National Sun Yat-sen University is the first in Taiwan to launch the "Master's Degree Program in Global Citizenship" in cooperation with the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. The tuition fee is only half of that of a British university. It only takes one year and two semesters to study in Taiwan and the United Kingdom to get a joint degree. In addition, full and half scholarships can be applied for. It is quite attractive for students who want to study abroad but have financial constraints!
The Global Citizenship Program, a joint degree program between Taiwan and the UK, is a one-year master's degree program taught entirely in the UK. The first batch of master's students has officially started classes this year. They studied in Taiwan in the first semester and in the UK in the next semester. Six full scholarships and 12 half scholarships are provided.
Chen Meihua, dean of the School of Social Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University, pointed out that for ordinary students to study in the UK, the tuition fee for a year is 27,000 pounds (about NT$1.1 million), plus a monthly living expense of at least 100,000 yuan. This is generally unaffordable for talented students from economically backward countries in the global south.
Therefore, the University of London has established an international cooperation model, spending half of the semester in Taiwan or other countries, and the other half in London, England, which can save half of the burden of 13,000 pounds (approximately NT$550,000), allowing the world to share the fruits of higher education.
The reason for setting up the global citizenship course, Chen Meihua said, is that both parties are interested in this course and are also very concerned about the unequal relationships brought about by globalization and the freedom of transnational movement. Therefore, they focus on social issues such as equality and environmental sustainability for research and reflection.
The teaching faculty in Taiwan include teachers from the Department of Social Studies, Department of Political Science and Department of Education. Wan Yuze, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Sociology, said that he mainly teaches how different theories view the concept of citizenship, such as how imperialism and colonialism created differentiated citizenship systems in the past. Assistant Professor Wu Jialun said that through political sociology, transnational research, and social science research methods, students can cultivate their international outlook and reflection on rights, ethnic groups, culture and other issues.
Li Xiaowen, a postdoctoral researcher who has lived in London for 20 years, shared that she went to the UK to study for a doctorate and teach at a university after graduating from Taiwan's National Institute of Journalism. Since the pace of studies in the UK is very fast, she can use the UK thesis writing course to give students a concept before going to the UK, and seamlessly connect them to local life in London and writing thesis, so that they can successfully obtain a degree.
Sun Yat-sen University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London are recruiting students for the new academic year for the "Global Citizenship Master's Degree Program". Domestic students will have an admissions briefing at 12 noon on October 7 from now until the 14th. Foreign students are expected to start registration in January next year.
