Dr. Manoj Kumar Panigrah is a shining example of the success NCCU’s international students achieve in Taiwan and in their home countries. A graduate of the International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific studies (IDAS) at NCCU, he is currently an Assistant Professor at the OP Jindal Global University (JGU), where he is the Director for the Centre for North East Asian Studies. At JGU, Manoj is one of the youngest PhD holder out of roughly 900 professors, but he says that might change soon. “I am getting old, so I'm sure someone else will come along” he said.

Manoj first came to Taiwan in 2015 as part of an exchange program, and returned for the IDAS program in 2016. “Most of my mates wanted to go to Europe of the US, but I wanted to try Taiwan” he said. “When I came here I didn’t know much, but developed an interest in Taiwan. I’m interested in history, so I tried to visit as many different historical places as I could.” He said that it was these experiences that encouraged him to come back and enroll in the IDAS program at NCCU.

Far from just spending his time in Taiwan studying, Manoj also found the time to visit 101 schools to share Indian culture with Taiwanese students, which Manoj says was like building his own “101” in Taiwan.

“During my time I faced a lot of racial discrimination in the society. So, I thought that instead of complaining all the time, I changed my attitude and asked myself ‘what can I do to bring change?’” Manoj said.

So he got to work, visiting schools in Taiwan as part of the Ministry of Education’s Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP). “I was explaining Indian culture, dispelling a few of those basic stereotypes,” he said. “Indian food is not spicy all the time. It depends on where you are, the same with the weather, things on those parameters. These kinds of cultural stereotypes.”

Manoj did this work mostly using funds out of his own pocket. A recipient of the Taiwan Ministry of Education Scholarship, Manoj says he saved whatever he had left over to fund the excursions that took him all over Taiwan’s countryside, through different landscapes and cultures.

While Manoj was able to meet a lot of people from many different backgrounds he says that he did face some challenges: “Not everyone was interested in what I was saying. However, I got immense support from the people I approached, because I did all this voluntarily.” The support came in the form of accommodation from parents or teachers of schools he was visiting, and eating some great local cuisine. “I got to try so many different types of food” he said. “Things that people in Taipei would never be able to find. It was a wonderful experience for me."

Back at NCCU, Manoj spent his time researching his PhD thesis comparing ethnic conflicts and the peace processes involved in conflicts in India and the Philippines. He said that during this process, he received invaluable help and advice from his supervising professor Dr. Der-yuan Wu.

“I was lucky that my supervisor was an amazing person. He supported me right from scratch” Manoj said. “He was not only my mentor, but he came to be more like a father figure, helping me to shape my intellectual debates.

Manoj also writes extensively on his blog hosted on the Crossing (換日綠) website, on topics ranging from Indian and Taiwanese foods, sports, his life as a student, Indians living in Taiwan, and of course his experiences volunteering in Taiwan schools. You can find Manoj’s blog by following the URL below, and you can find the Center for Northeast Asian studies on Twitter: @C4NEAS
Manoj's Blog on the Crossing (換日綠) website:  https://crossing.cw.com.tw/author/1502