In conversation with... Alexander Brosch (M.A.)
Who are you and what is your role in the cooperation with the National Taiwan Normal University?
My name is Alexander Brosch and I work as academic advisor at the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies at the University of Münster. I am responsible for coordinating the existing partnerships between the Faculty of Philology and Taiwan – I supervise exchanges, advise students and maintain contact with our partner universities. At the same time, I regularly teach classical Chinese, which also ties in with NTNU's focus on language, history and literature.
How did the cooperation with the National Taiwan Normal University originally come about?
The origins of this collaboration go back quite some time. Prof. Dr. Reinhard Emmerich and Prof. Dr. Chen Deng-wu from the NTNU had overlapping research interests in Chinese legal history. Over time, this led not only to joint anthologies, but also to the idea of a permanent cooperation. Since then, the collaboration has been continuously expanded – at the institute level, in the Faculty of Philology and at the university level – so that students from all disciplines can now go to NTNU for exchange studies and, at the departmental level, a Faculty Exchange Agreement also allows for the exchange of staff.
What is special about the National Taiwan Normal University?
NTNU is simply one of the best places to learn the Chinese language. Its Mandarin Training Centre enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. Anyone who goes to Taiwan and attends an intensive language course has the opportunity to learn in small groups of six to ten people – an enormous privilege. Many of our students enthusiastically report that they made great strides there in a short period of time and were able to raise their existing B1 level to B2 or even C1 within six to twelve months. This is hardly achievable in Germany. And then there is the special feature that the traditional characters are still used in Taiwan. This is no longer the case in the People's Republic of China. Some Master's students who have only been to the mainland are surprised to realize in our courses that the classic traditional characters are suddenly unfamiliar to them again. In Taiwan, you automatically obtain this foundation.
How does the exchange actually work?
It's quite straightforward: every year, we are allocated places by the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Chinese as a Second Language. Students apply for these places through the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies, and we then nominate them. This is followed by a second application to NTNU, which is only a formality once the nomination has been made. The hurdles are low – in some semesters, the places are not even fully utilised.
Why is cooperation with Taiwanese universities so relevant?
The connection to Taiwan is currently more relevant to us than collaborations with universities in the People's Republic of China. There is the CSC scholarship there – a programme that allows you to choose almost any university you want. For the PRC, fixed partnerships for student exchanges are therefore only of secondary importance at present, although we do maintain them. In Taiwan, however, the situation is different: cooperation is the basis for sustainable academic relationships, and we see that it bears fruit in the long term. In addition, the experiences on site are very positive. NTNU is incredibly hospitable, teachers take great care of exchange students, excursions are organised, and we regularly receive pictures and reports about how well the integration is working. Some students even go twice: first for their bachelor's degree and then again for their master's degree.
What milestones or special moments do you remember?
An important moment was certainly when Prof. Dr. Chen Deng-wu was able to come to Münster for a year thanks to funding obtained by Prof. Dr. Kerstin Storm through the DAAD visiting lecturer programme. This was a great asset to our institute in the summer semester of 2024 and the winter semester of 2024/2025. At the same time, we saw time and again that NTNU remains a reliable partner even in difficult times, such as during the coronavirus pandemic. Students were allowed to postpone their exchange places for several semesters, which was very generous.
Are there also challenges?
Of course. For example, the different semester times often complicate scholarship applications. With the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship in particular, students have to apply a year in advance, which requires a lot of planning. Language barriers and different communication channels can also sometimes be stumbling blocks. It's important to persevere, simply pick up the phone when in doubt, and maintain personal contact.
What prospects do you see for the future?
Cooperation will definitely continue at the student level – that is exactly what we need. New projects are also constantly emerging at the research level. And who knows: perhaps the Asian Studies Centre will even develop a degree programme related to Taiwan one day.
What would you recommend to others who would like to set up an international cooperation programme themselves?
You need an initial contact on site, someone you can rely on. It also helps to be flexible and accommodating – whether it's organisational issues or dealing with students. And you should give the students themselves a sense of responsibility: they can maintain networks on site and thus keep the connection alive.
And finally: I am interested in a stay at NTNU, what can I do?
It's best to plan ahead and start talking to people right away, so ask me or the student committee. You can also just sit down in our institute kitchen – sooner or later, students who have already been to NTNU are sure to drop by. Otherwise, we always have a language assistant from Taiwan here who can help you make great first contacts and enjoys talking to students. Of course, there is also an ‘International’ section on our institute website with all the information you need, and our newsletter regularly features student testimonials. Finally, the English website of NTNU is also very good.
I would like to thank Alexander Brosch for the informative and cordial conversation.
