This undergraduate course provides students with structured opportunities to explore, discuss and present their ideas about a range of issues affecting them, their communities and societies around the world. The aim is to help students develop greater awareness and confidence in sharing their views about the social, political, cultural and economic forces that affect their and others’ lives. Students will prepare for each class by reading and watching materials. In-class learning activities will include oral presentations, small group and one-on-one conversations, and short written assignments. The class will be taught and students will complete their work in English. Students will be able to work together in other shared languages outside of class. Any student who is interested to improve their English speaking and writing is encouraged to enroll.

Weekly class sessions will focus on specific topics. The instructor will select topics for many of the sessions from the following list. Students will be invited to suggest other topics, and may be asked to select topics for some weeks from these and their own recommendations.

1. University life
2. Effective self-introduction: Mock interviews
3. Public health - Taiwan’s COVID response
4. Fake News - credible digital resources
5. 21st Century politics - the US elections
6. Gender - Women in leadership
7. Declining birth rates
8. Aging society
9. Workplace - Generational change
10. Immigration - Migrant workers
11. Indigenous people
12. LGBTQ people
13. Gender - Family life and roles
14. Women in leadership
15. Globalization
16. Digital economy
17. Entrepreneurship and innovation
18. Social Impact and business

This undergraduate course provides students with structured opportunities to explore, discuss and present their ideas about a range of issues affecting them, their communities and society around the world. The aim is to help students develop greater awareness and confidence in sharing their views about the social, political, cultural and economic forces that affect their and others’ lives. Students will prepare for each class by reading and watching materials. In-class learning activities will include oral presentations, small group and one-on-one conversations, and short written assignments. The class will be taught and students will complete their work in English. Students will be able to work together in other shared languages ​​outside of class. Any student who is interested to improve their English speaking and writing is encouraged to enroll.

Weekly class sessions will focus on specific topics. The instructor will select topics for many of the sessions from the following list. Students will be invited to suggest other topics, and may be asked to select topics for some weeks from these and their own recommendations.

1. University life
2. Effective self-introduction: Mock interviews
3. Public health - Taiwan’s COVID response
4. Fake News - credible digital resources
5. 21st Century politics - the US elections
6. Gender - Women in leadership
7. Declining birth rates
8. Aging society
9. Workplace - General change
10. Immigration - Migrant workers
11. Indigenous people
12. LGBTQ people
13. Gender - Family life and roles
14. Women in leadership
15. Globalization
16. Digital economy
17. Entrepreneurship and innovation
18. Social Impact and business

There is no textbook or reading packet for this course. Course materials will be open access and provided to students during the semester; examples include: supporting lecture notes, videos, white papers, media articles, and internet resources.

There is no textbook or reading packet for this course. Course materials will be open access and provided to students during the semiconductor; examples include: supporting lesson notes, videos, white papers, media articles, and internet resources.