More than 130 Purdue students to meet in Shanghai for global experience
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The largest group of Purdue University students to meet at an international destination will gather in Shanghai in May to learn more about China.
More than 130 Purdue students and 15 faculty members from nine study abroad programs will converge in Shanghai on May 28 and 29 to participate in an interdisciplinary event at the Shanghai Expo.
"When we realized that so many diverse classes were in China at the same time, we saw an opportunity to bring everyone together in Shanghai," said Brian Harley, associate dean for international programs. "Most study abroad programs are no larger than 30 students, so this will truly provide the ultimate world classroom for our students."
The courses, which include topics on sports medicine, leadership, entrepreneurship and energy, will allot time for each individual program before meeting in Shanghai. For example, students in the "Global Perspective in Sports Medicine-China" will spend nearly three weeks at the Beijing Sport University learning about Chinese exercise and traditional Chinese medicine before traveling to Shanghai. While in Shanghai, all students will attend interdisciplinary lectures and participate in activities and assignments to learn more about urban life in China. The Shanghai Expo, which runs May 1 through Oct. 31, is titled Better City, Better Life. For this Shanghai Expo Learning Component, students will work on research projects such as urban life of Shanghai, the city's history, expo pavilions, and their themes and impact on Shanghai.
The idea for this event was sparked by the success of the 2008 program in Beijing when Purdue students interned during the Summer Olympics, said Howard Sypher, professor and head of the Department of Communication.
Purdue's participation at the Shanghai Expo is sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Purdue, and institute director Wei Hong not only designed the two-day program, but also helped prepare students for life in China, including etiquette and cultural customs. Purdue also is partnering with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the institute's Chinese partner, so both universities' students can collaborate during the expo.
"Ten years ago, the United Kingdom was the popular destination for study abroad, but college students are focusing on China today," Harley said. "China is a great classroom for students studying energy and the environment because this Asian country has seen such unparalleled growth in population, economy and industry. The country's rise as an economic power also provides students interested in manufacturing an opportunity to see how the global economy is changing so quickly."
During the 2003-04 academic year, 18 Purdue students studied in China. In 2009-10, there were 235 study abroad students to China. This year, the anticipated 137 students will be part of the projected total of 260 Purdue students there.
In addition to "Global Perspectives in Sports Medicine-China," the other participating courses are "Communication in Global Organizations;" "Introduction to Intercultural Teamwork;" "Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation;" "Building Construction Management and Computer Graphic Technology in China;" "Launching Tomorrow’s World Leaders: Summer Cultural Study in China;" "Globalization, Energy and Environment;" "Transnational American Studies Abroad;" and "Manufacturing in China." Students are responsible for their tuition and travel expenses, and some scholarships were available for students.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Sources: Brian Harley, 765-494-2383, bharley@purdue.edu
Wei Hong, 765-494-3859, hongwei@purdue.edu
Howard Sypher, 765-494-3300, hsypher@purdue.edu