My study experience in Taiwan

My name is Frantzdy Herve, I am from Haiti and I am studying in National Taiwan University (NTU), as it is common to say, the oldest and the biggest university of Taiwan. Through the Taiwan-International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), that is sponsoring my study, I am doing a master in an international program titled: “Agricultural Policy Development and Management”. When I first heard about this program, I knew that it would fit my ambitious professional dreams cause after my bachelor’s in Haiti in “Economics and Rural Development”, I have always wished to study aboard in a field that is related to my undergraduate background. And that’s coming into reality nowadays.

Even if it was a professional goal to me to do a master (and even a doctorate), I have never dreamed about being in Taiwan for studying, at least for two reasons. First, in my country, undergraduate students usually go to United States of America, or in Canada or in Europe to pursue their studies and second, Taiwan is very far from Haiti, so it could have sounded a little bit strange to my parents if I have said to them that I wanted to come to Taiwan for studying. However, I knew since I have studied that Taiwan was one of the most developed countries in Asia, in a course titled: “Geographical Economics” when I was in third grade in undergraduate college, I have just thought that it was simply great to be offered the opportunity to take part in an English taught program in a such country by my university back in Haiti. The picture above is from the ICDF orientation.

Trying to highlight my study experience in this beautiful country with a particular friendly people, I think that at least three points could be mentioned. And they are as followed:

My department is called: Agricultural Economics (AGEC), one of the several departments of the NTU’s college of Bioresources and Agriculture. This faculty has big staff which scholars have all studied in USA and most of them have done their doctorate in Agricultural Economics. Its teachers staff counts: Professors Shih-Hsun Hsu (the chairman), Kuo-Ching Lin, Rhung-Jieh Woo, Jerome Geaum, Alan Yun Lu, Tsu-Tan Fu, Li-Fen Lei, Pei-Ing Wu, Ching-Cheng Chang, Yu-Hui Chen, Yir-Hueih Luh, Cheng-Wei Chen, Lih-Chyun Sun, Fung-Mey Huang, Chu-Ping Lo and Hung-Hao Chang. A total of sixteen (16)doctorate fellows who are trying their best to make this department as suitable as possible to all the students and especially the international students including me. This is the first year for NTU to take part in ICDF’s scholarship program, and I consider myself being very privileged to stand for the first Haitian to enter this prestigious university and attend courses in a so interesting department as the Agricultural Economics. The previous picture has been taken at Yunlin where NTU has opened a new hospital.

For this first semester that has started the October 9th, I attend to three (3) required courses that count for nine (9) credits and a non required Chinese course which counts for six (6) credits. The first course that I had to attend was: “Introduction to productivity and efficiency analysis” which is lectured by the chairman in person, Professor Shih. The second and the most interesting as the lecturer Professor Chen said, is called: “Agricultural Marketing”. The third one is lectured by Professor Huang, who has to teach the first part of the toughest course titled: “Applied Microeconomics”. The second part of this latter will be taught by Professor Luh. In the beginning I have noticed that: “This course is divided in two parts and taught by two ladies, it must be very difficult to pass it”. Actually, the toughest one taught by Cao “Laoshi”, is named: “Chinese class” according to the saying of more than one. Anyway, the interesting point is that it is not required, so “thanks God” that my results in it won’t affect my grade, OUF!

The most difficult thing for me to accept is that I am far away from my friends and my family, but I am doing some new friends and I try to contact my family as frequently as possible. Another problem is that, back in Haiti I have always studied in French and English is actually my third language. So, the first period of my study in which I am now, is to get adapted to communicating in English and in Chinese that I am learning hard. I think that I going to get it!
For going into an ending, I would like to thank once more time ICDF for giving to me this opportunity and all the teachers of my department that are very supporting. Thanks a lot! You are doing a great job!