Director of Integrated Library Systems University of Southern California
In this poster presentation, I would like share and reflect on the experience and lessons I have gained from an international exchange program. In fall 2022, I had the honor to work at the Graduate Institute of Library and Information Science of the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taiwan as a visiting scholar. During my two-month stay there, I gave weekly lecture at graduate courses on managing information technology. I developed my presentation based my course at the Master of Management in Library and Information Science program, University of Southern California. Furthermore, I participated in a research project on developing and implementing a voice assistant program at the university library. I reviewed and offered suggestions on the project plan, methodology, and survey instrument. Through direct engagement and relationship building, the host and I identified and solidified opportunities for future research and exchange between our institutions.
COVID-19 pandemic has severely hampered international collaborative and exchange activities in the last three years. Despite numerous logistical and regulatory challenges, my host and I found innovative ways to cooperate across borders by leveraging technology and collaborative tools in hybrid platforms. Consequently, we have grown professionally, personally, and interpersonally, as well as learned critical lessons along the way, all of which have collectively made our endeavor a positive, constructive, and worthwhile international exchange program overall.