Chiong-Wei is from Singapore and had 5 years of experience doing Operations, Resource & Budget Planning, Relationship & Project Management, Sales & Marketing in the Aviation Industry. It was a tough decision to quit and take a hiatus in his career but he wanted to do something for himself before he meets with family commitments in the coming years. That could be his last chance to experience life as a full-time student as well as living abroad for a prolonged period of time.

Q1. After studying in both Singapore and also Taiwan, how do you compare the learning and/or teaching style for both of the schools?

I do not see any major difference in teaching style but what makes this course unique is the diversity of the audience, thus enriching the learning experience of a student. Due to the fact that NTU GMBA opens up for foreign student intake, everyone provides their own unique feedback and knowledge coming from different parts of the world. This opens up my horizon and definitely a good platform to forge friendships and connections with people which we do not usually meet in our usual social circle. I would say, I am quite impressed with the passion that NTU lecturers possess and that is probably NTU ranks the first in the nation.

Q2. Most Asians may choose places other than Asia to further their study, why you choose Taiwan?

Though Taiwan is part of Asia, Taipei maintained its spot at the top for ex-pats and foreigners to live in, probably one of the only few cities ahead of Singapore. While Taiwan possesses its own rich heritage and culture, it does not lose touch with the international standards in terms of the quality of life. I had also chosen National Taiwan University as it is the best university in Taiwan and I am quite sure that its caliber in teaching is not any inferior compared to other renowned colleges in the region.

Q3. You are an active member of the student council, I think you spent a lot of time for the student council events.  What did you gain from student council?

I had joined the student council in response to the trust that my batch mates had bestowed upon me by nominating and voting me into the council as the EVP. It was a good experience and exposure for me to be given the opportunity to serve the student community as well as collaborating with external stakeholders.

It was a delicate role as we always had to bear in mind that we had to look into the interests of students from all over the world and not only the local Taiwanese. This had taught me to be more sensitive in handling cultural and background differences which is an essential skill for me to become a better manager in the future. I also had been able to polish up my tactfulness while dealing with our partners such as NCCU or big companies such as Deloitte or Easy Card.

Q4. Salary in Taiwan is comparatively lower than Singapore, how do you adapt to this when looking for a job here?

To be honest, Taiwan is still not the best place for foreigners to seek a career with. However, I could see that the Taiwanese government has gradually been trying to emphasize the importance of attracting foreign talents to stimulate its economy competitively. For instance, it has been made easier for foreigners to apply a Gold Card Visa for working professionals. In my opinion, much could be done further to ameliorate push factors such as lower salary compared to other developed cities, as well as easier access to employment especially with local Taiwanese companies. On the other hand, due to Taiwan’s quick response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, its probably one of the best and safest places to be at now.