Date: February 1, 2017
MAC Press Release No. 011
To enhance mutual understanding among young students across the Taiwan Strait and give young students from mainland China a chance to experience the values of social democracy and freedom of the press in Taiwan, the "2016 Cross-Strait Mass Communication Graduate Student Exchange Activity" was held in Taiwan from August to October 2016. The activity was sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and organized by Chinese Culture University and Ming Chuan University.
A total of 28 graduate students from journalism and communication departments at Beijing Jiaotong University, Nanjing University, Communication University of China, Fudan University, and other Mainland schools were invited to Taiwan for exchanges during the activity. The participating universities arranged classes and seminars on new media and arranged field trips to observe and learn about the media and to understand the independence and diversity of the media in Taiwan.
The communication graduate students from the Mainland approached their learning earnestly. In addition to participating in the courses, they visited social associations by arrangement of the organizing schools to conduct interviews and write reports, including stories on the Catholic Hua-Kuang Social Welfare Foundation, Kanner Foundation of Taiwan, and the Rotary Club Taiwan Food Drive. Through field interviews and reporting, the students learned how these organizations integrate human and material resources to promote sheltered workshops and help disadvantaged groups, as well as felt the vitality of social associations in Taiwan.
What mostly touched the students was the enthusiasm and courtesy of the people of Taiwan. The students mentioned that, during exchanges in Taiwan, they learned not only news writing skills, but also an attitude towards the news and the "from the heart" enthusiasm and courtesy of the Taiwan people. For example, some students noted that when riding the MRT or visiting a bookstore, they could smoothly find their destination thanks to the kind and patient directions of enthusiastic passers-by. Some students also mentioned that the people of Taiwan always say "thank you" and "I'm sorry," that the convenience store workers say a friendly "good morning, good afternoon, or good night" greeting, and that bus drivers thank passengers for riding. With something to be thankful for everywhere in Taiwan, the visiting students could deeply feel the warmth of Taiwanese society. Quoting the words of writer Lung Ying-tai: warmth and kindness are Taiwan's most precious qualities and the people in such a society are the most passionate, most inclusive, and toughest. The students said that during their trip to Taiwan they gained not only knowledge about journalism and communication, but also the inspiration and self-growth that comes from contact with different environments, people, events and things.