Finding a date on the Web has often been portrayed as risky, but a professor at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) believes such behavior might actually help students get out of their comfort zone and improve their interpersonal skills.
Chen Ying-yu (陳膺宇), a professor at NCTU’s Center for General Education, told reporters yesterday that he launched a project this semester asking his students to seek out individuals on the Internet for “simulated dates.”
Students were asked to design activities and prepare conversational topics and jokes prior to the meeting, Chen said.
The students were also required to document the date by taking pictures or videotaping the meeting, Chen said.
Chen said the assignment was meant to help shy students learn how to date because many male students often failed to take the initiative and pursue girls they like, later regretting it when they see the girl become someone else’s girlfriend.
“Many students do not have problems chatting or establishing interpersonal relationships with strangers on the Internet, but they often do not know how to talk to strangers in real life,” he said.
Chiu Wan-ling (邱婉凌), a student in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, said she invited an “upper-class man” on a date to Yangmingshan.
“I felt a little bit embarrassed at first because I didn’t know what to say, but later we got talking,” Chiu said. “I am very lucky to have made one more great friend and I learned a lot from the date.”
Hsu Meng-hong (徐孟弘), a junior in the Department of Electronic Engineering, said he ended up on a date with a girl from National Tsing Hua University by using the college bulletin board system.
“It was different getting along with someone you didn’t know. I learned different perspectives and lifestyles and to try something new. I think life would be more fun this way,” Hsu said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS