Creating links

Liverpool John Moores University has strengthened its relationship with its partners in the Shanghai Delta by hosting over 30 students from Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), Shanghai University of Engineering and Science, and Suzhou University of Science and Technology for LJMU International Summer School 2018.

Many of the students attending the summer school recently hosted LJMU students in Shanghai during the LJMU China Summer School – so this was a chance for the university to repay that kindness!

The academic and cultural programme involves workshops and lectures in art and design, engineering and humanities, English language classes, entrepreneurship sessions and visits to the likes of the Lake District and Chatsworth House.

The summer school provides the students with the chance to live like a true LJMU student in city centre accommodation and attend classes relating to their courses at home. The trip also offers the chance to explore more of the UK, with many students opting to visit cities such as London and Edinburgh to learn more about British culture and history.

SHNU Foreign Language student Yolanda enjoyed reuniting with the LJMU students and said: “I am an English major, so I applied for the LJMU International Summer School to improve my English skills. This is my first time here and so far I think Liverpool is a very charming city, full of traditional culture. I also think LJMU is a very nice university – I love the teachers and the teaching style here.”

Hannah Dutton a LJMU student, said: “It felt really good to ‘give something back’ to the Chinese students as they did so much for us when we were there recently.

“I was excited to show them the differences between our cultures and the things we have in common – students can learn a lot from each other especially when there are so many differences in the way that they act. “Chinese students are focused and work-driven – school really does come first for a lot of them – whereas in the UK, students can sometimes tend to put university on the back bench and focus more on work or their social lives.

“Chinese students’ lives are focused on what they are doing in school, how they can take this further outside of school and what it can do for their future. The teachers are very strict, so it was really interesting to watch the students shopping with their teachers, for example, having seen them working with them in their school… they were all much more relaxed.

“This was a fantastic opportunity and I would love to do it again if the opportunity came up”.