National Chengchi University, Taiwan 2024: "My semester in Taiwan was an unforgettable experience and it is difficult for me to emphasise a single highlight"

Preparation

Preparing for an exchange semester in Taiwan takes some time, but is generally not too difficult. Both the Viadrina and the partner university in Taipei are happy to answer questions about the organisation of the programme and help with any difficulties. EU citizens are allowed to stay in Taiwan for up to 30 days without a visa, but the semester exceeds this limit. For this reason, I applied for a visitor visa at the Taiwan representative office in Berlin. The visa is valid for 90 days, and my advice is to get a multiple-entry visa (costs around 100 euros), take a trip to a nearby country during the semester and get another 90 days after returning to Taiwan.you need health insurance for the visa (I think you have to have it anyway if you are travelling for a long time). I chose Hanse Merkur, they offer a good "Young Travel Outgoing" package. As I'm originally from Bulgaria and spent the summer at home, I flew from Sofia to Taipei via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. I can only recommend this airline, they also have a discount for students if you create a student profile in advance. I believe there are also direct flights from Munich or Frankfurt (Main), but they are said to be more expensive. As far as applying to the host university is concerned, it was relatively quick and easy. You receive an invitation from the university at the end of February/beginning of March to fill out all the documents and forms digitally. Then you also apply for a place in the dorm/I-house (more about this in the next section). It is advisable to take part in all the introductory events (one digital event in August and one on-site event a week before the start of classes), as everything important is explained in detail there and you can also make your first contacts with the other exchange students. I had planned to arrive in Taiwan 10 days before the start of lectures, but had to change my flight booking for personal reasons and ended up landing the day before the introduction, which wasn't too bad. However, you need at least a week to adjust to the climate - in early September it is extremely hot and very, very, very humid Last but not least, there is a buddy programme, which worked differently for each person - with little success for me, I only met up with my buddy once, which wasn't too bad as I was able to make friends with other Taiwanese and foreign students in the meantime.

Accommodation

There are broadly three options in Taipei - student residences, I-House and private shared flats, and I'll go into a little more detail below. Preferences for one option or the other must be stated when applying to the university. The halls of residence are located on campus and are the cheapest - only around 240 EUR (for Bachelor students) and 330 EUR (for Master students) for the whole semester. In return, you share a room with four other students (Bachelor's students) and two other students (Master's students). The bathroom, kitchen etc. are usually shared by the whole floor. Some halls of residence are relatively modern and well equipped, others are rather old, it's pure luck where you end up. There are plenty of rooms, so if you want to live in a dorm, you are almost 100% sure to get a place. The I-House is also on campus, the difference to the dorms is that you live on your own, usually in a single room with your own bathroom. This costs around 1700 EUR per semester. However, there are significantly fewer places than applicants, and allocation is based on the lottery principle, not "first come, first serve". As I was not selected for the I-House (the results were published at the end of May) and my privacy was also quite important to me, I decided in favour of the third option - a private shared flat in the city. You have to be aware that the university is outside the city. So if you live on campus, it's convenient for everyday university life, but it can take 1-1.5 hours to get to the centre, usually on a crowded bus. In my opinion, it's better to stay in the city centre so that you can experience some of the Taiwanese lifestyle and culture with the night markets, local cafes and stalls. I found my room through an agency that mostly rents flats to international students. It did cost more (around 470 EUR warm rent per month) for a very large single room in a shared flat with 7 people. The large number of flatmates was no problem at all, as we had three bathrooms, a large kitchen, a roof terrace and a living room. The rent includes not only the utilities, but also Netflix (TV in every room), cleaning of the bathrooms and other common areas once a week, rubbish disposal every few days and consumables such as toilet paper, Vero, shampoos, washing sponges, detergent, etc. The flat is fully furnished and equipped with all necessary utensils. It is located in "Zhonghe", half an hour by bus from the campus and close to an underground station with fast connection to the city centre and other underground stations. The neighbourhood is traditional, which I really liked as it allowed me to immerse myself in the Taiwanese lifestyle. I can only recommend the accommodation and the landlords, if you are interested I can forward you the contact details.

Studying at the host university

Overall, I can say that studying at NCCU is less time-consuming than at Viadrina. The courses are chosen in several stages during the summer and everything is explained in detail by the international department at the Taiwanese university. As a rule, you almost always get a place on the courses you want. As I am studying European Studies at Viadrina, I found it a little difficult to choose a course because, as expected, the courses in Taiwan had little to do with Europe in terms of content and subject matter. In the end, I decided on three courses - "International Relations in the European Union", "Post-Communist Democratisation" and "Seminar in International Development - Issues of Agriculture, Economics and Trade". I am very happy with my choice and can recommend all the courses. Most of the courses in Taiwan take place in relatively small, seminar-like groups, with much more emphasis on discussion and exchange of experiences during the lectures, as well as several presentations during the semester, than on the final exam, if there is one at all. All courses were held in English and the professors were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. It was very interesting to get a different perspective on global processes and political phenomena from an East Asian perspective, especially in Taiwan, which is a hotspot of global geopolitics. As long as you put in some effort during the semester and actively participate in the discussions, you can expect a good grade. The local students are a bit shy and reserved at the beginning, but are very happy when foreigners show interest in Taiwan, the local culture and lifestyle. The peculiarity of the local daily schedule is that the lectures usually last 3 hours, which is a bit uncomfortable if you are used to 1.5-hour lectures. If you are interested, you can attend a free Chinese course at the university, which is offered for all levels from beginner to advanced. It is important to note that the Mandarin courses (including the part-time courses) are very intensive and you have to put in a lot of effort. I would therefore advise you to only enrol on such a course if you really want to learn the language.

Everyday life and leisure

Unlike most countries in Southeast Asia, Taiwan is not a very cheap destination. The average cost of living is similar to Germany, and of course it all depends on eating habits, frequency of excursions, parties, travelling, etc. If you stick to Taiwanese cuisine and eat in traditional small eateries or at the famous night bazaars, food is very cheap. The same generally applies to public transport. Foreign products (especially European dairy products, chocolate and other more "exotic" goods) are very expensive, as are non-seasonal fruit or fruit imported from other countries. Going out to party is not cheap either, especially in the famous clubs in the trendy city centre, but with a certain amount of sensible planning and with the help of scholarships or savings, you can live comfortably and experience a lot in Taiwan. As a modern metropolis and one of Asia's megacities, Taipei offers countless things to do to suit all tastes and is guaranteed not to leave you bored. From the trendy shopping malls, glitzy shops and famous restaurants in the heart of the city to the countless temples, hot springs and hundreds of small markets in the more traditional neighbourhoods, the city is incredible and a wonderful base for Asian adventures. And that brings us to the most important thing - nature, Taiwan's greatest treasure and number one attraction. The island is famous for its "300 national peaks", symbolising the large number of small and large mountains, many of which start within the cities. Taiwan is the greenest place I have ever seen - every city is practically reclaimed land from the jungle. Due to the small size of the country, it is easy and relatively quick to travel around. During the semester I was able to visit most of the most impressive places in Taiwan, with Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Shizhou tea plantations, Yehliu, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Kinmen and Kenting islands being a must-see for any visitor. So my advice is - travel as much as possible, or take your time before or after the semester. Unexpectedly for many, this small island hides dozens of amazing places. Of course, I tried to use the time to visit some of the other interesting places in the area for which you can find relatively cheap tickets - Okinawa in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, the list is long and depends on your interests and budget. You can see some pictures at the end of this report. There are also interesting things to do at the university itself, as it offers a wide range of student clubs, from calligraphy to cinema to baseball. The university gym is also good and can be used by all students at very reasonable prices.

Conclusion

My semester in Taiwan was an unforgettable experience and it is difficult for me to single out a single highlight. I will probably focus on two things that are particularly etched in my memory: diving with giant sea turtles on Xiaoliuqiu Island on the southern coast of Taiwan and the sunrise at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, a childhood dream of mine that I was able to fulfil during my stay in Asia. The opportunity to not only travel the continent, but also to live, study and immerse myself in the local way of life is something I will remember for a long time to come. I can't name any particularly bad moments, I would just like to mention how difficult it was for me to get used to the new place in the first few weeks. In addition to the hot and humid climate, one problem for me was the completely new cuisine (I come from the Balkans and my eating habits could hardly be more different from traditional Chinese cuisine) and the practical impossibility of communicating in English with people outside the university. Similar to countries like South Korea and Japan, the level of English in Taiwan is not very high and translation apps will often be your best friend. Often, however, even they won't be able to tell you exactly what you're eating! But that's all part of the adventure, and if you come to Taiwan with an open heart and curiosity, good things will happen to you and it can be unforgettable. I can only recommend it to you - it was a huge step for me and every second was worth it