A View from the Mountain: Reflections on My Studies in IMAS
When I first entered my dorm at National Chengchi University, I was greeted to a view overlooking the verdant foliage of Muzha. Thanks to the plethora of opportunities at NCCU, my view also broadened metaphorically over the ensuing years, bringing me in contact with exciting new topics and ways of thinking that have deeply affected my intellectual development.
In IMAS conferences, I traveled throughout Taiwan, where I exchanged my research with local students in locations like the outlying island of Matsu and the bustling port city of Keelung. The NCCU Mandarin training center, conveniently located five minutes from the dorms, made it possible to attain advanced Chinese skills within two years. Meanwhile Taipei has access to rich archival sources that became the basis of my master’s thesis.
Diversity is indeed the defining characteristic of IMAS. As a top institution in international relations, NCCU is frequently visited by important political figures. I remember fondly when I had the pleasure of eating a lunch with the ambassador from Somaliland! With great political and international connections, IMAS puts its students in contact with a world of opportunities.
Socially, I made some of my best friends while studying in Taiwan. Shared spaces in the NCCU dorms create strong community and tradition, such as viewing the New Year’s fireworks at Taipei 101 from the Arts and Culture deck (the view from the mountains really cannot be beat). Taipei’s wonderful public transit system also connects students with fun opportunities throughout the city. I personally spent most of my weekend mornings rowing Dragon Boat on the river in Xindian, which is just a short 30-minute bus ride from the back gate of campus.
The academic and social influences I encountered in IMAS fundamentally changed my outlook. I entered NCCU as a Japan specialist, but meeting Taiwanese people and using local archives made me into a transnational researcher who is better able to incorporate diverse viewpoints into my writing. The perspective I gained in IMAS is the foundation of my current doctoral research work at the University of Pennsylvania. As an experience that critically contributed to my intellectual growth, IMAS is a program I would recommend to all curious and adventurous researchers.
