In support of the Ministry of Education’s New Southbound Learning Ocean Dream Building Program, which is aimed at fostering a deep understanding of the cultural backgrounds of New Southbound countries, integrating learning and application, and strengthening career development, the Department of International Business at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (STUST) organized an overseas internship led by Chairman Jing-Zhong Lin, with full support from the project’s grant and matching funds from the university. Four third-year students—Jia-Wen Chang, Yu-Chun Lin, Hui-Tsi Yu, and You-Chian Gao—along with Li-Jie Wang from the University of Tainan—departed from Kaohsiung Airport on the 23rd for Da Nang, Vietnam. The 32-day internship was designed to actively expand students’ international perspectives and mobility.

【Chairman Jing-Zhong Lin of the Department of International Business at STUST led the four students—Jia-Wen Chang, Yu-Chun Lin, Hui-Tsi Yu, and You-Chian Gao—along with Li-Jie Wang from the University of Tainan, in a cheerful send-off at Kaohsiung Airport. The group departed for Da Nang, Vietnam, for a 32-day overseas internship, marking the beginning of the New Southbound Learning Dream Building initiative.】

Cross-Border Collaboration: Immersive Learning and the International Convention and Exhibition Industry

This overseas internship, generously supported by STUST’s sister university in Vietnam, FPT University, held great significance. Founded in 2006 and directly affiliated with the FPT Group (Financing and Promoting Technology), FPT University is first enterprise-founded higher education institution in Vietnam. Renowned for its professional training in technology, it was recognized in 2012 as Vietnam’s first three-star university in the QS World University Rankings, with five-star ratings for both teaching quality and social responsibility. It is currently considered one of most promising key universities in Vietnam. FPT University not only offers an all-English teaching environment but also actively collaborates with international partners such as Taiwan, France, and Germany, working to cultivate global talent.

【To ensure smooth overseas internships, STUST and the International Cooperation Center of FPT University’s Danang Campus provided students with comprehensive pre-employment training. The photo shows the students well-prepared and confident in embracing the challenges ahead.】

The Department of International Business arranged for the five students to participate in an all-English workplace training program at the four-star Sala Danang Beach Hotel and the five-star DLG Danang Hotel. This internship not only offered them a deep understanding of hotel operations within the MICE industry and valuable practical workplace experience but also gave them the opportunity to experience the realities of working in a foreign country and to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture. This experience has effectively broadened their international perspectives, significantly enhanced their global mobility, and laid a solid foundation for future development in New Southbound countries.

【Chairman Jing-Zhong Lin of the Department of International Business at STUST poses for a photo with students participating in the New Southbound Learning Dream program in front of the five-star DLG Danang Hotel in Vietnam. The students will undertake a 32-day, all-English internship at the hotel, gaining in-depth experience in the convention and exhibition industry while broadening their international perspectives.】

Comprehensive Preparations: FPT University, a Sister University of STUST, Fully Supports the Program

To ensure the students’ internship was both fulfilling and safe, the International Cooperation Center at FPT University’s Danang campus, serving as a co-organizer, had demonstrated strong collaboration. The center actively assisted with student interviews, accommodation arrangements, cultural adaptation activities, study partner assignments, and comprehensive pre-employment training, ensuring that the students’ overseas internships were productive and rewarding. The students expressed deep gratitude to the Department of International Business for proactively securing valuable overseas internship opportunities and funding, as well as for the thorough preparation and thoughtful arrangements for both internship activities and daily life. They greatly appreciated the university’s commitment to the international development of its students.

International Vision: The Department of International Business’s Commitment to Cultivating Global Talent

The Department of International Business at STUST has long prioritized the internationalization of its students. In addition to actively incorporating international elements into its curriculum and learning activities, the department is dedicated to supporting students in pursuing diverse overseas exchange and learning opportunities. This commitment led to the creation of this valuable internship program. Furthermore, the Department of International Business offers a Bachelor of International Business program, taught entirely in English, with full or half tuition waivers. This program has attracted dozens of international and outstanding Taiwanese students, further enriching the department’s international atmosphere and cultivating professionals with truly global competitiveness.

【Students from the Department of International Business at STUST, led by Chairman Jing-Zhong Lin, took a memorable group photo in front of the four-star Sala Danang Beach Hotel in Vietnam. This New Southbound Learning Ocean Dream Building internship enables students not only to apply their professional skills in a foreign hotel setting but also to gain a deeper understanding of local culture, opening up endless possibilities for their future international careers.】

Deepening International Connections and Cultivating a New Generation of Transnational Mobility

President Nen-Fu Huang of STUST highly commended the trip by faculty and students from the Department of International Business to Vietnam to participate in the Ministry of Education’s New Southbound Learning Dream Program. He emphasized that international mobility is an indispensable core competitiveness for the younger generation in today’s globalized era. STUST actively supports the Ministry of Education’s New Southbound Policy and, through the Learning Dream Program, provides students with valuable opportunities to directly experience international workplaces and cultures, truly integrating learning with practice. This not only strengthens the university’s educational ties with New Southbound countries but also reflects STUST’s commitment to cultivating globally engaged professionals with international perspectives, cross-cultural adaptability, and practical problem-solving skills. The university hopes these students will return with fruitful results, share their learning and insights with academia and industry, and become vital bridges for deepening New Southbound relations in the future.