News Report

[College of Management] NSYSU College of Management Collaborates with the U.S. Department of State AWE Program: Hosting International Women Entrepreneurs

The College of Management at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) cooperated with the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, the American Institute in Taiwan, and the Sun Yat-sen Management Education Foundation (established in 1996 with support from the university's professors) to organize the "AWE Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit" from November 13th to 17th. The summit invited NSYSU's representation, with Associate Professor Fang-Yi Lo from the International Business Administration Program attending the welcome dinner on November 13th and the opening ceremony on November 14th. Associate Professor Lo delivered a keynote speech at the welcome dinner on November 13th.
8 international ambassadors from College of Management supported the event: Information Management PhD. student Yepuru Prasanthi from India, IBMBA student Natchaya Marithida from Thailand, IBMBA student Wu Meng Hsuan from Taiwan, IBMBA student Lina Zerrad from Belgium, IBMBA student Lim Yin Hui from Malaysia, IBMBA student Ysanne Chen from Taiwan, Business Administration student Chen Chun Han from Taiwan, and GHRM MBA student Trinh Hoa Minh from Vietnam. The international ambassadors engaged in full English communication with female entrepreneurs throughout the event, demonstrating our university's students' international diversity and language proficiency.

Over the five-day summit, the 8 representatives from National Sun Yat-sen University College of Management engaged in comprehensive learning opportunities, including plenary sessions, interactive group discussions, and networking occasions, connecting with female entrepreneurs from 9 Indo-Pacific countries. The summit focused on the impact of technology on the evolving ecosystem. It featured keynote speeches, interactive group discussions, and Q&A sessions with industry experts. The event specifically invited female tech entrepreneurs from nine countries within the Indo-Pacific region. Among the students supported by our institution were classmates from Thailand, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Belgium, and Taiwan. Witnessing entrepreneurs from their home countries warmed everyone's hearts, fostering vibrant exchanges and networking, aspiring for future business development or collaborative opportunities.

On November 15th, the summit spotlighted female leaders driving technological advancements. The day began with a keynote speech titled "Impact of Technology to Change the Ecosystem," followed by lively group discussions and interactive Q&A sessions. Students were divided into different groups attending various talks and had opportunities for mutual exchange during evening breaks. The summit also arranged visits to Taiwanese startups, where students from the College of Management collectively visited Meta Taiwan Office, American Innovation Center, and Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. These activities provided entrepreneurs with deeper insights into the innovative environment and facilitated interactions among themselves. The summit concluded with the presentation ceremony of the Women Entrepreneurs Excellence Awards organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan.

During the summit, students from the National Sun Yat-sen University College of Management established connections with tech entrepreneurs worldwide, gaining insights into the latest trends and innovations while creating invaluable personal relationships. The AWE Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Founders Summit underscored the importance of supporting women in the tech field and fostering diversity and inclusivity.

The National Sun Yat-sen Management Education Foundation, established in 1996, has been hosting the "Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)" program jointly promoted in Taiwan by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Small and Medium Enterprise Administration and the American Institute in Taiwan since 2021. The program offers opportunities for Taiwanese female startup entrepreneurs or aspiring female entrepreneurs, strengthening international networks for female entrepreneurs by providing online entrepreneurship courses, online and offline gatherings, connecting with successful local female entrepreneurs, and global trend partners, fostering an exclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for female startups. To date, the program has successfully trained 205 Taiwanese female entrepreneurs.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) originates from the U.S. Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP), launched in 2019 to empower women economically and politically, promoting global peace and prosperity. Thus, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs proposed the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program to drive the W-GDP initiative, aiming to nurture women to successfully establish and own businesses, ensuring women's participation in the global economy.

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[Exclusive Interview with New College of Management Faculty] Good Teacher and Good Friend Assistant Professor Sheng Yi Lo of the Department of Finance: “Teaching and learning together, willing to grow together with students.”

 “I didn't expect to get a Teacher's Day card even at my new school... Thank you!”

 “I've been busy adjusting to the new environment lately, but I was very happy to receive a card from a student from my first year of teaching who passed the college entrance exam, and I'm happy that I'm invited to the party. I hope that all the students who are still working hard also achieve positive results. That would be a true blessing!”

His Facebook posts are full of care for his students; on the bookcase in his research room, there is a whole cabinet of cards sent to him by students. He is a new assistant professor of the Department of Finance, Professor Sheng Yi Lo. Having recently arrived at the College of Management, NSYSU, he is already mingling with students, friendly and humorous, overflowing with concern for the students.

The Prodigal Son Returns as a University Professor

But in fact, Professor Lo wasn’t always a star student, once neglecting his studies and focusing more on having fun. At the time, following his parents’ expectations to become an accountant, he was studying accounting and statistics at the National Taipei University of Business. He admitted that he didn’t like accounting at that time, so he kept failing.

He added that before college, he loved to have fun, doing things like skipping class, playing pool, singing KTV at night, and racing cars. Then, the year before he graduated, he was worried about his future and made up his mind to start over and prepare for college transfer exams. But when he went to college, he also wanted to enjoy the college life. “Basically, I have tried everything that college students would do, so I can generally understand the mentality of students.” Professor Sheng Yi Lo is not the stereotypical academic who studied hard all the way through school, but because of this, he can relate even more to the students’ perspectives.

When he graduated from college, Sheng Yi Lo decided to work in an accounting firm first, so did he ever experience the demanding and exhausting nature of the accounting industry? “In an accounting firm, the most important thing is interpersonal relationships,” he says. “If you get along well with others, you can stay for a long time, and professionally, the firm provides training, so you learn quite a lot."

After working for almost two years, Sheng Yi Lo had the idea of going to graduate school to add another qualification to his portfolio, so he decided to quit his job and prepared full time for graduate school entrance exams.

 “I told myself that there was no looking back.” He didn’t take exam prep classes and instead decided to study all by himself, borrowing study materials from his sister. During the six months that he prepared for the exams, he studied in a nearby university study room from 7am to 11pm every day. 

After studying so hard, Sheng Yi Lo was admitted to the Graduate School of Accounting at National Changhua University of Education. He said he was very lucky to meet his advisor, Professor Chun-Ju Fang, who inspired him a lot, told him how he could improve, and gave him a lot of advice and reminders on his academic path, for which he is very grateful.

During this period, he also cultivated his passion for research before he considered continuing to study for a doctoral degree. He served as a project assistant for one year, holding thematic discussions with professors two or three times a week. Through intensive training, he gradually built up a solid academic background and then was accepted into the Graduate Institute of Accounting at National Taiwan University, where he studied under Professor Chi-Chun Liu of NTU’s Department of Accounting.

"Professor Liu has been a member of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and the chairman of the Taiwan Accounting Standards Board, so he often shared his practical experience with us, and gave us a lot of advice and suggestions about academics and dealing with people,” Professor Sheng Yi Lo said gratefully.

During his time at NTU, Professor Lo was taught and guided by many teachers, such as Professor Yen-Jung Lee, whose academic stimulation helped him refine his attitude and beliefs in research. He was also greatly influenced by Professor Suming Lin, an honorary professor in NTU’s Department of Accounting. “Professor Suming Lin remembers all the names of the students that he knows, and even after years of graduation, he can still call out their names,” Professor Lo said with a smile. Even if a student is 100 meters away, Professor Suming Lin will still shout out his or her name, and he is very caring to the students. “I thought that was great, and it made me want to do my best to care for my students when I became a teacher.”
 

A Teacher and a Friend: Interacting and Mingling with Students

After graduating with his PhD, Professor Lo taught at the Department of Public Finance of Feng Chia University. He specializes in voluntary disclosure of information and financial accounting information. Voluntary disclosure refers to the spontaneous disclosure or provision of specific information by individuals or organizations without being required by law or other mandatory requirements. The purpose of voluntary disclosure is usually to respond to market demand and to build trust.

Currently, the main subjects of his research are American companies. In Taiwan, due to the strong financial regulatory system, there is a set of public standards for financial reports and other information, and voluntary disclosure is not yet the norm in Taiwan.

As an advisor himself, he organizes many activities, including class trips and Christmas gift exchanges, etc. He says he enjoys interacting with students, and even though he didn’t have experience as an advisor at first, he recalled how he had been cared for by many professors at NTU, and he naturally knew what to do.

For example, when a student was involved in a car accident, he took the initiative to call the student’s parents to express his sympathy and concern. The parents were surprised because undergraduate professors generally don’t have as deep a connection with students as high school teachers. They hadn’t realized Professor Lo cared so much about their child, and the experience gave them a better impression of the school.
The students can also feel the professor’s concern for them, making them feel that he cares about them and is willing to help them in their academic or personal lives. Because of this, they will not stray too far off course, and they will develop a sense of belonging, feeling that they are really becoming a part of this school.

 “But I'm very strict in my classroom,” he says. For example, for the junior year course final presentation, he would ask professors and master’s students to be the judges. Eight judges would line up in front of the stage, and the order presentations was drawn by lot. Many students felt intimated by such a setup, but after going through this “devil’s training,” they were less likely to be afraid of any future situations.

Impressions of NSYSU: the warmth of Kaohsiung’s people and monkeys

Today, Professor Lo says he chose to come to National Sun Yat-sen University’s College of Management because NSYSU is a research-oriented university, which coincides with his love of research.

Coming to the south, he says he is most impressed by the warmth of Kaohsiung people and by the monkeys.

In addition to the heat of Kaohsiung’s scorching sun, NSYSU’s faculty, staff, and students are also like little suns, warmly helping others. “I am very grateful to the Dean, Director Wei-Che Tsai, Professor Yih Jeng, Professor Chou-Wen Wang, Professor Pei-Shih Weng, Professor Shih-Sian Jhang, Professor Chia-Fen Tsai, Professor Po-Wen She, and Professor Lin-Chi WU, among others, who have assisted me in getting accustomed to the big family of the College,” said Professor Sheng Yi Lo.

The students also take the initiative to help faculty, such as planning advisee gatherings and other activities on their own. Professor Lo thanked the NSYSU students and praised them: “NSYSU students both have excellent character and are passionate about serving others.”

Professor Lo also marveled at the activity of the Shoushan Mountain “seniors”, the famous monkeys that live there. As he posted on Facebook, “It's been almost two months since I came to NSYSU, and I have to say that I’m really impressed by the various styles of the residents of Shoushan. They even staged a scene reminiscent of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes.... I really admire them!”

Laughing, he said that one time when he and his research assistant went to a convenience store at the College of Science to buy lunch, a monkey suddenly appeared at the entrance of the staircase, ready to snatch their food. His startled assistant screamed, and both of them jumped backwards at the same time. In particular, the spectacle of the College of Liberal Arts’ “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” left a strong impression on him. 

Although he often went hiking with his friends and saw many wild animals and plants, none of these impressed him as much as the ones on Shoushan Mountain.

Encouraging students to learn from failure and build up their skills before doing internships

Professor Lo observed that the students of the College of Management, NSYSU are very eager to participate in internships, but he warns that rushing into internships without first clarifying your own aspirations is putting the cart before the horse. “I recommend that students first accumulate more knowledge and understanding, finish their thesis, and only then go to internships and work. That way, they will have the confidence to show their knowledge and abilities in the workplace.”

 “In fact, students are learning how to avoid taking the wrong path.” Professor Lo encourages students to ask more questions and try to answer them as much as possible. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because making mistakes is a privilege of being a student. Instead, learn from failure while you can. When you start working in the future, you won’t be able to afford to make mistakes as easily. If you make a mistake on the job, you will have to apologize for it, or, worse, the company’s reputation and finances will be damaged and you might even be fired, so it is better for you to try different things to gain more experience and increase your strengths while you are still a student.”

In addition to academics, Professor Lo also encourages his students to read more classic books. The three rows of bookshelves in his study room are full of books, including The Meiji Restoration; Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind; The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; The Art of Statistics; The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality; and Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment, all of which are thought-provoking and enlightening worldwide bestsellers in a variety of fields.

Speaking of the author of The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Professor Lo said excitedly: “He writes superbly, he writes superbly! How can someone write Hong Xiuquan so well?” The author of The Meiji Restoration described the destructive reforms of the time, which Mr. Lo found “really daring.”

Why does he suggest reading a lot of books? “I think we should have both a big-picture perspective and a practical hands-on approach. We should stand on the shoulders of giants, grasp the pulse of the times, avoid detachment from reality, and enrich ourselves, so that we can speak with substance.”

Professor Lo is a strict disciplinarian, and academically, he is a demanding teacher, but in his life, he is generous to others, fun and friendly, and full of curiosity and empathy. He says, “Teaching is mutually beneficial, and I am willing to grow with my students.”
 

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[IBBA] Special Guest Lecture by Dr. Hedy Ho-Senior executive of Microsoft ASIA “Effective Communication - communicating with Purpose”

Written by IBMBA Sherry Wu

  The International Business Bachelor Program at the College of Management invited Dr. Hedy Ho, Senior executive of Microsoft ASIA, to deliver a guest lecture on "Effective Communication (Effective Communication - communicating with Purpose)" during the Writing and Presentation in English course on 20th November 2023.

  Dr. Ho was born in Beijing and raised in Hong Kong. She has an MBA from the University of Hull, UK, and a DBA from Macquarie University, Australia. Dr. Ho previously worked at IBM and joined Microsoft in 2003 and became the Chief Operating Officer for Microsoft Taiwan in November 2018. With over 20 years of IT management experience, Dr. Ho has been stationed in several countries, and therefore gaining extensive cross-national and cross-cultural communication expertise. Besides being a business strategist, she is also an advocate for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), a motivational speaker, educator, and mentor.

  Dr. Ho began the guest speaker session with the title: "Effective Communication - communicating with Purpose". Students were grouped into teams of three and each had different roles: 1) communicator; 2) questioner; and 3) observer. The motive of each group was to practice effective communication while sharing personal stories during the workshop activity Dr. Ho prepared. Practical scenario exercises were conducted where each group's communicator had to imagine meeting a stranger in an elevator and effectively use one minute to tell a story or introduce themselves to the stranger. This exercise incorporated 3C communication techniques: Connection, Clarity, and Confidence. Students shared various stories ranging from last week's holiday experiences to simple self-introductions accompanied by a humorous song, which brought laughter to the entire class. Some also shared their interests and personalities. In the latter part of the session, Dr. Ho engaged students in a discussion on "Why AI cannot replace ME?" – to explore their views of this current hot topic which is artificial intelligence. Students were divided into seven groups, each delivering a 5-minute short speech with an attention-grabbing title. Discussions revolved around the differences between Artificial and Human intelligence. Most groups emphasized on the importance emotional and warmth attributes which are unique to us human beings. Following their AI cannot replace me short presentations, each student was asked to vote for their favorite group, which stimulated a competitive atmosphere and further enriched the discussions during this brilliant exercise Dr. Ho brought to this course that morning.

  Ryan Brading, the course instructor, remarked that Dr. Ho's dynamic and lively approach not only engaged students in improving their communication and expressive skills, but also guided them to discover effective ways of interacting within small groups. Understanding and utilizing the most effective means of communication proved to be highly crucial for this English Presentation and Writing course, and significantly beneficial for students actively engaged in university studies and numerous discussions.

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[112-1_SA Event] Spooktacular Halloween Extravaganza Unites IBMBA and GHRM MBA Programs at NSYSU

The College of Management at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) witnessed a thrilling convergence of students from the International Business Master of Business Administration (IBMBA) and the Global Human Resource Management (GHRM) programs on the eerie night of October 29th. Held at the atmospheric Madker Live House Bar, the Halloween party was nothing short of a spectacular and spine-tingling affair.

The party, hosted by the charismatic GHRM MBA student Ronnie, who wore the iconic costume of The Mandalorian and his pint-sized companion, Baby Yoda, set the perfect tone for the night. The venue was decorated with eerie ornaments, cobwebs, and flickering candles, creating an aura of Halloween mystery.

With over 30 enthusiastic participants, the energy was electric. Ronnie kicked off the night with two thrilling games: the mummy game, where teams raced to wrap a member in toilet paper to create the spookiest mummy, and the cup-flipping game, which challenged their skills and had everyone in stitches. Music filled the air as students took to the stage for some spine-tingling karaoke performances. The participants showcased their vocal prowess, belting out Halloween classics and their favorite tunes.

The highlight of the night was the costume contest, where students flaunted their creativity with outfits ranging from classic monsters to pop culture icons. The competition was fierce, with everyone casting their votes to determine the spookiest, most creative, and funniest costumes. As the night wore on, the dance floor came alive, and students let loose, showing off their dance moves. The partygoers enjoyed the friendship and the chance to relax, connect, and have a memorable Halloween celebration.

The Halloween party at Madker Live House Bar was an unforgettable night of fun and frights, building deeper connections among students from the IBMBA and GHRM programs at NSYSU. It showcased the vibrant and diverse community that the College of Management fosters, bringing students from different backgrounds together in the spirit of Halloween. It's safe to say that this spooky soirée will be talked about for many Halloweens to come.

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[English Taught Degree Programs] Transformative Culture: Dr. Hedy Ho's Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

With over twenty years of marketing experience in the tech industry in Asia Pacific and North America, Dr. Hedy Ho shared valuable insights on building a transformative culture in business. She lives by the motto: passion, positivity, and perseverance, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. She joined Microsoft in 2003 and has worked with three Microsoft CEOs, weathering through three leadership changes. Throughout her journey, she has witnessed how the culture of transformation has brought a second growth curve to Microsoft.

Dr. Ho emphasized the significance of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). She highlighted that diverse groups could foster innovation by welcoming different viewpoints, resulting in better products and outcomes for customers. D&I, according to Dr. Ho, is not merely an adjective but an action requiring a growth mindset for organizations to seize economic opportunities. Reflecting on her journey at Microsoft, she discussed the shift from a fixed to a growth mindset, urging participants to view challenges as learning opportunities and embrace a 'learn-it-all' mentality over a 'know-it-all' approach.
 
In the second half of the talk, Dr. Ho challenged participants to generate ideas on how to use AI technology to strive for D&I in the workplace. The round-robin technique was used for group brainstorming, and participants in each group were evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate awareness, courage, and curiosity. By switching groups, the participants shared and integrated various ideas into one and provided reasons for their suggestions, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Rounding up her talk, Dr. Ho gave constructive feedback by highlighting the key takeaways from each group's performance. Her customized feedback boosted participants' confidence and abilities, leaving a lasting impact. One student shared that Dr. Ho's talk inspired her to reflect on her leadership potential and apply the lessons she learned in her personal and professional life.

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[NSYSU]Guidelines for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

• Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI Tools (simplified version).pdf
  


• Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI Tools (For Students).pdf
  


• Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI Tools (For Teachers).pdf
  

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