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Universitas 21 Summer School Report 2019 Fudan International Summer Session, Fudan University, Shanghai

Adlyn Sabrina Azizulrahman, Mechanical Engineering

Why did you choose to apply for this U21 event? I applied to attend Fudan International Summer Session because Fudan University has a great reputation in China- it is ranked as one of the top 5 universities in China! When I was looking at the content course offered by this summer programme, International Trade was one of the courses that caught my attention. Although it is out of my study scope, I have always wanted to learn how China is able to grow rapidly to become economically successful. In my course in the University of Birmingham, I have made a lot of friends from China and I want to be able to communicate with them not only in English but also in Chinese. They told me stories about China, and it made me want to experience it with my own eyes. After taking an intensive Chinese language course in Fudan University, I am now able to read, write and communicate in Chinese with my friends.

What was the best thing about your experience? I met new friends from all over the world, we shared our experiences and helped each other throughout our stay in Shanghai.

I had the chance to communicate in Chinese with the locals when I started learning the language was one of the most fun things to happen, they were very excited when I spoke to them in Chinese. I got to bargain at the market in Chinese too!

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I visited the Oriental Pearl Tower- one of the iconic towers in Shanghai. My friends and I went up the observation decks and the view was breath-taking!

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I also went up to the top floor in the Jin Mao Tower and experienced an evening skywalk where I walked outside the building on a glass floor on level 88 at the forth tallest building in Shanghai.

I even went for a day trip to Shanghai Disneyland with my new friends and it was magical. We went on rides, watched a Tarzan acrobatic show and stayed for the fireworks performance.

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What benefits do you think you gained in relation to your personal development e.g. your confidence, competence, knowledge, future employability?

- I travelled to China alone and planned the trips to visit interesting places in Shanghai which made me a more independent and organised person.

- I am a Mechanical Engineering student but in Fudan International Summer Session I learned a new subject, International Trade which is out of my study field, but it had widened my knowledge scope.

- At the end of the course, I volunteered to present on behalf of my groupmates on a topic that is new to me in front of everyone who has economics background. The step that I took had boosted my confidence level.

How did your U21 bursary help you? I am very grateful because the U21 bursary has helped me financially to travel across the world to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity.

What did you think were the most attractive things about the University of Birmingham when promoting it to other international students? - The diverse community is what makes my university experience wonderful, I meet people

from different backgrounds, and they thought me more about their culture. - The university has its own train station which makes it easy to commute from the city centre

and the Birmingham Airport is just a few stations away from the university. - The University of Birmingham is unique, it has a museum and an art gallery within the

university compound. - Selly Oak; right outside the university gate is a decent place to enjoy lunch or dinner. Students

usually get bubble tea or milk tea from Selly Oak (a popular drink in China).

Is there anything you would have changed about your visit? I did most of the things I wanted to do in the city but personally I would’ve enjoyed a longer stay in China to travel to another city after my summer school ended.

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What advice would you give to students thinking of applying for a U21 Award in the future? Just apply! Just go for it! Adventures await you. Explore the world and keep on learning! You’ll meet interesting people at interesting places. You’ll never know what adventure awaits unless get out of your comfort zone. Shanghai was amazing, applying to this summer programme was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Ps: Always have an umbrella, electric fan (a paper fan is alright too) and sunscreen with you at all times!

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Pictures of Foods and Events in Shanghai.

Nanjing Road.

Mao Zedong statue in Fudan University.

Dumpling night at Fudan University canteen.

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Huangpu River Cruise.

Taichi Class.

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Chinese archery lesson.

Chinese calligraphy class.

Table tennis session. Bubble tea!

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Cute bubble tea store. Venice of the east.

Second biggest Starbucks in Asia.

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Chinese dinner at a restaurant.

Crab dumplings, noodles and steamed gyoza.

Cute dumplings!

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Shanghai’s Financial District during the day and at night.