From the 5th to the 6th of November 2018, an exciting two-day scholarly tour of Tianjin, arranged by program leader Zang Leizhen with assistance from Madeleine Rye Jørgensen, was concluded by the students of Public Management and Social Development (PMSD) of the Sino-Danish Center/College at UCAS. The tour was arranged around two academic exchanges at the Political Science faculties at the Tianjin Normal University and at Nankai University with its Zhou Enlai Government School of Management. Despite cultural differences and language barriers with the good will and amity among the participants an enlightening experience was had by scholars on both sides with excellent debates about the academic opportunities, prospects and challenges of the development of Chinese higher education. The trip continued with a visit to the Tianjin Planning Exhibition Hall, where students received a guided tour and the story of cities planning. Finally, the tour concluded with a visit to the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall where the Chinese students got an excellent opportunity to introduce the life of one of the most important couples in modern Chinese history to the international students of the SDC.
Early morning on the 5th of November, the class of PMSD 2018 took the bus to Tianjin Normal University where everyone was promptly greeted and received a tour of the facilities by the dean of Politics and Administration.
After many words of appreciation and a showcasing of the Universities achievements and awards, gifts were exchanged as the students of the SDC were seated in the large conference room. Here the symposium was held, which was attended by several PhD students of Political Science at Tianjin Normal University. Many questions and answers about the challenges and difference in opinion regarding the study of Political Science in and outside China crossed the table with several topics being debated.
As the event concluded with lunch at the university, the boarding the bus we all turned to the next destination of Nankai University where again we were greeted by the dean of the Zhou Enlai Government School of Management. Here This went straight to business, as students were taken directly to the conference room with a short introduction by the dean and several professors and PhD students who attended. As the symposium went on, the experienced professors and PhDs of Nankai University gave much advice to the visiting students in addition to all the questions answered.
The dean of Zhou Enlai Government School of Management receiving a gift from the PMSD head of program Zhen Leizhen as the symposium started.
Students listening carefully during this rare opportunity to have their questions answered
All attendants at the symposium from SDC and Nankai University
After the symposium students were shown the more progressive rooms for students such as this psychological room where students can get help to relieve stress and anxiety.
Students posing in front of the Nankai University Library.
Next morning the day started with a tour of the city planning museum of Tianjin, featuring incredible models of the city and its projects.
Next and final destination was the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall.
Though a familiar site and story for the national Chinese among the group, the story of this couple is not one known to most foreigners. Here international students got an impression of some of the people who build China the way it is today and what China was like in the seventies and eighties, all told through the eyes of the national Chinese students.
Overall the entire trip concluded successfully, with many of the students getting a better understanding of the Chinese university system as well as advice for their career and the opportunity to meet and discuss with PhD students from other universities.
(Written by: Jonathan Schlichtkrull, from 2018 PMSD master program)
