Ashland Residents Study Abroad in Taiwan for the Summer Semester at Ashland University

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ASHLAND, OH (07/22/2013)(readMedia)-- FOR RELEASE 7/22/13

*picture caption* "Michael Gorton (farthest left) and Jacob Moss (third to the right) pose for a photo in Taiwan"

ASHLAND, Ohio – Michael Gorton, of Ashland, OH, and a senior management major at Ashland University, as well as Jacob Moss, of Ashland, OH, and a freshman business management major, are currently studying abroad in Taiwan for the summer semester at Ashland University.

Gorton is the son of Gary and Barbara Gorton of Ashland, and is a 2010 graduate of Ashland High School.

Moss is the son of Jay Moss and Ann Jacobs, and is a 2011 graduate of Ashland High School.

Gorton and Moss, as well as the other students spent much of their time at Providence University in the Wu Chi district of Taichung, Taiwan. The summer program involves students enrolling in two Providence University classes – Mandarin language and Cross Cultural Business and Management Seminar.

Providence University paired the six students with learning partners who are Providence University students interested in improving their English and knowledge of the American Culture.

"A key objective of the program is to provide meaningful exposure to an Asian market and culture for Ashland University's business students," said Khush Pittenger, professor of management and the Dauch College of Business and Economics internship coordinator. "It is a unique opportunity as not many students are likely to travel to Asia on their own and there are no other Ashland University travel abroad programs that focus heavily on Asia."

Pittenger said Asia has some of fastest growing economies in the world and such international experiences bring to life what students read in textbooks and newspapers. Pittenger also thanked Alan and Julie Roth for providing the generous financial support to make this program possible and affordable for Ashland University students.

This year's program involved students visiting Taiwanese local enterprises such as Gold-Joint Industries – ACE, a Taiwanese-based geosynthetic company.

In addition, the students are doing some sightseeing including visiting the Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Monastery and Sun-Moon Lake. "The Monastery was amazing, it was architecturally beautiful and held a very interesting story," Gorton said.

According to Gorton, the Monastery was built in 2001 and was designed by the same person that built the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, which the group also visited. "There were many beautiful statues and we were fortunate enough to travel all the way up to the 16th floor. The view was incredible," he said.

Dr. Jeff Russell, dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics, said this program is a great opportunity for Ashland University students to experience urban attractions of the third-largest city in Taiwan, which has a population of one million plus. "Any international experience significantly improves students' visibility with prospective employers," he said.

In addition to Taichung, the students are expected to visit Taipei, the capital of Taiwan; towns in southern Taiwan and Penghu Island.

Moss seemed very intrigued to go to Taiwan, but wasn't used to the different weather down there, especially when a typhoon hit.

"The local people seem very used to the sea warnings and land warnings that linger as possibilities in the near future, but to most of us each piece of new information is both exciting and nerve wracking," Moss said. "The weekend indoors will be good for many of us as we continue to work on our Business Research papers due at the beginning of next week."

Gorton and Moss left for Taiwan on June 23rd and will be returning to Ohio on August 4, 2013. The students have been keeping family and friends up-to-date with a blog, which can be seen at https://dauchcobe.wordpress.com/ or can be found on Twitter @COBETaiwan.

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2013, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.

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