International academic interaction has been confined due to the spread of COVID-19. However, the Office of International and Cross-strait Affairs (OICA) at NCUE did not stop pushing forward global interaction but launched unprecedented virtual activities, including summer camps, exchange learning, and exchange student orientation. These events are highly acclaimed by foreign students. They are impressed by the live tour of Lukang township, which is especially designed for summer camps; some of them therefore have a great interest in Taiwanese culture and look forward to being part of NCUE inbound students. It shows NCUE successfully maintains international interaction despite the pandemic.

In this semester, OICA successfully establishes an online exchange system that has never been used at NCUE. This system helps exchange students from Indonesia and Mainland China attend courses in Guidance and Counseling, Business Administration, Accounting, English, Chinese, Science Education, Biology, and Public Affairs & Civil Education. OICA, as usual, held an orientation for Chinese and non-China region exchange students. Through the video shot on location, OICA staff and NCUE International Ambassadors, who receive training from OICA, guided the students to have an immersive tour in Jinde and Baoshan campuses. Apart from the tour, OICA spiced up the event by designing a game as an icebreaker and arranging for students to share their own cultures and universities with others, enabling the exchange students to feel the hospitality from NCUE faculty and students though they are on the other side of the Internet.

This year, a one-week International Summer Camp was held via the Internet, including participants from America, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, etc. OICA also hosted a three-day Lukang Culture Experience Camp for students from the partner universities in the Mainland. There were four sessions of the two camps in total with near 90 participants. The camps had full supports from NCUE International Ambassadors.

The camps provided fundamental Chinese language and Taiwanese culture classes in the NCUE language center, and also the live tour in Lukang township. For this special activity, OICA scales up the effort in manpower, time of preparation, and equipment, organizing different routes for the two camps. The tour guide, through instant live streaming, told background stories in both Chinese and English, leading the students to pass by tourist attractions like Lukang Old Street, Longshan Temple, Tianhou Temple, Half-Side Well, Lukang Osmanthus Alley Artist Village, traditional grocery stores, and Jiu-Qu Lane. In addition, OICA arranged a virtual workshop on Lion Head Painting, which is one of the traditional Taiwanese crafts. Through online instruction, a craftsman led students to do the painting by themselves with the materials sent to them in advance by the camp staff. Students showed their artworks in front of the webcam with smiley faces full of happiness. There are still other activities, such as campus tours, introduction to Changhua, introduction to NCUE featured departments, and experience sharing of inbound students.

Most participants think the camp activities were well arranged and adopted the teaching strategies which were interesting and comprehensible, and they received rewarding experiences from this event. Particularly that they were able to experience Taiwanese local culture and hospitality through a live tour in Lukang while they were staying abroad. There is a Japanese participant who has learned Chinese for two years but is afraid of speaking out loud. However, the student built the confidence of speaking during the event. Some of the participants enjoyed the online interaction with others though they do not speak Chinese and English well; some Chinese participants said it is the first time for them to experience in person how Taiwanese education differs from that of the Mainland. Taiwanese education includes more western elements but is added with traditional cultural features as well, which arouses their interest to apply to study in Taiwan on exchange. In addition, there are also other participants who were impressed by the passion and patience of responsible teachers and friendly International Ambassadors. They, therefore, plan to travel, study, work, or learn Chinese in Taiwan.

Dean of International Office Han-Wen Li addressed the openings of the camps and Exchange Student Orientation, showing his welcome and anticipation to the coming of foreign students for exchange programs and camps when the pandemic slows down