2023.12.25
Doctoral class international research exchange camp-PhD student: 呂皇澄 / Exchange location: Malaysia
1. Purpose of training
(1) Facing the challenge of learning abroad with a first-time mindset During this period, I experienced many firsts. It was my first time using English to solve various life problems, using the Grab app to call for rides, taking the subway, riding on domestic flights in Malaysia, taking buses, and traveling to another state on a 5-hour bus ride from TBS. It was my first time experiencing the culture shock of taking buses in a foreign country, meeting my family at an international airport, and visiting the ceramic industry with friends I just met here. Each challenge was full of unknowns and exploration, but most importantly, I overcame the psychological pressure, focused on achieving the goals and plans set before going abroad, and gained a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
(2) Exploring humanistic issues in local sentiments through English learning As my research area is Topophilia, I envisioned myself, like Professor Duan Yifu, experiencing the unfamiliar environment as a wanderer abroad, exploring the personal experiences in the world of phenomena with rational thinking, and accepting the impact of every alien culture with emotional "affection." These wonders and clashes of alien cultures have opened up my thirst for knowledge, awakened dormant cells of questioning, and triggered my curiosity. It encouraged me to have the courage to speak English with Bangladeshi people. Every morning at 8:45, when I took the dormitory bus, I would engage with them, practicing English and understanding their Islamic culture back home. Although it was only a short 5-minute ride, over the course of several months, I gradually broke down barriers and became a foreign friend they could chat with.
(3) Accomplishing Personal Research Objectives
A. Visiting Malaysian Indigenous Crafts: The Pewter Museum and Batik Craft Investigating the development of various crafts is not only my interest but also my research project. It can provide inspiration for creative themes, references for manufacturing techniques, innovative ideas for processes, stimuli for business directions, learning experiences for experiential journeys, and references for store design. During this visit, my family happened to come to Malaysia to visit me, and we visited the Royal Selangor Contemporary Pewter Museum and the Kuala Lumpur East Coast Company Batik Factory for experiences in pewter craft and batik dyeing. The jointly completed "objects" strengthened the emotional connection with my family. These "objects" became memories of local sentiments, enabling the family to remember what happened locally and enhancing brand memory for these two companies.
B. Investigating the Development Status of the Ceramic Industry in Malaysia By chance, I visited the Aw Ceramic Park in Johor Bahru, Johor, where I interviewed the company's managers for about three hours. To express my gratitude for their enthusiastic assistance, I wrote an article for the park and fortunately established a connection with Malaysia's ceramic industry. I also investigated the representative product of traditional ceramic industry in Perak - the gourd pottery, and interviewed Mr. Aw Hansen, the founder of APP Industries, a listed company in Malaysia's Asian ceramic industry, gaining valuable information about the development of ceramics in Malaysia.
C. Exploring the Possibilities of Designing Other Types of Local Sentiments On January 26, 2024, I visited the Tan Gong Temple in Negeri Sembilan and discovered many local stories and cultural resources. The chairman of the temple committee introduced me to a bowl with the word "庙" engraved inside. This bowl was lent to the local impoverished people for use at wedding banquets or village events, but initially, because there were no markings, residents often did not return them after use. To solve this problem, the temple committee began engraving the word on the bowls to remind them that they belonged to the temple. This bowl became an interesting culture in the locality and a source of local sentiments, serving as a commemorative symbol for the area. Whenever seeing this bowl, one would think of the temple and remember participating in temple activities and the stories of the village.
2. Training Process
I was the only student approved from various applicants chosen by Professor Yapp for short-term research at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). During the learning period with him, apart from participating in academic seminars organized by UTAR, Professor Yapp invited me, along with lecturers and industry experts from the Sungai Long and Kampar campuses, to collaborate on writing articles on topics related to nature, technology, and humanities. These articles were presented at the "3rd International Conference on Business, Social Sciences, Economics and Technology 2024" in an online format. We hope for successful publication in a journal under the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, with results expected by June this year.
3. Training Reflection
Passing on Good Intentions to Future Wanderers at UTAR During my time here, I encountered many kind-hearted people who melted away the barriers in my heart with their warmth, hospitality, and friendliness, helping me achieve my project goals. These life experiences need to be recorded and passed on to clearly distinguish between good and bad. By sharing these experiences, I hope to guide future students who choose to come to this land, enabling them to avoid unnecessary troubles and gain valuable life experiences. Safe returns to their homes and the transmission of positive emotional experiences to the next generation are essential.
Back +
(1) Facing the challenge of learning abroad with a first-time mindset During this period, I experienced many firsts. It was my first time using English to solve various life problems, using the Grab app to call for rides, taking the subway, riding on domestic flights in Malaysia, taking buses, and traveling to another state on a 5-hour bus ride from TBS. It was my first time experiencing the culture shock of taking buses in a foreign country, meeting my family at an international airport, and visiting the ceramic industry with friends I just met here. Each challenge was full of unknowns and exploration, but most importantly, I overcame the psychological pressure, focused on achieving the goals and plans set before going abroad, and gained a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
(2) Exploring humanistic issues in local sentiments through English learning As my research area is Topophilia, I envisioned myself, like Professor Duan Yifu, experiencing the unfamiliar environment as a wanderer abroad, exploring the personal experiences in the world of phenomena with rational thinking, and accepting the impact of every alien culture with emotional "affection." These wonders and clashes of alien cultures have opened up my thirst for knowledge, awakened dormant cells of questioning, and triggered my curiosity. It encouraged me to have the courage to speak English with Bangladeshi people. Every morning at 8:45, when I took the dormitory bus, I would engage with them, practicing English and understanding their Islamic culture back home. Although it was only a short 5-minute ride, over the course of several months, I gradually broke down barriers and became a foreign friend they could chat with.
(3) Accomplishing Personal Research Objectives
A. Visiting Malaysian Indigenous Crafts: The Pewter Museum and Batik Craft Investigating the development of various crafts is not only my interest but also my research project. It can provide inspiration for creative themes, references for manufacturing techniques, innovative ideas for processes, stimuli for business directions, learning experiences for experiential journeys, and references for store design. During this visit, my family happened to come to Malaysia to visit me, and we visited the Royal Selangor Contemporary Pewter Museum and the Kuala Lumpur East Coast Company Batik Factory for experiences in pewter craft and batik dyeing. The jointly completed "objects" strengthened the emotional connection with my family. These "objects" became memories of local sentiments, enabling the family to remember what happened locally and enhancing brand memory for these two companies.
B. Investigating the Development Status of the Ceramic Industry in Malaysia By chance, I visited the Aw Ceramic Park in Johor Bahru, Johor, where I interviewed the company's managers for about three hours. To express my gratitude for their enthusiastic assistance, I wrote an article for the park and fortunately established a connection with Malaysia's ceramic industry. I also investigated the representative product of traditional ceramic industry in Perak - the gourd pottery, and interviewed Mr. Aw Hansen, the founder of APP Industries, a listed company in Malaysia's Asian ceramic industry, gaining valuable information about the development of ceramics in Malaysia.
C. Exploring the Possibilities of Designing Other Types of Local Sentiments On January 26, 2024, I visited the Tan Gong Temple in Negeri Sembilan and discovered many local stories and cultural resources. The chairman of the temple committee introduced me to a bowl with the word "庙" engraved inside. This bowl was lent to the local impoverished people for use at wedding banquets or village events, but initially, because there were no markings, residents often did not return them after use. To solve this problem, the temple committee began engraving the word on the bowls to remind them that they belonged to the temple. This bowl became an interesting culture in the locality and a source of local sentiments, serving as a commemorative symbol for the area. Whenever seeing this bowl, one would think of the temple and remember participating in temple activities and the stories of the village.
2. Training Process
I was the only student approved from various applicants chosen by Professor Yapp for short-term research at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). During the learning period with him, apart from participating in academic seminars organized by UTAR, Professor Yapp invited me, along with lecturers and industry experts from the Sungai Long and Kampar campuses, to collaborate on writing articles on topics related to nature, technology, and humanities. These articles were presented at the "3rd International Conference on Business, Social Sciences, Economics and Technology 2024" in an online format. We hope for successful publication in a journal under the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, with results expected by June this year.
3. Training Reflection
Passing on Good Intentions to Future Wanderers at UTAR During my time here, I encountered many kind-hearted people who melted away the barriers in my heart with their warmth, hospitality, and friendliness, helping me achieve my project goals. These life experiences need to be recorded and passed on to clearly distinguish between good and bad. By sharing these experiences, I hope to guide future students who choose to come to this land, enabling them to avoid unnecessary troubles and gain valuable life experiences. Safe returns to their homes and the transmission of positive emotional experiences to the next generation are essential.