Alcorn student returns after semester in Taiwan
As Alcorn State senior and Natchez native De’Michael Queen reflects on his experience studying abroad in Taiwan, he sums up his time there with an emphatic statement.
“My study abroad trip was absolutely amazing!” said Queen, who majors in electro-mechanical engineering. “Everything from the people, the culture and the food was astounding.”
Queen expanded his horizons this summer by attending Yuan Ze University, a school located in Taoyuan, Taiwan that is known for its engineering program.
Established in 1989, Yuan Ze University has been recognized as a model for newly emerging universities within its short 20 years. As the first and only university to win the National Quality Award in 2003, Yuan Ze received an award from the Ministry of Education for the Teaching Excellence Project in 2005. The school’s colleges include the Colleges of Engineering, Informatics, Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Electrical and Communications Engineering. The university has over 9,000 students.
Queen became intrigued by the idea of studying outside of the United States from listening to one of his friend’s experience while studying abroad in Morocco.
“My friend told me about the experience and I wanted to do something similar. I applied for a program called study abroad and was accepted.”
Queen’s experience gave him the chance to have a great time while becoming a better engineer.
“It required me to assimilate knowledge by using hands on methods, providing me with experience that a classroom setting could not implement. They allowed me to take advanced engineering courses that expanded my knowledge about my filed of study. I had fun doing it all.”
Queen mentioned some of the skills he learned while attending school in Taiwan. He knew that choosing to enroll at the university would push him to be the best in his field.
“I learned how to speak and write Chinese characters. I also learned how to write programs for machines. Most importantly, I learned what areas I need to improve in. Asia is the largest producer of engineering graduates in the world. I knew that their learning strategies and methods were different from the ones I have been accustomed to, so I wanted to challenge myself.”
Queen enjoyed his experience so much that he could see himself returning in the future.
“After graduation, I will further my education in engineering and earn my master’s. It’s a strong possibility I will return after that.”
