Mobility specification

Country:Taiwan

Institution:National Taiwan University

City:Taipei

Program:Faculty agreements

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Law

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?For example, I took the course "Constitutionalism in Asia", which was evaluated at a foreign university for 2 credits, my faculty at MUNI recognized it as PVP for 5 credits.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The teaching was more practical - rather than explaining theoretical things, we discussed concrete cases from practice (e.g. judgments from different countries in Asia, which we had to read out, then discuss in class and at the end of the semester we had to hand in a 20-page analysis of the case and present it to the class). At the same time, the attitude of the students was different, as they were much more active and involved than I am used to from us. It didn't happen that someone didn't read the required reading or didn't engage in the discussion (this only happened with exchange students). The professors were very nice, friendly, happy to explain everything, even one of my professors arranged a get-together for us at the end of the semester at his house. I also took intensive courses taught by external professors from different countries (USA, Canada, Germany), who really had a lot to give us - I really recommend these courses, they are some of the most interesting I have had in my entire studies.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, the university has a lot of extracurricular programs - you can join various clubs or societies, whether sports or art. There is also the possibility of getting a buddy at the beginning of the semester, who you can ask any questions you may have about Taiwan or the school itself. The law school also hosted various conferences, which we were also welcome to attend.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:10000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Food - although local restaurants are very cheap, if you want to cook, you will spend a lot of money, as the ingredients in the shops are not cheap anymore (especially when it comes to vegetables and fruits). At the same time, if you want some bigger or better restaurant food, you will also pay extra.
Public transport - I checked the prices in advance, so it wasn't a complete surprise, but for a month's public transport you pay about 800Kč, which is a noticeable difference compared to less than 700Kč for 4 months in Brno. However, the subway gets you pretty quickly almost all over Taipei, and the big advantage is that buses and trains throughout the Taipei District are also included in the price (aka like taking a shalinkart around the entire Southeast).
Airfare - I honestly expected airfare around Asia to be much cheaper (unfortunately we're spoiled from Europe thanks to RyanAir). The cheapest will get you to Japan or Hong Kong for about 4.000 CZK round trip.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?The best thing to do is to find your favourite local restaurant and eat there (it's not really worth cooking). If you like sports, it's worth using the sports centre right at NTU, although the sports facilities are often full, the prices are really low.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?neutral

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?I regularly searched for buses via Google Maps, which worked almost flawlessly (though there were a few times when the bus just didn't run). The metro runs literally every minute during rush hours, otherwise every 3-5 minutes. Tickets are bought at the metro. It's best to buy an EasyCard, which you load money onto, or buy a monthly pass directly, which works out best - all in the metro, or 7-eleven. Often the attendants don't speak English, but you can buy everything in a machine.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Taipei 101 is definitely the landmark of Taipei, then the night markets (although the food there is sometimes strange, it's definitely worth it), the National Palace Museum and its beautiful garden, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Wulai and its waterfall, Jioufen village and trekking around the area, Sun Moon Lake.

Share your best experience:The biggest experience for me was definitely getting to know new cultures - I've been to Erasmus (in Europe), but living so far away where people have a completely different culture and mindset is something else. I made friends from every continent, everyone was unique in some way and despite our differences we always found a topic to discuss because our perspectives were often different - but we were always able to understand each other, broaden our horizons together and become more open-minded. So the best experience I take away is that I was able to experience so many different cultures in one place thanks to the exchange programme.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?yes

Where can it be arranged?Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Prague

What is needed?Passport, money, bank statement or scholarship certificate, confirmation of admission to study at NTU

How long does it take approximately?About a month

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?I wouldn't say there's anything to watch out for. Maybe expect that you may not speak English, especially in local restaurants, markets and public transport. Definitely download Google Translate on your phone so you can translate everything from photos, you usually won't find English translation in restaurants or markets, everything is in Chinese. Often local students are too shy to speak English, so communication can be difficult at times. Taiwanese people are very nice though, so it always gets sorted out.

Can you pay by card?neutral

What not to forget when packing?Food!!! Be sure to pack your favourite foods from the Czech Republic that will survive the long flight. Food in Taiwan is very different from ours, so you'll definitely need it! Also an adapter (USA). Otherwise, everything you need that you forgot to pack, you can easily get in Taipei.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?One of the most beautiful and intense periods in my life.