Around 20 undergraduate students and four academics from across Queen Mary University of London were among an international group invited to spend three weeks at Sichuan University, which is ranked in the top ten in China.
The Sichuan University International Student Summer Camp included students and teachers from the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Europe.
Professors William Gillin and Martin Dove, and Dr Brian Wecht from Queen Mary’s School of Physics and Astronomy were selected to give expert lectures to more than 300 students from Harvard University, Oxford University, Moscow State University, Queen Mary of London University, University of Washington, Arizona State University, National University of Singapore and other world-class universities.
The three-week programme was a mix of lectures covering different academic subjects, lessons in China’s cultural heritage, Chinese language, and included visits to sites of national importance such as the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre and a Buddhist temple.
Final year English Literature student Emily Yates, who is a wheelchair user, said: “The experience was an eye-opener for me. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from different lecturers - I particularly enjoyed the talks on global politics.
“My personal highlights though were meeting so many people from different corners of the globe, my trip to Shanghai and to an arts centre for people with disabilities in Suzhou, which is the home town of one of the Sichuan University students who invited me to meet his family.”
William Gillin who is a Senior Guest Professor at Sichuan University and Director of a joint Sino-British Institute for Materials Research Institute, said: “Queen Mary has excellent links with Chinese institutions including a long-running Joint Programme with Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and newly established biomedical course with Nanchang University.
"It’s the second time we have sent Queen Mary students to a summer programme in China and we look forward to continuing to support Queen Mary students to travel overseas while they study with us.”
Find out more or apply for future international exchange programmes.
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