Sam Shieh
Hola, my name is Sam, and I’m from Taipei, Taiwan. If you ask me, what is my favorite part about the NSYSU campus? The answer is already the picture, the breathtaking and endless sunset will cheer you up on the way heading to campus. IBMBA, the program I’m studying in, offers even better experiences opportunities. Firstly, the diverse composition of students is one of its icons. We have almost half Taiwanese local students and the other half are from all over the world. In class, we are expected to team up with people from different countries. Anxious and nervous? Not really, with the help of SA(student association), lots of activities are held in the throughout the semester. We got plenty of chances to get to know each other from “Shaved Ice Orientation”, followed by “Water Sports Festival” and “Halloween Party”. If you are willing to take the initiative and participate in these events, it’s safe to say that you will have a bunch of buddies to go through the semester and carry all the tasks and memories with the help of one another.
Program Design
As a local student, I truly appreciate the course map design of the IBMBA program. In the first year, students are not required to immediately choose a thesis advisor, either before enrollment or at the start of the semester. Instead, we are encouraged to take classes, meet professors, and gradually discover which mentor best aligns with our interests. As a result, most of my classmates confirmed their thesis advisors after the winter break or toward the end of the second semester.
For local students, exchange or dual degree opportunities are arranged in the second year of the program. If you have already completed an exchange during your bachelor’s studies, as I did in Amsterdam (AUAS), you are exempted from going abroad again. This gave me the flexibility to finish all my credits in three semesters and then dedicate my final semester to both an internship and my thesis. This policy provides excellent flexibility for planning one’s academic and professional path.
Sustainability
During my studies in Western Europe, sustainability was a recurring theme across courses. To my surprise, I found that IBMBA also integrates sustainability into its curriculum in meaningful ways. For example, the Sustainable Leadership Forum introduces us to fundamental concepts and global perspectives. Another elective, Sustainability of Global Enterprises, requires us to review diverse weekly readings in advance, followed by dynamic discussions in class.
One of the most impressive courses for me was Business Model Development and Practice of Social Enterprises. The course centered on a group project where we identified each member’s strengths and available resources, then designed a feasible business model canvas to showcase our ideas. The professor even organized a weekend workshop, bringing in industry mentors to guide us. At the end of the semester, we presented our projects in a business competition format, with awards and bonuses given to the top teams.
These diverse courses not only nurtured my curiosity but also motivated me to further explore new knowledge. On top of that, the program allows students to take up to two courses from other departments, which creates even more opportunities to learn from different disciplines and professors.
Conclusion
Overall, the IBMBA program stands out for its well-structured yet flexible design, global perspective, and strong focus on sustainability and innovation. With opportunities for exchange, interdisciplinary learning, and practical projects, the program equips students with both academic knowledge and real-world skills. It is an excellent choice for anyone eager to grow in an international environment while preparing for a dynamic career in global business.