Person-to-Person exchange at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University
- By Corey Cooper
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail
China.org.cn, September 3, 2011
Not surprising for an agriculturally-focused institution, many of the students were majoring in scientific, engineering, or other technical backgrounds. Water management, alternative energy, civil engineering and architectural fields were key focuses at the school. This seemed to echo the Chinese government's focuses as presented in the 12th Five Year plan this year at the National People's Congress – technological innovation, a shift to renewable energy sources, a continued emphasis on scientific research, while maintaining modernization and urbanization at a rapid pace. The students' areas of study also pointed to local concerns, such as how to manage water resources in an increasingly arid region, and how to best utilize land resources and complete China's industrial transformation.
 |
|
Students from Inner Mongolia Agricultural University interact with students from Beijing and US universities during a person-to-person exchange as part of the US-China Youth RME Partnership program in Hohhot on Aug. 30, 2011. |
The students' questions were uncommonly focused for students at such a young age, and it was clear to me that they were among the brightest in their respective classes. I was expecting general questions about American society or U.S. college life, but one student threw me off guard with a question about how he could pursue sponsorship for an engineering project he was starting. Another student asked about the nature of overseas companies doing business in China, as well as differences in the hiring processes of international and Chinese firms. I did my best to explain to him the differences in which international firms pursue and select candidates as well as walked him threw a typical interview process.
I came away from the exchange feeling that more and more, Chinese universities are teaching students to be more inquisitive and assertive, and to seek out their own answers. These students, I felt, were poised to break stereotypes and lead China into a new era of innovation. Universities in China, such as Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, are increasingly providing students with the tools they need to get there.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)