The nearly two-week experience took the students around Pingtung County, Taiwan, learning from agricultural professionals and faculty of National Pingtung University of Science & Technology. The central theme of the itinerary was the integration of technology for agricultural sustainability.

“The theme of last year’s trip was virtual reality–related activities. This year, many agriculture-related courses have been added as well as agriculture field [demonstrations],” said Dr. Hank Tsai, assistant professor of scientific agriculture at NPUST.

The program itinerary included farm visits, lectures, and agribusiness tours, including:

• Angel Garden Leisure Farm, an agritourism business;
• Taiwan HiPoint, an agricultural research equipment manufacturer;
• Known-You Seed Co., a crop breeding and seed production company famous for its seedless watermelons;
• Huang Lin Machinery Co., a company that assesses the influence of various control devices on the microclimate of greenhouses.

“One of my favorite memories from the trip was the chance to engage with professionals in Taiwan. Visiting agricultural industries and farms was a highlight, particularly the field trips to HiPoint and Known-You Seed,” said Rosemarie Faisao, a junior at Northern Marianas College. “I was amazed to see how technology has transformed agriculture, making it much simpler compared to the traditional methods.”

One day the students got hands-on experience building a tunnel greenhouse — from measuring the foundation using trigonometry to building it using power tools.

“The experience working with other foreign students and my fellow Saipan islanders was an experience I will not forget,” said Kaelan Arciaga, a UOG senior studying tropical agriculture production.

The Smart Agriculture Technology & Culture Experience Study Abroad Program will continue to be held once a year, with the third cohort slated to head to Taiwan in January.

For more information, contact Dr. Kuan-Ju Chen at chenkj@triton.uog.edu.