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Study Abroad in Taiwan: Maymester 2011

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INTERESTED IN PUBLIC HEALTH OR A HEALTH RELATED FIELD??
THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!!

Come to Taiwan Maymester 2011 and feel “LOHAS” the Taiwanese way, in the island’s cuisine, leisure activities, & folk health care. Earn 6 credit hours & learn issues related to “Public Health & Aging” and “Cultural & Health in Taiwan” while discovering this beautiful Formosa Island - Taiwan!

COURSES AVAILABLE:

HPRB 4000/7170 – Public Health & Aging (3 Cr.)
With the partnership of Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), National Cheng-Kung University (NCKU), & National Taiwan University (NTU), as well as Taiwan Department of Health & CDC-Taipei, this course will introduce the public health system of Taiwan, discuss lessons learned from its universal health insurance plan; issues, policies, and resources related to the aging society, as well as observing some health programs in action. Site visits will include Taiwan CDC, DOH, hospitals / clinics, long-term care facilities, senior centers, and public health / medical universities and colleges, etc.

HPRB 5160/7160/8000 – Special topic: Culture & Health (3 Cr.)
With the partnerships of KMU and local communities, this course will critically examine the relationship between cultural variables and health/health care delivery. Students will explore how cultural, gender, social class, and the health systems influence health and healthcare services to clients. Topics include cultural meanings & social contexts of health issues, lay/community models, cross-cultural comparisons on health practices / systems, health and daily-life (city / rural) in Taiwan, education, island’s cuisine, folk & alternative medicine (acupuncture, Chinese herb, etc.), Tai-Chi, culturally sensitive healthcare practices, and much more! Site visits will include Taiwan DOH, CDC-Taipei, community health center, city / rural sites, school system, night market, tea tasting, hot spring, neighborhood park, and traditional Chinese medicine clinics/hospitals, etc.

PLACES YOU WILL SEE:

Taipei – the largest city & capital of Taiwan. Students will visit the National Taiwan University (NTU), Department of Health, CDC-Taipei, National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and more.

Tainan - the 4th largest city after Taipei, Kaohsiung, & Taichung and is famous for its abundant historical buildings. Students will visit the National Cheng-Kung University (NCKU), one of UGA’s exchange program partners.

Kaohsiung – the 2^nd largest city and the host city of the 2009 World Games, a multisport event primarily composed of sports not featured in the Olympic Games. Students will spend most of their time here at our main host institution Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU).

CULTURAL EXCURSIONS:

National Palace Museum (http://www.npm.gov.tw/)

Located in outskirt of Taipei City, is home to essence of the five-thousand-year Chinese history. It has the finest collections of Chinese Arts, providing an eye-opening experience of Chinese culture.

Taroko National Park (http://www.taroko.gov.tw/)

Taroko, which means "beautiful" in the aboriginal Atayal language, is arguably the most famous attraction in Eastern Taiwan. The grand canyons and spectacular mountains create the most mesmerizing landscape on the island.

Kenting National Park (http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/)

Located at the southern tip of Taiwan. Dazzling bright sunshine, azure blue seawater, clean shining sand beach…, renowned for its rich landscape of hills and water, abundant life, and natural resources for everyone’s enjoyment.

DISCOVER TAIWAN

Republic Of China ( TAIWAN)

Area : 36,000 square kilometers (14,400 square miles)

Population : 23 million

Languages : Mandarin / Taiwanese / Hakka / Indigenous Languages

Religion : Buddhism / Taoism / Christianity / Islam

FORMOSA – Beautiful Island!

Taiwan is known for its towering mountains, and is reputable as a " Mountainous Island".

It lies off the southeastern coast of mainland Asia, across the Taiwan Strait from Mainland China-- a solitary island on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Taiwan's tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate climates provide clear differentiation between the different seasons. There are about 18,400 species of wildlife on the island, with more than 20% belonging to rare or endangered species.

The “LOHAS” tide (“Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability”)

Taiwan offers you an endless number of ways, with an Oriental flair, to stay healthy. Come to Taiwan and feel “LOHAS” the Taiwanese way, in the island’s cuisine, leisure activities, and folk methods of health care.

Taiwan is known far and wide for its dense concentration of hot springs (and rare cold mineral springs as well), with more than 100 hot-spring areas all over the island. This makes Taiwan one of the best places in the world for enjoying a healthful and relaxing soak in refreshing mineral waters.

TASTES OF TAIWAN

The culinary culture of the Chinese people goes back a very long time. In Taiwan, where it seems the people live to eat, it is said that there is a snack shop every three steps and a restaurant every five.

Learn More about Taiwan - http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/

Interested? Contact Dr. Su-I Hou (taiwan@uga.edu). We'll put together a listserv for those who are interested and send out further info.

Costs:

The fee for this program is approx. $2,300.

This includes a double occupancy room, most of the meals (2~3 meals a day), and local transportation while in Taiwan; scheduled field trips, site visits, cultural excursions, guest speakers, and medical insurance.

Additional expenses not included are tuition & fees @ UGA (may use HOPE scholarship), approximately $1,200 airfare, and spending money (gifts, eating out, laundry, etc.).

**Could change slightly before 2011!!**

Taiwan Visa (http://www.ait.org.tw/en/uscitizens/taiwanvisas.asp)

U.S. passport holders will be allowed to enter into Taiwan without a visa for up to 30 days (no extensions allowed) if their passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Taiwan and the traveler has a confirmed return or onward air ticket. Travelers also have the additional option of applying for and receiving a Taiwan visa prior to arrival in Taiwan (The processing fee is US$100.00).

Deadlines:

January 2011 : Application deadline with deposit due (refundable only if not accepted)

February 2011 : Second Installment Due

March 2011 : FINAL Installment Due

Faculty Information:

Su-I Hou, DrPH, CPH, CHES, RN
Program Director
Associate Professor of Health Promotion & Behavior
College of Public Health, UGA.

Inaugural Service-Learning Senior Scholar for Research, Office of Service-Learning, UGA.

Chair, the Strategic Planning Committee of Health Informatics Information Technology (HIIT) Group, American Public Health Association.

Associate Editor for the Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, and the Health Promotion Practice.

Dr. Hou has close professional ties with Taiwan and China. She is a NTU alumni and served as visiting scholar to NCKU and KMU in Taiwan. She travels to Asian region every year and has been frequently invited by their government officials, university colleagues, and industrial partners to share her scholarly work in research, instruction, and outreach. She is a renowned researcher and scholar in the field of health promotion for more than a decade.

Fan-Hao Chou, RN, PhD
Host country program coordinator
Professor, College of Nursing
Kaohsiung Medical University

Contact Information

Su-I Hou, DrPH, CPH, CHES, RN Program Director Associate Professor of Health Promotion & Behavior College of Public Health, UGA taiwan@uga.edu

More Information

Images from Taiwan: