Understanding that “he that travels far knows much”, the University of Macau (UM) has been encouraging students to grasp every single exchange opportunity to walk out of Macao and experience the difference. This summer, Yang Yang, a student from the Department of Communication of UM, was awarded the UMAP Thailand Scholarship 2008 to participate in an academic exchange programme in Thailand, experiencing the unique culture and life style of the country.
In Thailand, Yang Yang was arranged to attend a four-week summer course organized by the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) at Dhurakij Pundit University and Udon Thani Rajabhat University. In this course, Yang Yang not only learned the life style and the religion of the Thai people, but also began to understand the cultural diversity between Thailand and Macao, raising her cross-cultural awareness. During this month, the universities also arranged a series of fieldworks for the students – visiting temples and villages, interacting with local people, and so on – to let them experience the cultural uniqueness of Thailand in person.
Yang Yang noted that this trip enabled her to understand the cultural diversity among different ethnic groups, deepen her knowledge in Buddhism and the history of Thailand, and overall, broadened her horizons and enriched her life experience. During her stay in Thailand, she was very impressed by the Thai people’s friendliness and their devoutness toward their religion. Having experienced their warm and gracious manner, she now understands the reason their tourism industry develops so well. Majoring in Journalism and Public Communication, Yang Yang further said that her studies were also benefited with a better understanding of the prosperous development of Thailand’s advertising industry brought by this trip.
UM has been striving to provide more overseas exchange opportunities to students. UM has built up partnerships with over160 education institutes in more than 30 countries. Presently, UM is a board member of UMAP.
Caption: UM student (1st on the left) awarded scholarship to go to Thailand for academic exchange
