For students who didn’t have the opportunity to travel home over the winter break, the NPUST Office of International Affairs (OIA) organized a special Lunar New Year outing to the Pingtung Tropical Agricultural Expo this year. On January 17th, before setting out on the outdoor experience, the 38 overseas students participating in the event gathered on the square in front of the Administrative Building, where they were personally presented with festive red envelopes by NPUST President, Chin-Lung Chang, who wished them a sincere New Year’s blessing.
President Chang said, “this 2023 outdoor Lunar New Year activity has been organized by the Office of International Affairs to help overseas students understand Taiwan’s diverse culture, while allowing them to experience the lively atmosphere of Chinese New Year. I wish our overseas students a safe and healthy New Year, with smooth studies and successful activities in the coming semester”.
Students from the Philippines, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia participated in the activities which were led by Development Chief, Hsing Chieh Wu, and Education Chief, Ian Chang, from the OIA. During the trip to the Pingtung Tropical Agriculture Expo, which is held each year over the Lunar New Year holidays, the students were able to enjoy the lively Lunar New Year atmosphere while experiencing the rich and diverse characteristics of Pingtung—from its agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and tourism industries, to its Indigenous and Hakka cultural heritage. The activity was also an opportunity for the students from different countries to interact and exchange experiences with one another in an off-campus setting and create new memories from their time spent studying at NPUST.