Eight Students Spend 5 Weeks in Tianjin, China as Part of the NTU International Summer School Program
As it has done for the past seven years, Âé¶čAV partnered with Singapore's Nanyang Technological University in offering their International Summer School program in Tianjin, China. Eight Bryn Mawr students joined a cohort of students from educational institutions around the world for a five-week program of intense learning, travel, and cross-cultural conversation. Students enroll in courses co-taught by faculty from Bryn Mawr and NTU that engage with big comparative questions of ethics, justice, and policy. Study tours also took students to explore Tianjin and Beijing.
Students enrolled for the summer of 2018 included: Kai McGinn '21, Peyton Moriarty '21, Daphne Tsapalas '20, Ngoc Pham '21, Nadia Delisfort '19, Hannah Chinn '19, Zosia Haney '19, and Talia Shiroma '19. Bryn Mawr faculty Nate Wright (Sociology), Michael Allen (Political Science) and Sharon Ullman (History) all taught courses as part of the program.
Below is an excerpt from an interview with Kai McGinn '21, a Cities major and Japanese minor, on her time in Tianjin.
Q. Why were you interested in applying to the NTU summer program?
A. I was interested because it seemed to be the essence of âinternational.â I get to study/compare societies in a foreign country with students from four other countries! That was something that I really wanted to experience. I wanted to hear perspectives, stories, and experiences from different parts of the world from big ideas like capitalism and global development, to small ones like their perspective on college.
Q. What did you do while at NTU? Can you describe your weekly schedule including what classes you took, any trips either academic or for fun?
A. Our weekly schedule was comprised of two daily two-hour classes. We would go to the canteen or into the street market on Nankai Universityâs campus for lunch. ... I have had some of the best soymilk, bubble tea, bao, and mango smoothies during these breaks. After school, our evening was free time so I would often go explore the city by going to the supermarket, the local park, or by going running around the area where we lived. And of course, homework!
We also had two study tours: one in Tianjin and one in Beijing. For fun, my friends and I planned a spontaneous trip to go to Inner Mongolia for a weekend, so we got to spend a night in the grasslands, go to a lamasery in the mountains, and go sandsliding at the Kubuqi desert.
Q. What did you learn that surprised you?
A. This is an interesting question because there were great things that I learned from inside the classroom, but also outside the classroom. One of our classes was about comparative societies, and so we were able to discuss and compare the Chinese Government and American Government. Without this class, I would not have known the similarities and differences between these systems, and how people from Singapore, Sweden, Australia, and China looked upon these governments.
I didnât realize how active the elderly were in other parts of the world! My friends were walking home from the park one night, and we ran into this amazing night life along the river, where old couples were dancing, doing karaoke, and playing mah-jong ... at 10:30 p.m.! And I noticed this was not only in that specific town. In Beijing, a corner was filled with outdoor dancing at midnight and there were multiple dance troupes along the Tianjin center. I loved experiencing and seeing these old but very lively souls in China.
Q. What was your favorite part of this experience?
A. My favorite part of this experience was definitely the relationships I was able to form through this program. I now have global networks through these friends that I am still in contact with, and being able to have met, studied with, and interacted with in China is something I will never forget. It was also great to exchange my side of perspectives and hear or maybe even argue with their sides/views on topics. I truly loved the freedom to explore not only Tianjin, but also Beijing and other parts of China. My friends and I were able to do a weekend trip to Inner Mongolia, and before the NTU program I had never thought Iâd set foot in the Kubuqi desert or sleep in a yurt on the famous Mongolian grasslands. And of course, climbing the Great Wall is something I will never forget.
Q. What advice or guidance would you offer future students interested in applying for NTU?
A. First, I 100% recommend the program. It gives you a new outlook on topics, fabulous friends, and an appreciation for the beauty of everyday culture rather than just the famous landmarks. Second, it is important to do all of your assignments and readings, but I would recommend being unafraid to explore; there are so many restaurants, street markets, people, shops, etc. to find even in the 1 mile radius around where we stay. Learning Mandarin is incredibly helpful as well! You can definitely get along without it but it is nice not to have to rely on others to communicate.
