopes to see some of them back again real soon.
