Mayfield Heights Resident Studies Abroad in Taiwan for the Summer Semester at Ashland University

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ASHLAND, OH (07/22/2013)(readMedia)-- FOR RELEASE 7/17/13

*picture caption* "Hinkle (third from the left) poses for a photo in Taiwan

ASHLAND, Ohio – Christopher Hinkle, of Mayfield Heights, OH, and a junior business management major at Ashland University, is currently studying abroad in Taiwan for the summer semester at Ashland University.

Hinkle is the son of Ronald and Anne Hinkle, and is a 2010 graduate of Mayfield High School.

Hinkle and 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.

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

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.

With Hinkle experiencing a new culture in Taiwan, he has been blogging about his adventures in Taiwan, and some of the more difficult things in the classroom, especially with learning the Chinese language.

"I think the most difficult aspect for most of us when learning to speak Chinese is the use of tones," Hinkle said. "There are four tones used often and five if you consider the neutral tone. Each word in the Chinese language is comprised of different combinations of these 5 tones. Tones are really important to learn because one word can have multiple meanings depending on the tone used when that word is spoke. The Chinese tone reminds me of some words in the English language that sound the same but have different meanings such as (there, their, and they're)."

Hinkle 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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