On November 26, the Office of International Affairs at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) held the NOVA Scholarship Awardees Gathering, bringing together 29 scholarship recipients. The event warmly welcomed distinguished alumni returning from North America, including Prof. Chung-Hua Chang, Managing Director of the NCKU North America Alumni Foundation, and Mr. Jen-Chieh Chang, Internet & Media Director. Through face-to-face interactions, they shared valuable insights from their academic journeys and professional careers, inspiring students to pursue their dreams with confidence.
Prof. Chung-Hua Chang, an alumnus of NCKU’s Department of Engineering Science and a tenured professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University, shared the original vision behind the NOVA Scholarship. He encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and broaden their global perspectives as they continue their academic journeys.

 
Prof. Chung-Hua Chang visited each table to encourage and interact with the students.

The event also featured sharing sessions by three NOVA awardees who had recently completed overseas study or research experiences. Chen-Yu Fan from the Graduate Institute of Electrical Engineering described her exchange at the Technical University of Munich in Germany as a journey that helped her grow more independent and confident. Ting-Yu Liu from the Department of Biomedical Engineering shared her nearly four-month research experience at Johns Hopkins University, highlighting how academic work and peer interactions helped her overcome personal limitations. Chiao-Lin Hsu from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering discussed her two-month research stay at UCLA, which helped clarify her academic direction.

  
Ting-Yu Liu shared her personal journey of stepping out of her comfort zone.

In addition, Mr. Jen-Chieh Chang delivered a talk titled “From Engineering to the Journey of Life,” sharing his career transformation from engineer to writer. Through his story, he encouraged students to embrace change and view challenges as opportunities for growth.

  
Mr. Jen-Chieh Chang shared how travel brought meaningful turning points in his life, inspiring students to embrace the unknown and new challenges.

The exchange gathering gave students a strong sense of support from alumni and mentors, inspiring them to make effective use of available resources, enhance their international competitiveness, and move forward with confidence toward their future goals.

 
Participants got to know one another and discussed their plans to study abroad at a warm, engaging networking event.