TAIPEI, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This news comes from The Hub News. Article Source: https://www.thehubnews.net/archives/561410

Outstanding international students from around the world are encouraged to pursue degrees or study Mandarin in Taiwan through the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship programs. In the current (2025-26) academic year, over 1,500 exceptional students from more than 80 countries have been awarded scholarships. A warm welcome was hosted for these scholarship recipients by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) – 2025 Taiwan & Huayu Scholarship Recipients’ Orientation and Welcome Party— on October 20 at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, with over 800 new students in attendance. Diplomats from various countries stationed in Taiwan also personally joined in to extend their heartfelt welcome, creating a lively and warm atmosphere. (Source: TheHubNews)

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Education Liu Kuo-Wei encouraged the scholarship students to not only focus on their academic studies but also to take the opportunity to explore Taiwan’s rich and diverse culture, enjoy its local delicacies, and build friendships with the warm and hospitable people of Taiwan. Deputy Minister Liu noted that many past scholarship recipients have excelled in various fields and have even chosen to stay and build their careers in Taiwan. He expressed his hope that the new students feel a sense of belonging in Taiwan and one day proudly say: “Taiwan is my second home!”

Two outstanding senior scholarship recipients from Cambodia and Guatemala, respectively were invited to share their inspiring experiences with attendees. Hourng Sopheakanika, a Cambodian master’s student studying at Chang Gung University’s College of Management and recipient of the MOE Taiwan Scholarship, encouraged new students to keep an open mind and be brave in facing challenges. “Every challenge you encounter in Taiwan is a new bridge leading to growth,” she said, emphasizing that these experiences will enrich their academic journeys. Francisco Javier León Aguilar, a Guatemalan Ph.D. student in the College of Management at National Taipei University of Technology and recipient of the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship, shared that his experience in classes showed him that learning is not just about acquiring knowledge—it’s also a process of developing critical thinking and leadership skills. He described his decision to study in Taiwan thanks to the scholarship as the “most beautiful unexpected choice” of his life.

For the past 21 years, the MOE’s Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship programs have been supporting international students to pursue degrees or study Mandarin in Taiwan. Through their time in Taiwan, it is hoped that these students will gain deeper insight into Taiwan’s educational and academic environment, build meaningful connections with the people of Taiwan, and become important bridges linking Taiwan with their home countries. The MOE also encourages these outstanding students to make the most of their bilingual or multilingual abilities and their familiarity with both their own and Taiwan’s cultures after graduation. Whether they choose to stay and work in Taiwan or return to their home countries, they can help promote international talent exchange and become the best ambassadors for “Studying in Taiwan.”

Landmark Certification Validates Commitment to a Premier People-First Workplace Culture

HONG KONG, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — NagaCorp Ltd. (“NagaCorp” or the “Company”, SEHK Stock Code: 3918), together with its subsidiary NagaWorld, a leading Integrated Resort in the Mekong Region, is proud to announce it has recently been Certified™ by Great Place To Work^®, a global authority on workplace culture. This prestigious certification, earned with an exceptional Trust Index™ score of 95%, is based entirely on direct and anonymous employee feedback. A high score indicates a positive work environment where employees felt empowered to be their best selves in a safe work environment while receiving fair recognition, rewards and opportunities for growth.  

“It is encouraging and inspiring to see the practice of workplace culture and excellence being cultivated and recognised in Cambodia and being valued by each member in our company. We are both humbled by this international recognition and immensely proud of each member of our Naga family who through their passion for improving livelihoods come to the workplace everyday, not only to work, but to learn, to deliver and to promote the Khmer culture to the world through the works we collectively do. This certification is a recognition of the collective spirit and dedication of every member of our Naga family,” said Mr. Chen Yiy Fon, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of NagaCorp. “We will mark this milestone in our ‘Shaping Tomorrow, Together’ journey, which places our people at the core of everything we do. We are immensely proud of our team of over 6,000 professionals. This recognition is possible because of you. We congratulate our fellow recipients in Cambodia who have received Great Place to Work^® certification™ and together let us continue to build and foster a workplace environment of excellence, integrity, and mutual respect where productivity can thrive and flourish.”

NagaWorld’s people strategy is built on four pillars: Start with Us, Grow with Us, Engage with Us, and Stay with Us. Key initiatives that underpin this certification include:

• Investing in Our People: Delivering over 205,000 hours of employee training in 2024 and launching the flagship ‘Leadership Series 2.0’ executive development program, which earned the ‘Investment in People’ award at the 2024 Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards.
• Fostering Engagement and Well-being: Cultivating a vibrant community through large-scale initiatives like the inaugural ‘NagaRun’ and the ‘Naga’s Got Talent’ competition, which promote well-being, artistic expression, and camaraderie.
• Driving Digital Innovation: Launching the ‘MyPortal’ mobile app to streamline internal communications, learning, and engagement, which received a Bronze for ‘HR Innovation’ at the HR Excellence Awards 2024 (Singapore).
• Upholding Diversity and Inclusion: Maintaining a gender-balanced workforce, with women comprising 50.2% of all employees and holding 33% of managerial positions.

ABOUT NAGACORP LTD. 
NagaCorp Ltd. has been listed on The Hong Kong Stock Exchange since October 2006 (SEHK stock code: 3918). Established in 1995, NagaCorp’s wholly owned subsidiary NagaWorld Ltd. owns, manages and operates the only world-class integrated entertainment and leisure complex in Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It owns a casino license valid for 70 years, and exclusive gaming rights for a period of 51 years (1995-2045). NagaCorp was selected for inclusion in the Hang Seng Foreign Companies Composite Index launched on 5 September 2011. On 10 September 2018, the Group was included as a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Large Cap & Mid Cap Index. On 13 March 2023, the Group was listed as one of the eligible securities for Southbound Trading under Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.

Learn more at nagacorp.com and follow NagaCorp on LinkedIn.

ABOUT NAGAWORLD LIMITED
Since our opening in 1995, NagaWorld has been at the forefront in the development of Cambodia’s dynamic tourism industry, working closely with various governmental stakeholders. As one of the nation’s largest private employers in the hospitality sector, we have over the years trained numerous employees in world-class service standards who have since moved on to further contribute to the vibrant hospitality sector in Cambodia. At NagaWorld, we believe that building a great workplace is not only about business performance but also about shaping a sustainable future for our employees, our guests, and the communities we serve.

Learn more at nagaworld.com and follow NagaWorld on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT GREAT PLACE TO WORK^®
As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work^® brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All™ Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified™ or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces™ List.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and follow Great Place To Work^® on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

DELIVERING ELITE PERFORMANCE FOR GAMERS AND ENTHUSIASTS 

HONG KONG, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — KLEVV, the leading consumer memory and storage brand introduced by Essencore, proudly unveils a striking new colorway for its award-winning URBANE V RGB DDR5 Gaming/OC memory. The sleek new Jet Black Edition joins the popular Brilliant White, broadening the lineup and giving enthusiasts more freedom to personalize their setups without compromise.

Refined Design, Proven Excellence

The URBANE V RGB Gaming/OC series is designed with both style and function in mind, featuring a 2mm-thick aluminum heatsink with refined, curved edges and precision linear grooves that ensure durability and efficient cooling. With a low-profile height of just 42.5mm, the modules fit seamlessly into diverse builds while maintaining optimal thermal performance. A distinctive dual-beam RGB light guide delivers smooth, customizable illumination across 16 million colors, fully compatible with major motherboard lighting software. This proven design, recognized with the prestigious iF Design Award, is now available in an elegant Jet Black finish that complements today’s modern gaming and creator setups.

Proven Performance and Broad Compatibility

The URBANE V RGB DDR5 delivers overclocked speeds of up to 8400 MT/s with low-latency timings and comes in dual-channel kits of up to 64GB. Built on a high-quality 10-layer PCB with on-die ECC and PMIC support, it ensures strong signal integrity and stable performance under demanding workloads. KLEVV offers an Optimized for AMD version designed exclusively for AMD platforms, alongside a Universal edition that supports both Intel’s 15th Gen processors and AMD’s Ryzen™ 9000 series. Fully QVL-tested, it remains a trusted choice for users who demand cutting-edge performance with sleek, refined aesthetics.

Driven by Innovation, Defined by Quality

KLEVV is committed to delivering high-quality memory products across its entire lineup, consistently introducing bold new designs and advancing overclocking performance with higher speeds, greater capacities, and lower latencies. With a focus on innovation, reliability, and distinctive style, every KLEVV product is meticulously engineered to meet the needs of gamers, creators, and PC enthusiasts while delivering an exceptional user experience across all applications.

Warranty and Availability

Designed for gamers, PC builders, and performance enthusiasts, KLEVV’s URBANE V RGB series including the new Jet Black Edition are backed by a limited lifetime warranty and will be available starting Q4 2025.  

KLEVV products are distributed by Integral Memory plc and M2M Direct in the United Kingdom and neighboring European countries. In Australia, distribution is handled by Com1 International. For U.S. consumers, KLEVV products are available directly through Amazon US platform.

Further Information

URBANE V RGB – https://www.klevv.com/ken/products_details/memory/Klevv_UrbaneVRGB  

ABOUT ESSENCORE

Established in 2014, Essencore Limited aims to become the world’s top vendor of DRAM modules and NAND flash application products. The company started with one goal: to “Change the world and be a leader in semiconductor distribution”. The business strategies of Essencore is to adopt the newest technologies to differentiate themselves from competitors, deliver dedicated Memory products, and offer various product portfolios for customer’s competition readiness. For more information, please visit www.essencore.com. 

ABOUT KLEVV

KLEVV, is a premium brand of Essencore, the major Module and NAND Flash application product vendor. The KLEVV range focused on superior gaming memory modules and solid state drives. KLEVV is committed to delivering world-class products with first-rate quality, and all products are engineered for enthusiasts who are pursuing the best things in life. KLEVV memory/SSD have been recognized by Germany’s Red Dot Design Award and iF Design Award for its innovative product designs. For more information, please visit www.klevv.com.  

For the first time in Thailand, the BALAC Program at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, now features a course titled “Dracula and Modern Culture,” where students can connect interdisciplinary arts in their analysis of Gothic literature to better understand modern culture. The program draws over 300 applicants each year, with only 120 accepted.  

BANGKOK, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In today’s digital age, where knowledge is simply accessible at one’s fingertips, Chulalongkorn University, as a leading educational institution in Thailand, has expanded the boundaries of learning beyond the transmission of theoretical knowledge. The university emphasizes creating spaces that encourage students to explore, question, and connect interdisciplinary knowledge to real-life contexts. This is achieved through innovative and thought-provoking courses that inspire learning, such as “Dracula and Modern Culture”—a course offered under the Bachelor of Arts in Language and Culture (BALAC) international program.  

A course centered on horror stories and vampire legends serves as a gateway for students to deeply explore the world of cultural studies from diverse perspectives. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including history, sociology, gender theory, ethnography, and contemporary cultural phenomena. This course not only introduces students to Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula but also allows them to decode the symbols of fear, desire, and otherness embedded in culture from the past to the present.  

“The BALAC program aims to equip students with contemporary knowledge, skills, and experiences in the humanities and social sciences that meet the needs of the 21st century. It emphasizes critical thinking, inquisitiveness, and awareness of social inequalities, along with a deep understanding of the humanities,” said BALAC Director Asst. Prof. Dr. Porranee Singpliam. 

In addition to Dracula and Modern Culture, the BALAC program offers other intriguing courses such as Everyday Life Culture, Gender and Queering the Media, Postcolonial Cultures, and Cultures and Narratives. “Each course in the program is designed to stimulate critical thinking and open new perspectives for students, fostering their intellectual development.” 

BALAC: Thailand’s Pioneering Cultural Studies Program  

The BALAC program was launched in 2008 and has remained steadfast as Thailand’s first Cultural Studies program. Now in its 17th year, it continues to grow in popularity, with an increasing number of applicants each year.  

“Our program admits students twice a year—90 through Early Admission, 30 through the Admission round, and 12 through two Non-Thai Admission rounds—totaling 132 students annually. Yet, we receive over 300 applications each year, suggesting that Thai youths desire or a new and alternative approach to education.” 

According to Asst. Prof. Dr. Porranee what makes the BALAC program stand out is its flexible and open curriculum design, which allows students to choose their studies based on their interests within three concentrations: Global Cultures, Media Cultures, and Foreign Language. To complete a chosen concentration, students must take a total of 24 credits, equivalent to 8 courses, within that specific area. 

“Graduates from the BALAC program can build on their knowledge and pursue a wide range of careers, including international relations, education, mass communication, and marketing, all of which require strong intercultural communication skills and a deep understanding of social contexts, which the program poignantly emphasizes,” explained Asst. Prof. Dr. Porranee regarding the graduates’ career paths. 

Additionally, the BALAC program collaborates with world-renowned universities, such as Waseda University in Japan and the University of Queensland in Australia, through Double Degree Programs. In the future, the program plans to further expand its international partnerships to enhance academic and professional opportunities for students. The program also offers an internship course, which allows students to gain practical experience and count it toward their credits. 

A Gothic Expert Who Decodes the Darkness  

The course Dracula and Modern Culture was first offered in 2019 by Dr. Katarzyna Ancuta, an expert in Gothic and horror literature, at the birthplace of the legend that inspired Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula.  

“When I joined the program in 2018, I saw that the new curriculum included a course on Dracula, but it didn’t yet have an instructor. I was thrilled, as my specialization in Gothic literature and Dracula fit perfectly with the course.” 

Dr. Ancuta describes herself as a “Gothicist,” with expertise in Cultural Studies. Her academic journey began with literature, later expanding into film studies. She wrote her master’s thesis on ghosts and her Ph.D. dissertation on Gothic and horror. Among her published works is Where Angels Fear to Hover: Between the Gothic Disease and the Metaphysics of Horror (2005). Her research spans interdisciplinary contexts of Gothic and contemporary horror arts—from popular fiction, film, video, multimedia, and performance art to theater, music, dance, comics, graphic novels, fashion, and alternative lifestyles. In recent years, Dr. Ancuta has turned her focus to ghosts, vampires, and the supernatural in Asia, particularly exploring Asian Gothic and Asian Horror 

Exploring Dracula to Understand Humans and Society 

“Dracula” is a literary work from the Gothic revival period of the 19th century (published in 1897). For over a century, it has remained popular and open to diverse interpretations. In the Dracula and Modern Culture course, students read the novel and analyze various themes, connecting them to contemporary social phenomena and social theories. 

“This course serves as a practical extension of the Introduction to Cultural Studies course, which is mandatory for first-year BALAC students. While the course familiarizes them with key theories and concepts in the field, it can be quite challenging and theory-heavy. When they later take Dracula, students revisit those same ideas through the story of vampires—making it more engaging, accessible, and enjoyable,” Dr. Ancuta explained. 

She added that the content of “Dracula and Modern Culture” is carefully designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of how the vampire figure has evolved throughout human culture, from its origins to the modern day. 

“The course begins by exploring vampires as creatures of folklore. In the past, people truly believed that vampires existed. In Romania, for example, there are vampire cemeteries and historical documents that record such beliefs. Understanding that vampires are not merely products of fantasy but rather deeply rooted in human culture and belief systems helps students gain a deeper understanding of social and psychological contexts,” Dr. Ancuta explained. 

Decoding Vampires through Social Science Theories: Gender, Class, and Ethnicity 

Dr. Ancuta stated that the course’s distinctive feature lies in analyzing Dracula through the lens of various social science theories, particularly issues of gender, class, and race. 

“Vampires are more than monsters in fiction; monsters are cultural constructs,” Dr. Ancuta said, explaining that the course uses “monsters” as tools for understanding society and culture. “We create monsters to represent what we fear, not just as individuals but as a society.” 

Dr. Ancuta cited the study of “female vampires” and the monstrous feminine, analyzing them through frameworks of feminism, gender theory, sexual politics, gender norms, and imagery that links women with evil. 

“Why are there not many female characters in Dracula? Why are monster characters often women?” Dr. Ancuta posed these thought-provoking questions. “In patriarchal society, monsters are often women. Ghosts in Asia are often female ghosts, because these characters are used to teach women to be submissive. And if a woman is defiant or rebellious, she will be portrayed as disgusting, frightening, and alien. But if we decode them, monsters can help us learn about diversity—gender, ethnicity, class, immigrants, etc. This approach helps students connect the content to their life experiences, because sometimes we need monsters so we have an outlet.” 

Studying the Dracula course can also be a way to connect to social and racial issues. Dr. Ancuta has students watch and analyze the film Nosferatu (2024), which contains undertones of antisemitism. Additionally, students study the concepts linking Dracula’s physical appearance to Cesare Lombroso’s criminal anthropology theory, which attempted to explain that criminals could be identified by external characteristics, a problematic concept filled with social prejudice. 

Cross-Border Vampires in Pop Culture 

The image of vampires today has changed dramatically from the era when this fiction was written over 100 years ago. 

“Young people today don’t really know Dracula as much as the vampires in the movie Twilight, where the image may not be scary but has become a character everyone roots for. This is a shift from the original frightening vampire to something desirable,” Dr. Ancuta said. 

“Currently, vampires appear in dramas, series, and many romantic stories, showing that today we accept and sympathize with monsters more. This reflects changes in social values, understanding of diversity, and greater acceptance of ‘otherness.'”                

Dr. Ancuta added that the course is universal and relevant to Asian contexts as well. Students will analyze the transnational image of vampires by examining how vampires in non-Western media, such as Korean films and Japanese anime, are characterized and reflect local cultures. 

“For example, Asian mythical creatures like the kumiho from Korea may initially have nothing in common with vampires at all, but in later works, their characteristics may be adapted to resemble vampires, such as drinking blood,” Dr. Ancuta explained the process called “vampirization.” 

In the Thai context, there may not be vampires in the universal sense, but “Thai ghosts” do have certain characteristics that may come from the vampirization process. 

“Thai ghosts eat intestines and scurf, not suck blood like vampires, but they have similar characteristics. That’s why people often describe them as ‘like vampires,’ but they’re not. This comparison helps students see the universality of the monster concept, while at the same time understanding that each culture has different ways of expressing fears and beliefs.” 

Studying Dracula in the Age of AI 

 Even though AI currently plays a role in teaching and assessment, for this course, Dr. Ancuta emphasizes having students reduce their reliance on AI and return to practicing their own internal skills. 

 ”Assigning work to students in the AI era requires thinking of tasks that don’t allow students to bring in AI to help, so they can learn to think for themselves. Therefore, the course must cut out traditional essays and emphasize analysis instead. Assessment is also more flexible, focusing mainly on work that demonstrates creativity. Additionally, because vampires ‘don’t have fixed knowledge like other subjects,’ their absence is an advantage that forces learners to rely on analytical thinking and connecting knowledge from various disciplines themselves.” 

Dr. Ancuta proudly stated that “Dracula and Modern Culture” is one of the courses that attracts interested students to the BALAC program. The popularity of this course reflects that curriculum design that dares to be different and unique can meet the needs of learners and society. Using vampires as a tool for studying culture not only makes content interesting and accessible but also helps students see how humanities and social sciences are relevant and meaningful in the contemporary world. 

When Dracula steps out of the shadows into Chulalongkorn University’s classroom, he doesn’t come to suck blood but to illuminate for students the complexity of human society—our fears, desires, and hopes. In the end, the vampires we study are not monsters from fiction but reflections from the mirror of culture. 

 Anyone interested in applying for the BALAC Program or learn more about the Dracula and Modern Culture course can find more information from the BALAC official website at  https://www.arts.chula.ac.th/balac/ or visit https://asiangothic.houseoftoyols.com to learn more about the intriguing world of vampires and modern culture. 

Read the full article and view pictures at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/266452/

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About Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University has made the world’s top 50 university list for employment outcomes, which reflects both the high employment rate and work ability of Chula graduates. The university is also listed as the best in Thailand for the 15th Consecutive Year (since 2009), according to the newly released QS World University Rankings 2024, putting Chula at 211th in the world, up from 244th last year.

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