High Point University students experienced Taiwan’s rich tapestry of languages, landscapes, cuisine, eastern religions and more.
HIGH POINT, N.C., June 21, 2024 – High Point University continued to expand the locales of its Global Experience and “Maymester” programs, with students traveling to Taiwan for the first time in addition to nine other countries this summer.
Short-term study abroad programs allow HPU students to travel internationally with their professors to learn about different countries through real-world experiences. Their destinations this year included Taiwan, Japan and Australia in addition to the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece and Switzerland.
“This year’s outstanding variety of faculty-led study abroad programs include new courses in fashion and design and luxury management to compliment popular returning courses in art, business, history, biodiversity and conservation, sport management, media and popular culture and world languages,” said Dr. Jeffrey M. Palis, assistant vice president for Global Education. “Despite our growth, we haven’t lost sight of what makes these programs so special — the enriching opportunity to live and learn abroad with faculty mentors while having our eyes opened to new ways of approaching the challenges and opportunities that will face future global leaders.”
Global Experience programs are semester-long courses taught on campus with a two-week international travel component at the end of the semester. Maymester programs are month-long, self-contained courses generally taught while abroad in May and June. Here are highlights from some of the Asian and Australian programs. Read about the journeys HPU students took through European destinations here.
Teaching in Taiwan
Dr. Daliang Wang, chair of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures and associate professor of Chinese, led HPU’s first-ever Global Experience course to Taiwan as 11 HPU students embarked on an enriching 15-day exploration of the country’s diverse culture and history.
The trip offered a unique opportunity to experience Taiwan’s rich tapestry of languages, people, landscapes, fine cuisine, eastern religions and philosophies, history, arts and more.
“Taiwan, a place where East meets West and ancient history meets modern development, provided the perfect backdrop for this educational adventure,” said Wang. “The students gained invaluable insights and broadened their horizons through this immersive experience.”
Students studied Taiwan’s culture in the classroom and then experienced it firsthand, said Savannah Graver, a senior international relations major with Chinese and environmental science minors.
“This prepared us to be culturally competent as we explored different historical sites, temples and museums,” said Graver, who is from Allentown, Pennsylvania. “I now have a better understanding of the culture as I prepare to move there for language studies. This experience not only allowed me to learn the historical background and experience the culture but also to make connections with Taiwanese students my age in the country. I now feel much more comfortable knowing some friends I made in the country.”
Isabel Arroyo, a senior double major in criminal justice and international relations with a minor in Chinese, said she learned about the culture of Taiwan and China but also general Asian cultural norms.
“In my future, I hope to do social justice and human rights work internationally,” said Arroyo, who is from Long Island, New York. “This experience gave me insight on the societal expectations of how community plans a large role in everyone’s lives. It is opportunities like this trip that will add to my cultural experiences and understanding of others that will help me to do better work in international communities. This trip also gave me a chance to be culture shocked, something that not everyone likes. However, I find it to be a great learning opportunity, especially since I was experiencing it with my friends. Culture shock does not always have to be negative and can lead to greater understanding. I appreciate that this trip gave that to me as it can help me to better adjust to living abroad when I study in Madrid, Spain, in the fall semester.”
Exploration in Japan
Students experienced and compared new and old popular cultural practices during their residency in Japan, said Dr. Stefan Hall, faculty director of the Ganbatte! Media and Pop Culture in Japan Maymester.
“HPU Ganbatte students have been busy exploring the unique blend of traditional and popular culture in Japan by visiting temples and anime studios, learning how to make sushi and wear a kimono, studying the history of video games, taking in a professional baseball game and even appearing in a local news program while playing Japanese drums (taiko),” said Hall. “As Osaka is the food capital of Japan, they have also embraced the spirit of kuidaore or ‘eat until you drop’ and trying many foods that have not been exported to America as well as Japanese interpretations of international cuisine.”
Interior design and fashion merchandising students also explored Japan, which they found incredibly different and yet simultaneously discovered many similarities, said Victoria Brown, assistant professor of home furnishings and interior design.
“The trip centered around Osaka, but students also traveled to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe,” Brown said. “They visited temples, historical sites, participated in traditional dyeing techniques and learned about traditional forms of dress and design. They also met local Japanese college students, who showed them around Osaka, and established friendships that will no doubt continue beyond this trip. Visiting Japan was an eye-opening, perspective-shifting, once-in-a-lifetime adventure for both students and professors. It was not only an amazing trip but a chance for personal growth as well.”
Personal growth was one of the highlights shared by Mary Kate Hewitt, a Class of 2025 interior design major and visual merchandising minor from Hamden, Connecticut.
“While in Japan, I discovered more about myself, design, food and culture than I ever imagined possible,” said Hewitt. “My main takeaways from my trip were the intentional design practices, the warmth of the locals and their appreciation for their surroundings. At times, this trip was out of my comfort zone. I became a much more experienced and independent person. I have renewed faith in myself and my capacity to attempt new things, appreciate every possible experience and seize every opportunity to learn about the world and purpose of design.”
Global Business in Australia
Leading business students in Australia was a delight, said Dr. Oliver Stoutner, director of Business Fellows and assistant professor of management.
“Students in High Point University’s Global Business in Sydney Maymester course worked with a number of world-class experts, including Reserve Bank of Australia’s Head of International Department, Dr. Penelope Smith, who helped shed more light into the Reserve Bank’s crucial role in supporting domestic and international economic policy,” said Stoutner.
The group visited with staff from the UNESCO World Heritage Sydney Opera House to learn about its significance to the people of Australia and what it takes to keep a world-class performing arts space running smoothly. A professor of international business at the University of Sydney Business School met with HPU students to delve into Australia’s robust global trade partnerships. An author and negotiation expert shared real-world advice on how to improve personal and professional communication.
“Students in High Point University’s Global Business in Sydney course met with city leaders to learn more about developing and promoting sustainability-focused business partnerships, and worked with Tangaroa Blue Foundation, to help clean, measure and track rubbish at a nearby beach,” Stoutner said. “We removed more than 80 pounds of plastics and rubbish in a little over an hour.”
While visiting Canberra, Australia’s capital, students met with diplomats and law enforcement at the U.S. Embassy to learn more about the embassy’s vital role in fostering U.S.-Australia trade and technology partnerships and how diplomats support U.S. citizens overseas.
“Our visit to Canberra also included an insightful discussion of the fourth estate with news editors at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) studios, an exploration of legislative similarities and differences between the U.S. and Australia at the Parliament of Australia, and a moving tribute to those who’ve served in Australia’s military with High Point University Phillips School of Business Professor Scott Jobe laying a wreath during the Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial,” Stoutner said.
Students met with a variety of business leaders while in Australia, said Claire Zucker, a Class of 2026 marketing major with a minor in data analytics.
“These businesses had similar practices to American businesses but had some key ideals that made them unique to Australia,” said Zucker, who is from Scottsdale, Arizona. “It was interesting to see the differences in benefits, pay, diversity and more. Learning about global business while getting to see actual global businesses helped me understand at a deeper level and also visualize the differences between global and national businesses.”
Studying abroad in Sydney was an introduction to an entirely new part of the world for Vivian Love, a Class of 2024 entrepreneurship major from San Francisco, California, who recently won HPU’s annual Business Plan Competition. She learned about the history of Aboriginal culture and the influence of global business. At the same time, she experienced personal growth as she learned to find her place in a new country and continued to expand her global horizons.
“Australia is a country with a rich entrepreneurial spirit,” said Love. “I loved their approach to sustainable innovation and access to resources for emerging businesses. As a recent graduate of our entrepreneurship program, I saw this country through an entirely new lens, observing how innovation impacts the world internationally. For my business, Aircierge, I found myself more excited than ever to bring our product to a global stage and share the importance of travel around the world.”
The experience of living in a foreign country not only enhanced her ability to connect effectively in a multicultural setting but provided an opportunity to build a global network for future business endeavors, said Ann McNulty, a Class of 2026 international business major with a minor in Italian from Miller Place, New York.
“The firsthand insights into the business and social culture of Sydney, coupled with interactions with government officials, scholars and business executives, have reinforced and expanded my classroom knowledge,” said McNulty. “Moreover, the global network I built and the practical knowledge I gained about foreign market and sustainability efforts have given me a competitive edge in the job market.”
Learning about cultural awareness, global interconnection and cultural navigation was vital for Phillip Redford, a Class of 2025 finance major.
“Exploring Sydney’s multicultural environment and participating in a Chinese cultural tour taught me to respect and learn from diverse cultural norms, enhancing cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills,” said Redford, who is from Wheeling, West Virginia. “Experiences with indigenous leaders in the Blue Mountains highlighted the urgency of sustainable practices and the interconnectedness of global environmental issues.”
Being part of the Life Across Space and Time: Biodiversity and Conservation course in Australia was an eye-opener for Lindsay Elliott, a senior biology major with a minor in psychology.
“Studying Biodiversity and Conservation in Australia put into perspective just how large this world is and how important each and every living being on this planet is,” said Elliott, who is from Orlando, Florida. “I realized just how intertwined our world is. We as humans have such a special opportunity to connect with one another and get out of our comfort zones all in the name of education and growth as an individual.”