Harvard Business School’s FGI Program Makes First Visit to Taiwan, Catalyzing Great Advancements in TMUH Renal Care Services
Six MBA students from Harvard Business School (HBS) in the US arrived at TMU in May 2024 for an eight-day visit as part of the 2024 FIELD Global Immersion (FGI) Program. They conducted an in-depth exploration of TMU’s education and medical systems, engaged in meaningful exchanges with the teachers and students, offered perspectives from different cultural mindsets, and created international sparks of inspiration.
The FGI Program is one of HBS’s famous required courses. Through on-site visits, the program helps strengthen students' management capabilities in a variety of business environments. Among the 157 partners selected from 16 countries worldwide, Taiwan was included for the first time this year, with TMU being the only medical university chosen.
During their one-week visit, the HBS students toured TMU and its three affiliated hospitals. Their tour included visits to a kidney dialysis room, kidney transplantation center, kidney care center, and kidney dialysis clinic at TMUH, Wanfang Hospital, and Shuanghe Hospital. After being introduced to the comprehensive kidney disease care system, they offered suggestions from international medical care innovation perspectives. They provided ideas in areas such as diet, transportation, travel, and medical care. They also provided recommendations to develop a kidney education platform and introduced a continuous blood glucose monitoring system. The students visited the College of Management at the Shuanghe Campus to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Taiwan's kidney insurance systems. To further enrich their experience outside of academic and professional engagements, the students also participated in cultural activities, including visits to Jiufen and Raohe Street Night Market. They expressed high satisfaction with both the professional and cultural dimensions of their stay. Their exposure to Taiwan’s unique culture, combined with their interactions within TMU’s medical and educational environments, left a lasting impression and fostered a strong interest in potential future collaborations between the institutions.
The six HBS students are graduates of Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania. Their industrial backgrounds include roles as analysts and strategy directors in the United States, as well as an engineer from India. For all of them, this was their first visit to Taiwan, and they were impressed by the convenience and hospitality of the local medical industry.
President Wu Mai-Szu expressed his delight at this valuable experience of international collaboration with HBS. In addition to being introduced to TMU, the Harvard students got to visit TMU’s three affiliated hospitals. The students gained a strong understanding of kidney care through visiting real medical settings and interviewing nephrologists and kidney dialysis patients; they got to learn about advancements in hemodialysis in Taiwan and nephrology research at TMU; and they collaborated to brainstorm solutions. As a nephrologist himself, President Wu felt honored by the visit. He looks forward to expanding future cooperation between the two institutions and fostering international synergy.
