What we did this summer part two – LJMU International Summer School shows Shanghai students the sights
During the last weeks of summer, LJMU hosted over 30 students from our partners in the Shanghai Delta region: Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), Shanghai University of Engineering and Science and Suzhou University of Science and Technology. The students took part in art and design, humanities and engineering sessions depending on their course of study in their home university.
SHNU Foreign Language student Yolanda (humanities) reflected on her last three weeks in Liverpool: “If I had to choose a highlight, I would say the English language classes have been the best part of the International Summer School at LJMU, I loved them. However, it has all been so brilliant – the language classes, the English literature classes, the art and design workshops and the cultural visits.”
The students were also able to visit other areas of interest across the UK such as Chester, the Lake District and Chatsworth House, as well as having a free weekend which allowed students to explore their own interests. Many students visited London, Edinburgh and York to learn more about British culture, however Liverpool made a lasting impression on the visiting students, as Yolanda explains: “This has been an amazing trip, and I will miss Liverpool a lot. My favourite thing about Liverpool is the people that live here. They are all very friendly and always willing to offer help. I will cherish my memories of LJMU and Liverpool forever.”
In the first LJMU International Summer School blog, Yolanda said “… I love the teachers and the teaching style here.” This opinion still stands, with Yolanda also now reflecting on the differences between Liverpool John Moores University and Shanghai Normal University: “When thinking about how LJMU compares to my university in China, I find the teaching style at LJMU very interesting. It is more interactive, which I enjoy. I think students from the UK and China can learn a lot from each other. For example, I have found that British students are more creative.”
Yolanda also mentioned she is looking forward to seeing her friends from LJMU, including a group of Humanities and Social Sciences students who visited SHNU as part of the LJMU China Summer School programme earlier this summer. In between academic classes and cultural visits, the group managed to find time to see each other again, learning more about each other’s cultures and universities.
The 2018 International Summer School has been a successful venture thanks to the LJMU Go Abroad team, our partner institutions in China and all those involved from Humanities, Art and Design and the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. With excellent feedback from the students, it is hoped the LJMU International Summer School in 2019 will be a continued success, involving more Schools from across the University and more of LJMU’s international partners.
Read part one of the International Summer School blogs. For more updates on the LJMU International Summer School programme, follow @LJMU_Int on Twitter.
