2020/01/30

From Gifted Classes All the Way Through School: Entering University Was Her First “Failure”

In elementary school, she was a model student; in junior high, she attended a gifted class; and in senior high, she entered a gifted medical-science class. Chiu Chu-yun (original name: 邱竹韻; romanization unverified) says that many teachers regarded her choice of the Department of Political Economy at National Sun Yat-sen University as her first failure in eighteen years. Yet in the department she changed from a gifted student concerned only with herself into someone determined to solve social problems. Chiu admits that when she first entered university, she was deeply afraid of how others saw her: she did not dare express opinions or join clubs. A lecture by An-ting Liu (劉安婷) in her second year led her to try to change. She interned at a consulting firm, a garment factory in Myanmar, and Bank of Communications in Shanghai; pursued a double major in business management and two programs; and freed herself from the shadow of grades-first thinking, regaining confidence and courage. She quotes Liu An-ting: “Once you start walking, you understand far more than by staying where you are.”

National Sun Yat-sen University as I See It

The fiery red-brick buildings and the expansive sea were Chu-yun’s first impressions of NSYSU, along with the ubiquitous macaques. “Whatever you want to do, just bring it to the university!” NSYSU has a very open campus culture. Alongside frequent cultural-creative and food markets, it encourages students to participate in social movements. Among its facilities, Chu-yun especially mentions the front-row sea-view study seats in the library, its discussion spaces, and the Library Acquisition Request System, through which students can ask the university to purchase books they want to read; the yearly allowance is five books, and she says with a laugh that she has used nearly all of it every year. First- and second-year students are guaranteed accommodation; the campus provides shared scooters and bicycles, and scooters make it easy to travel to and from the city.

The One-of-a-Kind Department of Political Economy at NSYSU

Does political economy prepare you to be a politician who promotes the economy, or to run for president after graduation? Considered separately, “politics” concerns how authority is established and how collective justice is achieved through organizational allocation; “economics” examines how people make the best use of their resources in markets. When politics and economics are connected, the subject is the role that markets and the state play in society. Why, for example, are betel nuts so cheap? Many people think it is simply because supply exceeds demand. But during the Ten Major Construction Projects, many farmers became workers, and chewing betel nuts to stay alert became widespread. Demand and prices rose, prompting more people to cultivate them. When construction stabilized, however, the number of workers dropped sharply, producing today’s oversupply. To understand contemporary society, politics and economics cannot be separated.

So What Does the Department of Political Economy Actually Study?

Faculty expertise includes economic development, international trade, international relations, and public policy, but the undergraduate curriculum remains integrative in orientation, much like an advanced high-school civics course. Required courses include Principles of Economics, Political Science, Mathematical Economics (Calculus), Statistics, Political Economy, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Public Economics, and International Political Economy (for detailed course content, see the Department section on the linked IOH page). The final required course is the Political Economy Practicum Project. Chu-yun chose to study food waste, examining its definition, the amount of kitchen waste in different areas, and which government agencies and organizations could help address it, thereby learning about the difficulties of public policy. Beyond the required curriculum, the department offers advanced political and economic electives that students may choose according to their interests.

What Skills Can I Take Away?

To explain the department’s core abilities, Chu-yun uses the example of a friend arguing with their partner. Perceptiveness lets you quickly notice a friend’s unhappy expression; through indirect inquiry and problem-finding, you discover that the friend saw her boyfriend chatting with an ex-girlfriend. But you also need independent thought and rational criticism: instead of accepting a preconception, you trace why the ex-girlfriend appeared and find that she may simply be a work colleague. Finally, with good organizational skills, you listen to the other side, integrate viewpoints, and resolve the problem. In a classroom example, discussions in International Political Economy require students first to identify stakeholders, distinguish reliable information from material viewed from different angles, and then find the greatest common ground within what countries can concede.

Am I Suited to Political Economy? What Careers Are Available After Graduation?

“If you want a very clearly defined employment goal—for example, becoming a doctor once you pass a licensing exam—this is not a good fit for you.” Chu-yun believes the department suits students who want to try many possibilities, develop soft skills, and care deeply about public issues. Being able to articulate ideas clearly and being good at mathematics make the program easier to navigate. The indispensable quality is an open mind: many courses use group discussion, and students unwilling to accept others’ opinions will find learning difficult. Many students continue to graduate school in politics or economics, or switch to business administration or finance. Those who work directly can thrive as legislative assistants, in media and finance, in corporate management departments, as entrepreneurs, or in public service.

A Journey into a Double Major in Business Management

The Department of Political Economy’s training helped Chu-yun see many hidden social issues and made her want to address them through the power of business, so she stepped into the Department of Business Management. She describes business management as “the science of making things run smoothly,” with study centered on production, marketing, people, research and development, and finance. Taking IOH as an example: “production” is operations management for producing PowerPoint presentations and recording videos; “marketing” lets more people know the platform through high-school talks and online promotion; “people” is management of IOH’s full-time staff and interns; “research and development” explores new lecture formats and audiences; and “finance” uses financial management to understand how to keep IOH running smoothly.

Programs: A New Way to Take Courses Across Departments

NSYSU has abundant program resources: 46 integrated programs, 5 professional programs, and 21 microprograms. Unlike double majors and minors, programs cross departmental boundaries and let students take courses on topics that interest them. Many issues today require interdisciplinary ability; “food safety,” for example, involves both the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Political Economy. Depending on the type of program, students must complete from 9 to 30 credits. “Many people enter a department just because their score qualifies, but transferring or pursuing a double major is not so easy, and they may not even have enough time to finish. Programs let you gain expertise in an area without taking on too many credits.” For the double-major, minor, and program distinctions and the Accounting, Smart City, and Smart Transportation programs Chiu completed, see the Program section on the linked IOH page.

A Senior Student’s Must-Take Course Recommendation

Having taken many courses, Chu-yun most strongly recommends Political Economy (II). She describes it as watching the path of the world, helping students understand how countries came to be as they are today. Singapore, for instance, used the state to develop its economy: it created the Economic Development Board, a civil-service system without iron-rice-bowl security, and sovereign wealth funds. To integrate its diverse ethnic groups, it also allocates public housing proportionally and protects minorities’ rights to political participation. Beyond required courses and programs, she also recommends lecture courses offered by departments and colleges, which invite people from specialized fields to share their experience and give students interested in crossing fields an entry point for exploration. But she cautions that a popular course is not necessarily a good one; you have to discover courses that enrich you.

Internship Experiences: Who Says You Have to Go to a Big Company?

“Most businesses in Taiwan are small and medium-sized enterprises. Interning at one can actually give you a better understanding of a company’s internal processes.” Chu-yun interned at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Center for Public Opinion and Market Research, City Creative Development Consulting Co., Ltd., the Shanghai Branch of Bank of Communications, and a garment factory in Yangon, Myanmar. Once shy and timid, she began smiling as she started conversations with strangers, worked with partners on homelessness issues, and even traveled alone to another country, experiencing the sorrow of prosperity and poverty existing side by side. “People in Myanmar earn only a few thousand a month, yet they are so willing to share. It made me rethink how we seem to have so much, but are always unhappy because we keep looking for something better.”

Growth Is Often Hidden in the Process of Constantly Trying

“Recently, a friend said that I am very different from when I was a first-year student. I used to listen quietly at the side; now I can speak fluently with everyone. That was when I suddenly realized I had changed,” Chu-yun says with a smile. She began by sharing her views only with people she knew, then gradually took the initiative to raise ideas with group members, serve as a group leader, and give presentations. Eventually, she became a teaching assistant for four courses. She came to realize that “growth” is often hidden in the process of constant experimentation. The more you want to accomplish, the more you must understand time management. “Economics taught me ‘opportunity cost.’ Everyone wants the best value for money, so why not spend time on things of greater value?” Chu-yun believes that “do not choose comfort when it is time to strive” applies to all university students. University is the time when the cost of taking on any challenge is lowest; we need not fear being labeled a “success” or a “failure.” Let us embrace new attempts wholeheartedly.