BXAI Summer Program 2017 James Column: August 6
After a four-hour drive through highways and steep winding roads, our students arrived at the Xitou Nature Education Center greeted by cool mountain air and afternoon mist. Untouched and boundless, the forest seemingly goes on forever. Ancient trees stretch towards the sky, ferns and moss cover the ground, waterfalls stream down from the peaks, and abundant wildlife make this beautiful place their home. Enthusiastic visitors of all ages regularly arrive by the busloads, decked out in hiking gear and bird-watching equipment, ready to explore.
Xitou is known in Taiwan as a summer resort. For our Scholars, this was their temporary home and classroom. In this beautiful and restorative environment, Scholars and guests were encouraged to experience and appreciate nature, build new friendships, and meditate on environmental sustainability. Taking advantage of the unique setting, a series of morning workshops were held to focus the students on their personal development.
At a plant nursery, our students worked together with hoes and spades to prepare soil for sowing. Exhausted and covered in mud, they went away with the satisfaction of planting saplings that would one day become tall trees. They also had a newfound respect for agriculture. “I will not take food for granted again,” said Bing Yuen, a Malaysian AFLSP Scholar at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “I didn’t know how hard it was to grow food.”
In a woodworking class, students crafted special lamps out of local sustainable wood, which they sanded and polished themselves. After completing their creations, everyone was taken to “experience” a beautiful large-scale piece of woodwork: a double arched gingko wood bridge that took 3 years to build.
Perhaps the most gratifying of these activities was the tree-climbing workshop. After a quick lesson on identifying and avoiding dead branches, the participants strapped on their rope harnesses and pulled themselves up seven-story tall coniferous trees. Anxiety and trepidation disappeared with the loud encouragement of their peers below. As the climbers reached new altitudes, they were rewarded with breathtaking views of the Fenghuang Mountain Range in the distance.
“I’ve always been afraid of heights but I was able to overcome my fears,” said Benjamin Trnka, a Yenching Scholar from Peking University. “I really enjoyed looking at the forest ferns high up on the branches.”
At locations all across Xitou, including the iconic University Pond, team-building activities and often-hilarious games were held to encourage students to develop group skills and build trust. Meanwhile in the conference room of Red Tower, Angela Cheung, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Vision, gave a series of public speaking workshops that equipped students with effective presentation skills. With a new awareness about body language, how to make an intentional first impression and other key communication skills, the students were reinvigorated with a confidence to be themselves.
Many significant moments also occurred outside of the organized activities. Students spontaneously engaged in conversations over group meals, card games, excursions to nearby Monster Village, and hikes around the forest’s many trails. Participants asked each other about respective passions and cultural practices, openly listening to new viewpoints and personal stories. Disagreements led to further discourse, understanding and appreciation of their differences. The growing camaraderie is remarkable given the wide array of nationalities and backgrounds.
We wrapped up our stay in Xitou with an environmental panel with three inspiring experts and entrepreneurs. Dr. Hsiao-Wei Yuan showcased her work on the restoration of the Wu-Wei Harbor Wetland refuge and her research in regional bird ecology. Ms. Marine Thomas followed by explaining conservation and practices already undertaken in Hong Kong. Finally, Ms. Shahara Alexander shared about her permaculture work in Hong Kong, describing the benefits of community-supported agriculture (CSA) models and sustainable ecology.
A lively panel discussion followed where speakers took questions from the audience. Many thought-provoking questions were raised, including whether or not environmental responsibility would be feasible for disadvantaged people, and if man-made global warming could ever be reversed. The speakers acknowledged they that while difficult, environmental sustainability would indeed be possible if everyone stayed close with nature, consistently reduced waste, and moved to a plant-based diet.
We hope that the learning opportunities given to our Summer Program participants in the past week have planted seeds in their hearts and minds so that they will keep beautiful places like Xitou flourishing for generations to come.
BXAI Summer Program 2017 James Column: July 31
First Community Dinner
As over 120 Scholars and guests crowd into the unassuming basement of the Taipei Teacher’s Hostel there is a growing buzz of anticipation. “Why exactly are we all here?” students may ask, looking at the dozens of new faces sitting at their tables. After all, everyone in this room has been flown in for two-and-a-half weeks of experiential learning in Taiwan, plenty of investment in program design, coordination and detailed planning by Bai Xian Asia Institute. So why has BXAI deemed this event so necessary that they would go to such lengths to make it happen? The answer will be revealed as we follow the activities and reflections of the participants in the program.
Overwhelmed and a little travel weary, there is the typical awkward trepidation as students slowly introduce their names and universities. But as they begin talking about common understandings and surprising cultural experiences, this quickly transforms into laughter and cheers over generous servings of Taiwanese cuisine. There is certainly great diversity, that is obvious, but there is also tremendous commonality. Nervousness gives way to excitement as students wonder what the next few weeks will give them and where these new friendships will lead.
In this room you cannot make any safe assumptions about anyone’s background. Talking freely over dinner, students reveal surprising layers of movement and heritage that go far beyond their ethnicity or mother tongue. All of them have lived in countries different from the ones in which they were born. Some have found themselves caught between different cultures, not really sure where they stand. Many speak more than two languages.
As different and as diverse as these students may be, they all share a love for Asia and a willingness to branch out into the new. Hopefully they will carry this spirit of goodwill and adventure as they undergo their next two weeks in Taiwan.
BXAI Summer Program 2017 Kicks Off at Taiwan University on July 31!
In one week BXAI Summer Program 2017 will kick off at Taiwan University in Taipei! Over 120 students from 16 of our Anchor and Participating Universities will join us to learn, share ideas, and form lasting cross-cultural friendships as one community.
Centered around the theme of “Sustainability and Entrepreneurship,” BXAI Summer Program 2017 will take place in both Taipei and the Xitou Nature Education Area.
Here students will examine important environmental and sustainability issues while enjoying Taiwan’s natural beauty. They will also learn from the leading individuals of various industries and interests through a series of sessions, panels, and workshops.
We also look forward to hosting the very first Bai Xian Alumni Initiative Award pitch session! In this session two teams of competing BXAI Alumni will propose solutions to some of Asia’s most critical challenges.
CHANG Tsu Wei
CHANG Tsu Wei is a double degree student at Waseda University and Taiwan University where she studies Political Science and Economics. She aspires to someday become a diplomat.
BXAI Summer Program 2016 helped Chang develop close relations with peers from all over the world, and become aware of different ideas. In particular she enjoyed discussing cross-strait relations with her Mainland Chinese roommate, and hearing her roommate’s perspective on WWII as they toured the Peace Memorial Hall in Hiroshima.
In the coming year Chang plans to prepare for the public service examination she will need in Taiwan to take in order to pursue a career in politics. She will also share her experience of being in the double degree program as an AFLSP Scholar with incoming students at her school’s orientation. In the near future, however, Chang hopes to spend some time with her parents, for she has not had as much time to spend with them recently due to her busy academic schedule.
ZHANG Zeyu
An AFLSP graduate from Kyoto University with a Masters in Nuclear Engineering, ZHANG Zeyu is currently working at Yamada Business Consulting in Tokyo. Although different from what he studied in academia,Zhang has excelled in his new work by utilizing his outstanding communication and organization skills.
In 2014 Zhang worked with his Japanese friends to establish “Japan-China Friendship,” an organization that hosts annual study trips for Chinese students interested in studying in Japan.
During their trips to Fukushima, Tokyo, Hakone, and Kansai, they learned first-hand about local Japanese communities. In Fukushima, they gained a deeper understanding of reconstruction and restoration efforts in wake of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. “We talked with local volunteers and residents, and learned how to measure nucleus concentration in local agricultural products, such as strawberries,” said Zhang.
Zhang says maximally 40 students join this trip every year: “We are glad to see that more and more Chinese students are willing and curious to understand Japan.”
CHEN Xian
Chen Xian (Ken) is a graduate of Hitotsubashi University where he pursued an MBA in the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy Hitotsubashi ICS. He joined BXAI Summer Program 2015 as an AFLSP Scholar, and returned in 2016 as a group facilitator.
For Ken, participating in last year’s Summer Program as a group instructor gave him the opportunity to observe the scholars’ teamwork, as well as the program as a whole, from a whole other perspective.
In the future Ken hopes to support Scholars in Japan, such as organizing company visits for those seeking job opportunities. Recognizing that the Summer Program is an annual “one-time event,” he hopes that its momentum will be able to continue beyond the summer itself.
Salman MOHAMMED
Salman MOHAMMED currently attends the University of Cape Coast in Ghana where he is majoring in Economics and Sociology. Attending BXAI Summer Program 2016 as a Kufuor Scholar, Salman credits the BXAI Summer Program as a pivotal experience.
“Coming to Japan has been a very awesome experience,” said Salman. Although he had to endure a nearly twenty-hour flight in order to finally reach Japan, Salman was glad that he made the journey.
“Interacting with people of different cultures from different backgrounds is something that is needed in the modern world,” said Salman. Citing economists Thomas Friedman and David Bloom, Salman believes that the world is more interconnected than ever before, which makes intercultural education all the more vital. The effects of international education is something that he, as an aspiring diplomat, experienced personally in the Bai Xian Community.
Tomohiro HASHIMOTO
Tomohiro HASHIMOTO is a Japanese political science graduate student from Waseda University and an AFLSP Scholar at Zhejiang University where he studied Master of Public Administration. When Tomohiro first visited China at the age of 16, he was surprised at the differences between the country in front of him and the one shown on television back in Japan. Since then he has been particularly interested in researching solutions to China’s domestic problems.
Mutual understanding across cultures is something that Tomohiro has a large amount of personal interest and experience in. When studying abroad in Hangzhou, Beijing, and other Chinese cities, he was able to see the diversity of Chinese people on a regional level. Similarly, while speaking about his AFLSP experience, Tomohiro valued how he was able to better understand regional diversity by observing the differences between scholars based on their nationality.
OWUSU Sarpong Adutwumwaa
OWUSU Sarpong Adutwumwaa (Adu) is a Kufuor Scholar majoring in Political Science and Religion at the University of Ghana, Legon. As a recipient of the former Ghanaian President’s foundation for aspiring future African leaders, Adu participated in last year’s BXAI Summer Program in Japan.
Adu felt that in a world where “nationalism” is being prioritized over “patriotism”, platforms like the BXAI Summer Program could push future leaders towards a healthier direction by encouraging communication across regions. In particular, Adu greatly valued the time she had to interact with her group members, who spoke to her about the social issues that they often could not discuss in depth during the lectures.
CHEN Hua
AFLSP Scholar Chen Hua (Martin) is a theoretical physics major at Kyoto University where he researches quantum gravity. As a scientist who often finds it difficult to initiate conversations, Martin found that the way he spent his summer—socializing with different scholars during the BXAI Summer Program—very different from how he would normally spend it. Nonetheless, he was able to find a great sense of community at Bai Xian.
“I think a good community isn’t about whether or not you’re very social,” Martin said. “It’s about [whether] you can really talk about something important in that community [without being afraid].”
Martin considers the interactions he had with fellow Scholars the most meaningful part of the program.
“Every day we would have lunch and talk together and have quite a deep discussion,” Martin said, saying how such experiences helped broaden his worldview. For instance, he remarked the way in which the media portrayed certain nationalities turned out to be quite different from what he experienced first-hand.