Travel course takes trio on educational journey across China
The travel course trio of (from left) Wilson Yates, Yanjun Yan and Timothy Israel visit a company in Shanghai.
Yanjun Yan, assistant professor in Western Carolina University鈥檚 School of Engineering and Technology, led two 91热爆网 students on an educational journey across China over a two-week period in May.
Their trip was the first faculty-led travel course offered by the school and 91热爆网鈥檚 College of Engineering and Technology. Student participants were Wilson Yates from the Engineering-Mechanical Program and Timothy Israel from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Program.
The trio鈥檚 destinations were sites of cultural, educational and engineering interest in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and Suzhou. Along the way, the students had an opportunity to feast on an extensive variety of Chinese food such as Peking duck, hot pot, dumplings, squirrel fish, XinJiang-style skewers and a westernized Peking duck pizza, Yan said.
Their academic destinations included the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and East China University of Science and Technology. While there, they were able to discuss programs and research with their international counterparts. 鈥淭he highlight of the visits was an exoskeleton project to assist the disabled at the UESTC robotics center,鈥� Yan said.
Wilson Yates enjoys the nighttime view of the Bund, a waterfront area in Shanghai.
A few Chinese companies hosted the group, including DaTang Thermal Power Research Institute, North China Electric Power Research Institute, TATA Wooden Doors, SONGZ, Envision Energy, General Motors in Shanghai, and Huawei. The stops at TATA, SONGZ and GM included massive factories with testing facilities. The students gained first-hand experiences with automation, the influence of company cultures, advanced manufacturing, international research and development, and marketing strategies, Yan said.
Outside the formal visits, the team explored the rich history of China. They climbed the Great Wall along the steep mountain ridges, toured the Imperial Palace (Forbidden City) and explored the Jing鈥橝n Temple, the Humble Administrator鈥檚 Garden and Tiger Hill. They also visited the National Museum in Beijing and the SanXingDui Museum in Chengdu, where they saw many artifacts that told stories dated back to the beginning of human civilization. And, for history still in use, they visited the DuJiangYan irrigation system built in 256 B.C. and still in use today.
Timothy Israel takes in the scenery at the Great Wall of China.
The social treats included night views of the Bund in Shanghai, walking on the millennia-old stone streets and bridges in Suzhou, and the art museum in Shanghai. The craftsmanship included calligraphy and 鈥渟ugar people,鈥� which is made using melted sugar either painted as a 2-D image or blown in a 3-D object as if to make a balloon shape. 鈥淪uitcases were much heavier after the trip,鈥� Yan said.
Both students said they were pleased by what they learned on the trip. 鈥淭his travel course has given me a new insight into China and its unique rich culture, as well as fascinating history,鈥� Yates said. Israel add that 鈥淐hina is a one-of-a-kind experience that will allow you to immerse yourself in a different way of life than your own.鈥�
Yan said the first faculty-led travel course in the college was 鈥渧ery successful, and yet it has been a long way getting here.鈥� She said there is an ongoing effort to organize a travel course to Japan in 2019. Although it should be of particular interest to engineering students, the course, 鈥淓NGR 365,鈥� is available to all 91热爆网 students as part of the Liberal Studies Program, in the category of 鈥淧6,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his trip to China was supported by many inside and outside the university, including 91热爆网鈥檚 Office of International Programs and Services,鈥� she said. More information about the China trip and future travel courses is available at .
