Business student Ryan Liu believes the “culture shock” he has experienced during his time in Sydney will help him in his future career. Usually based in Shanghai, Liu received a scholarship to study at UTS for two semesters as part of the partnership between UTS and Shanghai University.
“As business students, we all have different skills, different ideas,” says Liu. “When we try to solve a problem, the Western students have totally different ideas from us. It’s culture shock, but it’s really interesting. All business students need to have an international perspective, and we’re developing these skills.”
Liu is currently completing a dual Bachelor of Business degree through the Sydney Institute for Language and Commerce (SILC), a joint-venture of Shanghai University and the UTS Business School.
UTS and Shanghai University have one of the largest and longest standing China-foreign higher education joint venture collaborations in China, and will celebrate their twentieth year of partnership this year. The partnership offers students from both universities opportunities to travel overseas, experience a different culture and develop their networks.
In 2012, ten UTS students across different disciplines travelled to Shanghai for a summer school program organised by UTS leadership program BUiLD and hosted by SILC in Shanghai. The program now runs annually and includes language and culture studies, UTS Alumni events and industry visits, and gives students valuable networking opportunities.
Program participant, and UTS Communication and Law graduate Emily Chen echoes Liu’s sentiment.
“International experiences like going to summer school in different countries demonstrate that you’re culturally sensitive and you can communicate with people from different cultures,” says Chen.
“We did lessons in basic Mandarin and classes in Chinese culture, Chinese history and Chinese economics,” says Chen.
“The Chinese classes were fun, interactive and definitely a must when in China,” adds UTS Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws student Bernadette Li, also one of the initial UTS cohort to attend the SILC summer school. “Considering it's one of the biggest languages used today, even learning just the basics to get by definitely went a long way for me.”
Says Li, “Our buddies were all SILC students and it was really good because you got to know each other from the get-go. Were it not for the fantastic people that made us feel at home, guided us through our studies (especially Chinese class), and travelled with us to all those amazing places, it wouldn't have been as much fun and as insightful as it was.”
The tables were turned this past winter when Chen and Li welcomed 24 SILC students who were participating in a study tour at UTS. The study tour offered them an opportunity to experience what it’s like to study in Australia as well as deepen ties between the two universities.
The BUiLD students agree that the opportunity to develop their networks in China and connect with their peers from SILC in Sydney has been an invaluable part of their university experience and encourage other UTS students to join.
“Being an international experience, it really opens up your perspective of things. I've been told stories about how my parents or relatives have worked or studied over in China. No matter how much they tell you about it, or no matter what you imagine it to be, experiencing it first hand is a whole different thing,” says Li.
- UTS and Shanghai University have one of the largest and long-standing China-foreign higher education joint venture collaborations in China, offering students from both universities opportunities to travel, experience different cultures and develop their networks
- UTS students from a range of faculties travelled to Shanghai in the summer of 2012, then welcomed their Chinese colleagues for a study tour in Sydney last winter