A new week in Taipei has started (11/5/09)

I woke up early today and prepared for National Taipei University, Hsinchu Science Park and Elite Semiconductor company visits in business dress. All of us had a chance to watch some martial arts performances including San Da Self-defeat style, to learn Chinese calligraphy and a lecture on inventory management in Taiwan’s high tech firms. I like the martial arts performance because they showed us how to use an umbrella; a Coke can to be weapons for self-defense – which is extremely interesting to me as a girl.

Calligraphy is a type of visual art which uses black ink and a brush (at different sizes). I think we have calligraphy in most of scripted languages including Chinese, Japanese, ancient Vietnamese, Hindi and Arabic. I remember seeing a calligraphy artwork created by a Chinese artist which is quite different to the original one. I didn’t have a problem writing calligraphy because I can paint using brush and know how to control the brush stroke.

I really love attending cultural classes like this as I think that it is necessary to learn and respect all different cultures when we live in a multi-cultural environment. It is up to each individual to decide whether he or she should appreciate diversity in a global context, but I think a wise person will know that he must be tolerant toward other cultural values in order for humanities to exist in harmony. Understand about other cultures will help people to behave properly across cultural boundaries. No one can run a successful business today without knowing how to interact with different people from different culture or different race. This is essentially important to us as business students. Globalization led to cultural diffusion. People who resist that trend of diffusion will be left behind.


In the afternoon, we visited Hsinchu Science Park - one of the world’s most significant areas for semiconductor manufacturing. It was established to introduce high-tech industries, promote the upgrading of Taiwanese industries and balance regional development which all leads to national economic development. We watched the power point presentation on this Science Park and a tour to its small museum by a representative there. I was amazed by her English, which is very fluently spoken. The presentation was about the history, environment, services, industries, integrated circuits, computers and peripherals, telecommunication, optoelectronic, precision machinery, biotechnology and investments. This is a multinational science park which has branches in 4 different continent including Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.


One of the three branches in Asia is in Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam but I have never heard of it. It makes me curious and I have looked through the link http://vietnam.nsc.gov.tw of Science and Technology Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. This is the liaison office of the National Science Council of Taiwan in Vietnam which were established on July, 2004, the division is currently headed by Dr. Wang Yu-lung and it provides services across ASEAN countries.