Honor Roll

【College of Management】Congratulations! The College of Management, NSYSU Awarded Various Prestigious Awards in the AVM Creative Competition (2021, 5th running) for the First Time

This year, the College of Management of National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) participated in the AVM Creative Competition (2021, 5th running of the competition) for the first time, and won several awards. The competition is held once a year, and over 50 teams from universities and colleges across Taiwan participated in the competition this year. Among them, 14 teams from NSYSU took part in the competition, won four out of the ten winning spots in the Standard Umbrella Case category, and finished in second place in the competition. In addition, one team won an Excellence Award in the Business Case Design category.

The NSYSU Integrative Strategic Value Management System (iSVMS) University Branch Center was set up in March last year. The College of Management, NSYSU, has been committed to the development of big data analytics in business in recent years, and is deeply aware of the need for quality data in order to come up with more valuable information. Because of this, center director Professor Wei-Che Tsai, under the guidance and encouragement of Dean San-Yih Hwang, has been actively promoting the use of Activity Value Management (AVM) in teaching, hoping to nurture outstanding students and encourage students to participate in the competition.

Before the competition, the College of Management, NSYSU, held a training camp for the AVM competition and invited Professor Chui-chang Chiu from the Department of Accounting at the National Changhua University of Education to give guidance to the students. They also distributed Professor Anne Wu's book, The Ultimate Answer to Business Strategy, with the aim of providing students with a better understanding of the essence of AVM and helping them prepare for the competition.

In this competition, the team “PUIPUI”, led by Associate Professor Ni-Yun Chen of the Department of Business Management, NSYSU, consisted of third-year students Ze-wei Du (杜則緯), Jun-jia Liu (劉竣嘉), Wo-hua Lin (林渥樺), and Wen-qi Li (李雯旂).  The team’s name was PUIPUI, which is the sound that guinea pigs make when they are happy. The team took guinea pigs as their spiritual symbol, hoping to bring joy to the world as guinea pigs do and to keep moving forward. The team won the silver prize in the Standard Umbrella Case category.

Three other teams won the Excellence Award in the Standard Umbrella Case category.  The first team, “We are the Right Team (有我們就隊)”, led by Associate Professor Chun-Hua Tang from the Department of Finance, NSYSU, consisted of Yu-ci Liu (劉育慈), Jia-Yu Lin (林家聿), Zi-ran Wang (王子然), and Pei-yuan Cai (蔡霈沅), sophomores in the Department of Finance. By participating in this competition, they hoped to apply what they had learned so far to their case and to strengthen their weaknesses. The second team, “Unibrella”, led by Assistant Professor Chih-yuan Wang, Department of Business Management, NSYSU, consisted of students from the Department of Business Management and the Department of Finance Zhe-hao Zhang (張哲豪), Ying-hua Huang (黃盈華), Yu-ching Wu (吳聿晴), Yi-yu Lian (練奕妤), and Yi-xuan Cai (蔡宜諠). The team hoped to utilize what they had learned in the classroom in a business case through the competition and develop an applicable business strategy. They hoped to combine the professional knowledge of managerial accounting and cost accounting learned in the Department of Finance with the framework of strategic models from the Department of Business Management to deepen the understanding and application of knowledge in the field of AVM. The third team, “Our Team, So What?”, coached by Professor Wei-Che Tsai from the Department of Finance, NSYSU, consisted of juniors from the Department of Finance Jia-jun Lin (林家郡), Zhi-yun Chen (陳芝筠), Fang-yu Chen (陳芳妤), Qi-yun Cheng (鄭淇云), and Xin Chen (陳欣).  With a broad-minded outlook, they hoped to understand the essence of AVM and the importance of corporate financial statements through this competition.

Finally, the “Strike the Opponents ‘til they are Can Xi Xi (慘羲羲, miserable)” team, coached by Assistant Professor Chia-Fen Tsai of the Department of Finance, NSYSU, consisted of Xi Chen (陳羲), Sheng-xuan Qiu (邱聖軒), Yi-xun Li (李易勳), Yu-jie Zhang (張渝婕), and Guan-rong He (何冠融), who were sophomores and juniors in the Department of Finance. The team name was a bit of fun; it was named after the team leader, Chen Xi, using the sound of his given name, “Xi”, with the intention of boosting the morale of the team. When the competition started, the team was ready to snatch the championship like a lightning bolt, and they took home the Excellence Award in the Business Case Design category.

The College would like to extend its congratulations to all the students who received awards, and to take this opportunity to encourage all students to keep up the good work, pass the baton from one generation to the next, refine their understanding of accounting theory through case studies, and carry forward the vision of the College of Management and award-winning spirit.

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NSYSU EMBA wins Gentleman's Tripod again in EMBA Alliance Summit(Discover NSYSU)

【From Public Affairs Division】

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News Report

【Student Association】The Virtual International Lounge - Distance makes our heart grow fonder

11^th June 2021, the Student Association of International Programs (SA) held the "International Lounge" activity. It is an important event every semester that is mainly for introducing the election candidates' teams for the following student association. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event can’t be held like every other year, but that didn't stop the SA from running this event. Where there is a will, there is a way. The SA holds it on virtually by Google Meet, which empowers the chance to let our programs students know more about the candidates and realize which team is the most appropriate for the position.

The event started at 8 pm and began with a speech from the 7th SA president, Lim Yin Hui (Rossie), briefing the Term-end report and summarizing the events that have conducted for the spring semester. Overall, they have organized 8 SA events in various types, such as Lantern Festival Activity, Photo Contest-Living in harmony with Nature, Language Exchange, Gathering with Faculties, Black Valentines Party, Resume and Interview Workshop, International Lounge, and finally the Election, and assisted 4 events for the College of Management, in total with 12 events during their term. Rossie thanked everyone for always supporting them throughout the semester and cherished the chance be allowed to serve them. She was highly thankful for the efforts of vice presidents Sam Lee and Erica Liu. It would have been impossible to take on so many responsibilities and tasks without them.

Afterward, all of the 3 SA candidates' teams for the upcoming SA election presented their mission, future plan, and campaign promises. The first team was Team 3_M.T.M, with the slogan "Let's Make iT Marvelous" composed of Tomas Kejha (1^st-year GHRM MBA student) running for president, Melody Hsueh (1^st-year IBMBA student), and Michal Poláček(1^st-year GHRM MBA student) running for vice presidents. If elected, they wish to become the bridge between students and faculty and help the students to improve expertise through the workshops. Some highlights of their plans include Sports Day Gathering & Buffet, Thanksgiving Day with turkey fight, Christmas Ball, and many more.

Team 1_We Hear You includes Reianthong Vongsangkam (Purm) (1^st-year GHRM MBA student) for the post of president, Jonathan Yu (1^st-year IBMBA student), and Cao Huynh Hong Phan(Rosie) (1^st-year GHRM MBA student) for the post of vice presidents. If elected as the next SA team, they want to focus more on the academic parts. Their vision is to build an inclusive community, let students bring out their fullest potential, fulfill their university life's goals through social activities, Career Development, improve operational management, such as complete thesis, and earn more incentives and experience through the jobs. Lastly, Team 2_Y.S.J. with the slogan "make your MBA life valuable" consisting of Yvonne Liu (1^st-year IBMBA student) serving as president, Sarka Horáková (1^st-year GHRM MBA student) and Jennifer Chiang (1^st-year IBMBA student) serving as vice presidents. If they are elected, they want to focus on building the network and the structure of students' future through academic programs and fun activities such as MBA High Table Gathering, Career Fair & Ph.D. Advising Workshop, Educational Virtual Conference, Abroad Study Advising, International Students Support, BBQ night, and social activities.

The International Lounge has been an avenue to gather 41 students of IBMBA, GHRM MBA, dual degree students virtually under the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many passionate and talented students would like to serve and help other students to gain better experience during their MBA life and promote the International Programs (IBMBA and GHRM MBA) with their creative and innovative ideas. This event was not only a great way to keep the relationships close between students and hear the students' voices, but also provides the ambitious students to leap at the chance for promoting their thoughts for the positions of the Student Association, which would make the program better.

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【IBMBA & GHRM MBA】2021 Graduation Ceremony: A ‘Different’ Kind Of Graduation For A Very Special Batch

After two years of indelible memories, the curtains fell, and it was time to bid adieu to the GHRM MBA and IBMBA batch of 2021. The graduation ceremony for the GHRM MBA and IBMBA  batch of 2021 was held on the 23rd of July via Zoom from 15:00-16:30. Due to the challenges brought about by the pandemic, for the first time, the graduation ceremony was entirely online. GHRM MBA alumnus Ryan Fernandez moderated the event. 

The ceremony started with a speech from the University Principal Prof. Ying-Yao Cheng. In his remarks, Prof. Cheng admitted that the graduation ceremony wasn't 'ordinary’ and said that he was proud of all the graduates and wished them the very best in their future endeavors. Following the speech by the University’s Principal, a message by the Dean of the College of Management, Prof. San-Yih Hwang, was delivered. In his speech, Prof. Hwang expressed his regret of not being able to meet physically due to the pandemic. He congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to visit NSYSU in the future. 

After that, International Program’s Director Assoc. Prof. Chien-Yuan Sher delivered his message and expressed his happiness for the graduates and wished them the very best for their future. It was then followed by a Speech by Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Thijs Velema. In his speech, Prof. Velema declared that he expected great things from the graduates and congratulated them. Deputy Director Assist. Prof Ho-Ting Wong said it was a privilege to have taught the graduates and wished them good luck for their future. 

Finally, Prof. Shyh-Jer Chen, Assoc. Prof Yih Jeng, Assoc. Prof. Hsiao-Wen Ho, Assoc. Prof. David Andersson, Assoc. Prof. Kim-Choy Chung, Asst. Prof. Jeeyeon Kim, Asst. Prof. Ryan Brading, and Asst. Prof. Francois Bouchetox offered their congratulatory messages and wished the graduates success and prosperity for their future. After that, a candid screenshot was captured to commemorate the event, and the roll call of graduates for the GHRM MBA and IBMBA batch of 2021 was conducted. 

For the year 2021, graduate representative speeches were given by Gary Yuan from IBMBA and Perry Kennedy from GHRM MBA. In his speech, Gary Yuan regretted that they couldn't meet in person but was grateful for the last two years. Gary thanked the professors, office members, and friends for the fantastic two years and wished that they'll revisit NSYSU. Perry Kennedy representing GHRM MBA talked about how time flew by so quickly and reminisced about the lessons learned, friendships, and memories forged in the last two years and wished that everyone will do well here on forth. 

A lucky draw was also conducted, and the winners were offered NSYSU T-Shirts. Finally, a tear-jerking video filled with campus memories from the last two years was presented. After the graduation ceremony, GHRM MBA alumni Michal Ryznar, Grace Kuo, and IBMBA alumni Sandy Chen and Trent Prestegar send their congratulatory messages to the graduates along with invaluable career advice to help them jumpstart their careers. 

The batch of 2021 will go down in GHRM MBA and IBMBA history as the first batch to have an online graduation ceremony. It isn't the 'ordinary' graduation ceremony one would expect, but it shows how 'extraordinary' every one of you is. Despite the hurdles brought about by the pandemic, all of you persevered and crossed the finish line, and graduated. Every journey must come to an end, and we hope the memories you made at NSYSU will last a lifetime. May you all forge ahead and succeed, but we hope you'll always revisit NSYSU. We are proud of all of you, and congratulations once again.

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【ACT】Innovation and Entrepreneurship Course “The Road to Innovation and Entrepreneurship” Series Report 1 – From 0 to 1: Discovering New Opportunities in the Post-Epidemic Era

COVID-19 has pushed the pause button on the global economy and has brought radical changes to everyone’s life and work, from the daily operations of businesses to the lifestyles of people. This sudden epidemic has completely turned the norms of human life upside down, but has also shaped the industry in a new way. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship course in the ACT Global Program, taught by Professor Shih-Chieh Hsu, Department of Information Management; Dr. Shih-Hsiang Sung, Program of Interdisciplinary Studies; and Dr. Yu-Yu Chang, lecturer from the Institute of International Management, National Cheng Kung University, has led students on a journey of innovation and entrepreneurship in the post-epidemic era.

With the advent of the post-epidemic era, what new and unexpected opportunities are there for the global market? Through the Design Thinking Workshop, Dr. Shih-Hsiang Sung has guided students to use anthropological thinking to observe and interview the target audience in order to find new directions to solve problems. By using Point of View (POV) and How Might We (HMW) cards, students were able not only to define the needs of the target audience clearly and summarize their characteristics, but also to develop creative products that fit the needs of that audience. During the two-day online Design Thinking Workshop, students from different groups proposed different creative products, including the dating platform, Happy Place, which is expected to mitigate the suffering of not being able to get together with family and friends due to the epidemic; the self-checkout software, Anti-Cashier, which is expected to reduce contact risk; and the audio transcription software, ChatCheck, which is expected to improve the insufficient functionality of existing transcription software.

A good business model design is necessary for a new business to generate revenue and profits. Dr. Yu-Yu Chang used Google Jamboard with the business model game in order to enhance the interactivity of the distance learning course and stimulate the discussion atmosphere among groups of students in class. Through this hands-on process, students were able not only to understand the nine components of the Business Model Canvas more quickly, but also to apply what they had learned to their own proposals with ease. Viktor Seirl, a student from Austria, stated that through the Business Model Canvas, students were able to organize and visualize their ideas better. Erica Littler, a Canadian member of the same group, added that in the process of designing the business model, they were able to define their roles and contributions better within the team.

When a new venture team launches a product in the market, they face many challenges due to their limited understanding of said market. This is why Lean Startup has become essential for new entrepreneurs, helping them to understand user experience and conduct market validation. Professor Shih-Chieh Hsu discussed with students the importance of Lean Startup for new entrepreneurs through case studies. In class, students were encouraged to use the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to design prototypes for market testing. In addition, through continuous “trial and error” and systematic reduction of pivots, new pathways can be found, which increases the chances of success and market acceptance of the tested product. Taseen Saqeeb, a student from Bangladesh, stated that market testing is a great experience. He said, “From each test, we can understand the shortcomings of the product and the actual needs of the market from the feedback of the test subjects, and the feedback is extremely valuable for us in improving the product features and business model design.”

(Written by Yen-Chu Lai from IBMBA / Edited by the College of Management)

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【ACT】Innovation and Entrepreneurship Course “The Road to Innovation and Entrepreneurship” Series Report 2 – Looking at New Venture Teams from a VC Perspective: What Preparations Should Be Made When Raising Venture Capital?

On the path of entrepreneurship, the greatest anxiety for entrepreneurs often comes from “pressure on capital”. For many people who want to start a business but are slow to do so, lack of capital becomes the biggest obstacle to their actions. For start-ups, the need to take responsibility for the success or failure of a company makes it critical to have better control over the capital flow of the business. Access to capital has thus become an important issue that no entrepreneur can ignore. For this reason, the “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” course within the ACT Global Program invited Mr. Ken Chuang, CEO of Rainmaking Innovation, to speak to the class on May 31, hoping that through his extensive practical experience, students could gain a better and deeper understanding of venture capital (VC).

Rainmaking Innovation is an international startup accelerator platform that was set up in Europe 13 years ago. It has established, invested in, and accelerated nearly 1,000 new ventures in 10 major industry sectors with global resources, and is a key partner in strategic management partnerships with Global 500 companies. Rainmaking Innovation acts as a middleman between start-ups and companies, selecting investment targets according to the needs of the companies. To take the Taiwan market as an example, Fintech, Insurtech, Smart City, and AI are its recent main investment areas.

Mr. Chuang, who has seen many start-up businesses emerge and fall, shared with students the factors to which start-up teams should pay attention and for which they should prepare when raising venture capital, from the perspective of VCs:

What do VCs look for when investing in new ventures? 

Mr. Chuang believes that “People, Market, and Technology” are the most important criteria for VCs when evaluating whether or not to invest. He explained that a start-up team must have the entrepreneurial spirit of commitment, integrity, and continuous pursuit of excellence. One of the important indicators when deciding whether to invest in a new team is the extent to which the team members get along with each other. A team that gets along well can go a long way, and vice versa. In terms of the market, VCs look for the ability of a start-up to generate sustainable recurring revenue and a financial plan for the next five years. Finally, regarding the product, the speaker reminded everyone to have a clear definition of their proposed product before proposing to VCs, be it Innovation or Invention, which should be clearly defined.

How does a start-up find the “right” investors? 

In addition to innovative thinking and an executable business model, it is important for a good start-up team to have a solid understanding of investors' business movements. Before looking for an investor, they should analyze in detail the areas where different investors plan to invest for the year; before accepting an investment from an investor, they should find out whether the business organization has the resources they need. By doing so, they can find an investor that is more suitable for them and avoid being manipulated by the investor.

At the end of the speech, Taseen Saqeeb, a student from Bangladesh, asked the speaker, “Have you ever regretted not investing in a business? Have you ever felt regretful after investing in a business?” Mr. Chuang replied, “No regrets! My eyes are as sharp as an eagle’s, and I can find the next team that is more worthy of investment!” Before closing his speech, in addition to reminding students to learn how to promote themselves and create the value needed by venture capitalists, Mr. Chuang also cited a famous quote from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: “If your dreams don't scare you, they’re not big enough!” in order to encourage students to embrace challenges and create unlimited possibilities.

(Written by Yen-Chu Lai from IBMBA / Edited by the College of Management)

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【ACT】Innovation and Entrepreneurship Course “The Road to Innovation and Entrepreneurship” Series Report 3 – The Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship: 15 Big Legal Mistakes Made by Start-Ups

In the early stages of entrepreneurship, new start-up teams are often so focused on operations and fundraising that they overlook the importance of legal issues. However, in order to survive and thrive on the battlefield of the business world, new entrepreneurs must understand the opportunities and limitations of entrepreneurship in order to avoid breaking the law. On June 2, the ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ course within the ACT Global Program invited Dr. Thomas Y. Lu, assistant professor of the Department of Business Management, who has strong legal knowledge and extensive practical experience, to speak to the class, hoping to raise students’ awareness of the legal regulations when starting a business.

Dr. Lu has a master’s degree in technology management and intellectual property law from National Chengchi University, and a master’s degree in intellectual property law and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to his research on intellectual property and anti-trust law, he is also interested in innovation and entrepreneurial management. Therefore, he combined these two different areas and explained to students the legal regulations to which entrepreneurs need to pay special attention when starting a business, under the topic of “15 Big Legal Mistakes Made by Start-Ups”.

From the selection of the type of organization, the design and regulations of shareholders’ shareholdings at the early stage of a company's establishment, the clarification of internal legal relations, labor relations, intellectual property rights, and non-compete clauses, to external contract signing, product liability regulations, personal data protection, and trademark design, the potential risks that a company may face vary within each section. Taking internal employee relations as an example, Dr. Lu reminded students that when a company is interviewing candidates, they must avoid questions such as (1) Do you own or rent your home? (2) Where is your family from? or (3) Can you give me the name of a relative to be notified in case of emergency? In terms of choosing a trademark, Dr. Lu strongly suggested that people should first conduct a preliminary search through Google for the planned corporate trademark or domain name and use the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Secretary of State Corporate, LLC records, GoDaddy.com, and other channels for secondary checks in order to ensure that the company name and domain name being registered have not been used by others in order to avoid unnecessary legal disputes.

As the seminar came to an end, Erica Littler, a student from Canada, took the opportunity to ask questions about cybersquatting, a form of malicious trademark hijacking. After the speaker's explanation, everyone had a better understanding of the legal regulations concerning cybersquatting. At the end of the lecture, Taseen Saqeeb, a student from Bangladesh, expressed his appreciation for the lecturer's simple-to-understand presentation of the complicated legal provisions, ranging from the choice of organization type to the attribution for intellectual property with real-life examples, and thanked the Innovation and Entrepreneurship course in particular for organizing this lecture.

(Written by Yen-Chu Lai from IBMBA / Edited by the College of Management)

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【109-2 Internship Sharing】HRM must become a HR? Unlock Different Internship Opportunities!

GHRM MBA Student: Mandy Chen
Company: Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd.

The academic Field that one studies doesn't necessarily have to be related to their future career, but it can broaden their horizon. Studying at GHRM MBA enabled me to see HR management of a company or a department in a professional manner when I am at the managerial level. Instead of restricting my career to HR, I would like to try as many career paths as I can in my postgraduate life. Hence, this semester,  I became an intern in the planning department of Taiwan Fu Hsing, one of the top access controller manufacturers in the world.

The business model of Taiwan Fu Hsing is B2B. As a result they are less familiar with end-users. To enhance product and service quality, the company builds a stronger liaison with customers by optimizing the online service channel. Therefore, Stan, a 2^nd-year IBMBA student, and I had to launch an online service channel prototype within 3 months. Due to the in-depth training arranged by HR, we knew the line-ups and the sales status of digital locks in the domestic market. To develop the most effective and feasible solution, we conducted comprehensive market research and benchmark to have a clear grasp of the industry’s status quo and market demand.

Inter-departmental communication plays an indispensable role in PM’s daily work, and it is also the most interesting part of the internship. We had several discussions regarding customers’ feedback collection, insurance policy, and brand image with domestic sales, QA, and the design team. PM’s versatility was shown when my mentor discussed the issues with the other teams. Besides mechanical design, my mentor is well-equipped with multimedia tools, website development, and lock installment. In addition to admiration, I also found my own shortcomings. "The more PM understands, the more willing other units will be to cooperate." The advice from my mentor guides me in a new direction.

Through internships, we can discover sides of ourselves that we didn't know before. To be honest, I hesitated to take the internship due to the commuting distance between Gangshan and Gushan, but my mentor and colleagues encouraged me to accept the internship. Thanks to the internship, I learned about one more industry, one small town, a group of warm-hearted supervisors and co-workers, and a new career path, and it was worth riding 150km every week. Regardless of whether we land our career in HR or not, as students, it is worthwhile to explore various internship experiences. We may end up unlocking another unexpected life path.

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