UOW students explore China in a whirlwind study tour

Dec 10, 2004

From Wollongong to China and back again in 21 days.

This was the adventure taken by a group of 17 students from the University of Wollongong, who recently returned from an intensive international Study Tour program. The students visited a number of cities and met students and business people while taking classes in Chinese language, history, politics, economy and culture.

The group, headed by Director of International Studies, Associate Professor Di Kelly, stayed in international student accommodation and endured freezing temperatures and early morning classes.

But it wasn't all scholarship and study.

The students immersed themselves in Chinese culture and were able to visit the Great Wall of China in Mutianyu, the Summer Palace and other local sites in Beijing, including the 'hotongs' -- the traditional and 'increasingly rare' Beijing streets.

“The students enjoyed a Chinese banquet with UOW graduate, Angela Hilton, who is Second Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Beijing,” Professor Kelly said. “They also had the chance to put their new expertise in Chinese to good use, bargaining at local markets."

In the central city of Wuhan on the Yangtze River (with a population of 12 million people) there were more language, culture and economics classes as well as a football game where UOW was victorious.

“With the assistance of the host university, Wuhan Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and the French consulate, students were also given an extensive tour of the Citroen car factory on the outskirts of Wuhan,” said Professor Kelly.

In the far western city of Chengdu, students visited a famous teahouse and The Dafu Buddha - the largest carved stone Buddha in the world. The highlight for many of the students was visiting the well-known panda breeding research station where they observed the panda life cycle from 100 gram babies to 100 kilogram adults.

The last few days were spent in the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong.

Students are now expected to submit assignments on the China Study Tour that, upon successful completion, will be counted as a subject toward their degrees at UOW.

Professor Kelly said that the UOW China Study Tour was just one of many increasing internationalisation activities being developed for UOW students.

-RP