For its second edition, the Shanghai Summer Programme 2009 attracted a small, but very multicultural group of students from Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Morocco, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine. During the 6-week programme jointly organised by ESSCA and its local partner ESAI, the students attended classes on Chinese economy and culture, the Chinese legal system and the general business environment. The classes were taught by local professors and an ESSCA Asia Fellow from the University of California at Berkeley.

In addition to the lectures a number of company visits were also arranged to venues such as Louis Vuitton China, a French-Chinese joint venture, or Bao Steel. Moreover, various cultural activities such as visits to the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Urban Planning Bureau.

At the end of the programme, students participated in a three-day study trip to Hangzhou where they met local university students, businessmen and had the chance to see the famous Lingyin Buddhist Temple and the ‘West Lake Impression’ by the Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

The participants’ satisfaction was very high. Here is a feedback of Sigourney, an exchange student from McGill University (Canada) : « My participation in the SSP was a very unique experience. As my first exchange during my undergraduate degree it was a fantastic opportunity to learn in a different setting than that of my home university. Having the chance to study in a different country – China and live in the buzzing metropolitan of Shanghai was very exciting.The class setting was very intimate. It was very special taking classes with such a diverse group of students from a range of nationalities and backgrounds coming from different universities. I learnt a lot about the Chinese economy and Chinese culture. Having the opportunity to visit several companies in China was very revealing and provided significant insight into how business is conducted in China. This programme was a fantastic learning experience, a great introduction to Chinese business and an amazing opportunity that introduced me to a wonderful group of students, professors and administrators. I’m pleased to have been part of the 2009 SSP! ».

Reported by Wei Shen