Director Christian Helbig with teachers and students of Lujiang Junior High School.

The Ambassadors on Campus program organized by the Secretariat at the New Taipei City Government continues to gain significant momentum. For the sixth event, Christian Helbig, Director of the Austrian Office in Taipei, was invited to Lujiang Junior High School in Luzhou District today (April 1). Speaking to nearly 130 teachers and students in person, Helbig opened a window to the world for these young learners in New Taipei City.
 
In his talk, with the theme “Education and Life in Austria,” Director Helbig introduced Austria's enriching educational environment and comprehensive vocational system, as well as the development of local folk culture, and the music and arts industry. He pointed out that Austrian society values work-life balance, and its education system emphasizes diverse development. He encouraged the students to step out of their comfort zones and to consider Austria as a potential starting point for deepening their professional knowledge and cultivating their appreciation of life aesthetics. The atmosphere at the event was vibrant and engaging, with students listening attentively and asking questions enthusiastically on topics such as campus life in Austria. Director Helbig patiently responded to each question and affirmed the students’ proactive plans for studying abroad, helping his audience imagine new possibilities and develop expectations toward their future careers.
 

Students from Lujiang Junior High School welcome Director Helbig on his visit.

Hui-Yi Ke, a seventh-grade student, said that Director Helbig’s talk was rich and exciting, and that Austria has beautiful scenery. She hopes she will get to travel there in the future. Liang-Yan Chen, another seventh-grade student, said that she was deeply impressed by the differences between the school systems in Austria and Taiwan and longed to experience the learning environment abroad. She also expressed admiration for the local renewable energy development and believed that Taiwan should learn from it.
 
Chun-Feng Chang, Principal of Lujiang Junior High School, said that the school has long been committed to guiding students to explore their careers and cultivate an international perspective. With a strong foundation in vocational education and renewable energy, along with a rich cultural heritage, what Austria has to offer is highly compatible with the secondary education in Taiwan, which emphasizes competency development and career exploration. Principal Chang was full of praise for the content of the talk, finding it to be very inspiring for junior high school students who are in the exploratory stages of their lives.
 
Hui-Mei Juh, Director General of the Secretariat, said that the Ambassadors on Campus not only brings the world into campuses, but also allows the international community to see the vitality and potential of New Taipei City students. In the future, more ambassadors from various countries will be invited to visit junior and senior high schools in the city to bolster students’ self-confidence and sense of pride through in-person exchanges. More than 10 ambassador talks have been planned for this semester. The next session will be a talk by Casey Temple, Deputy Representative of the Australian Office Taipei, who will visit Tucheng Junior High School to speak and exchange ideas.


Students from Lujiang Junior High School share their thoughts after the speech.