【OIA】The Global Tune 2022 creates fantastic memories
Source: Mei-Ying Li, Translated by Yu-Ying Chen、Lei Shih, Office of International Affairs of NCHU
National Chung-Hsing University’s 103rd anniversary kicked off on October 29, 2022, with grand events and activities. Office of International Affairs (OIA) coordinated the International Student Parade and The Global Tune–Singing Contest exclusively for International Students. The events not only engaged many faculty and students on campus but promoted the university’s endeavors in internationalization.
The International Student Parade has always been one of the most anticipated events for international students. This year, more than 100 international students and exchange students from 21 countries dressed up in their national costumes and held their national flags in the parade. During the parade, they expressed their birthday wishes to the University in different languages. There was a vibrant and lively atmosphere, which in turn eased the gloom caused by the pandemic.
Immediately after the parade, OIA held its first singing contest for all international students–"The Global Tune.” OIA has been committed to organizing various activities to have international students and local students and faculty get to know each other. In the past, OIA held events like International Culinary and Cultural Festival, parades, and so forth, aiming to let people know the cultures of different countries through food and clothing.
This year, for the first time, OIA held a singing contest with all the international students, using music from all over the world to touch people’s hearts directly! The contest was held in the conference room at Humanity Building. The event was kicked off by the Indonesian Alumni Association in Taiwan with a traditional Indonesian blessing dance to pray for the smooth running of the event. Foreign students, exchange students, overseas Chinese students, and students from the Chinese Language Center attended the contest; they were from 12 countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Haiti, Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, Mongolia, China, and Vietnam. They were divided into 20 individual groups and nine team groups, which involved 64 students participating in the competition in total.
In addition to the Thai and Turkish group's superbly passionate and vibrant performance, an Italian exchange student Laura Gianoli, who has just been in Taiwan for two months, sang the local band Mayday's "Contentment" in fluent Chinese, which drew applause from the audience. Mongolian student Ganhold Odbayar, dressed like a Korean popstar, sang a touching ballad with emotion; Jessalyn Parco, a student from the Philippines performed an empowering song that reminded her to believe in herself.
The Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Chia-Lin Chang, stated that” Music knows no borders and has always been the most direct expression of different cultures and the bridge of communication across languages. This is the first time that we have invited both overseas Chinese-speaking students, and students from the Chinese Language Center to participate in the parade and the singing contest for international students. Whether it is international students singing songs in their mother tongue or in Mandarin or local students’ engagement, obviously, we have made progress in internalization. Music is a way to connect international and local students, and through the events, students and faculty will gain a deeper understanding of the cultures all around the world.”
To welcome the NCHU’s 103rd anniversary, under the leadership of Vice President Dr. Chang, all the OIA staff members put a great amount of effort into planning the celebrative activities, making the parade and the singing contest the most enthusiastic and touching events among the celebration series.
The Global Tune 2022 creates fantastic memories
The Global Tune 2022 creates fantastic memories
The Global Tune 2022 creates fantastic memories