Department for Youth, Taipei City Government(青年局英文網)

To promote international exchange between students in Taipei and those from abroad, the Department for Youth, Taipei City Government launched the "International Student Internship Program" immediately after its establishment on June 1 of this year. Janet and Isabelle, interns from Harvard University, have joined the Department for Youth, participating in planning departmental activities, analyzing international youth policies, and conducting specialized research. They have also visited various campuses to share and exchange ideas with local students. This morning (5th), the Department for Youth’s Global Engagement Division led the interns to visit the International Volunteer Club at Soochow University to share their experiences from their internship in Taiwan. Soochow University students also shared their experiences and stories from overseas service, resulting in a vibrant and fruitful exchange.

Intern, Janet, majors in Computer Science and Statistics at Harvard University, while Isabelle majors in Economics and Literature. They shared their experiences from the past few weeks of interning at the Department for Youth and their research topics, which include financial literacy, AI and mental health, and accessible seating surveys. The Soochow students were very curious about the interns’ academic backgrounds and foreign cultures, actively asking questions about differences in learning cultures between Taiwan and the U.S., and the application of big data in youth services. The exchange was very lively.

Additionally, the International Volunteer Club at Soochow University shared many experiences from their overseas service, including details about their volunteer work in northern Vietnam, lesson plan design, and reflections on their service. The two interns also shared their volunteer experiences from high school, emphasizing the importance of youth involvement in volunteer work, which not only enhances global perspectives but also has a significant impact in the international community. The interns noted that this exchange was highly beneficial, such as learning about the vast differences in educational resources in certain regions, where students have to walk two hours to school, and there are no 3C products in the classroom. However, students are very happy to have paper and pen for learning. They were also impressed by the efforts of Taiwanese students who volunteer to teach English in Vietnam, recognizing the significant contributions of international volunteers.

The Department for Youth stated that this exchange between international interns and Soochow University’s International Volunteer Club was a valuable and successful experience. The interns gained much international service experience through the volunteer perspective. Soochow University’s International Volunteer Club expressed their gratitude for the "International Student Internship Program" for providing this precious opportunity for direct sharing of life experiences with Harvard interns. They hope to regularize this program in the future to attract more overseas volunteer teams and international students for exchanges.