2012 Summer Immersion Programme


The Suzhou Summer Programme 2012 took place within the Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District (SEID) in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), China. It was the first summer programme conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) overseas for 6 weeks from the 17th of June till the 28th of July 2012. The objectives of this programme include showcasing the newly constructed NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute or NUSRI to the participants, introducing the history and current developments of the Suzhou Industrial Park as well as enabling the participants to explore and appreciate China's beauty and its cultural traditions firsthand. A total of 47 students from the School of Computing, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in NUS signed up as the pioneer batch of this program. They took lessons on Chinese arts history, programming methodology and clean energy technologies during these 6 weeks while effectively making use of the resources available in Suzhou to enhance their learning experience.



During the first week of the programme, the participants were acquainted with the area within the Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town (HET). They received practical information and tips on transportation in Suzhou and China, places for finding local delicacies as well as the many communal facilities such as the cinema and sports stadium made available for them within the town itself. More importantly, they were introduced to the vision and mission of the Suzhou Industrial Park as one of the largest economic and technical cooperative project between Singapore and China. The students visited 3 different exhibition halls within the park itself to learn and understand about the past, present and future significance of SIP. They also visited the Soochow University for a day as a form of cultural immersion activity while learning about the economical development and geographical conditions of China from the local professors there. The participants were oriented with the basis of the construction of SIP and an in-depth understanding of China’s progression in the hopes that they will be aware of the industrial development of China as a whole in the current global economic market.


The second week students visited Suzhou’s various famous landmarks such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Suzhou Museum and Pingjiang Road. They also took a two-hour trip to Hangzhou to visit the beautiful West Lake there and the surrounding tourist spots. The ancient and mesmerizing architectural designs of these places coupled with the glorious landscape proved to be an eye-opener for them as they traversed across these sites. In addition, the students got to know the history of the ‘Wu’ culture in Suzhou by attending a special lecture on the subject matter. They were introduced to Suzhou’s 2500 years of intricate and exquisite cultural traditions which can still be seen and appreciated today by manifesting on the lives of the people here and the classical designs of the preserved places. The second week of the programme marked the opening of an exciting road ahead for the students to continue to marvel and explore the many wonders of China and its true beauty.



The third week was particularly interesting as the participants were involved with their first company visits. They took a tour to Trinasolar and the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO). These visits were especially insightful as they learnt about the clean energy technologies which were currently being produced in China as well as the innovative projects taken towards achieving sustainable developments in the future. These visits also complemented well with their study on clean energy and storage which provided them with an on-site experience looking at the workings of these companies rather than just learning the theoretical components of the subject. The students also continued to travel the many magnificent and historic sites of Suzhou this week, including the Lingering Garden, the Hanshan Temple, Tiger Hill as well as the Shantang Road. The tours were getting increasingly fascinating and intriguing as many of the students expressed their awe-stricken feelings when they stepped into these majestic spots.



The second company visits took place the following week in which the students went to Risun Solar Energy (Suzhou) and Canadian Solar. They were again provided with new information and practical knowledge about the usage of solar energy as a form of renewable, clean and prevalent resource which will hopefully provide a breakthrough point for sustainable development. The visits this time proved to be enriching as the students got to learn about the manufacturing processes of photovoltaic materials. Another form of cultural immersion activity was conducted this week through a Chinese calligraphy class. The students learnt the beauty and elegance of calligraphy as a form of ancient Chinese art and they also had practical sessions with the instructor which turned out to be a fun-filled experience for everyone. The tours continued with the students visiting the historical and cultural city of Nanjing. They went to many renowned sites that were famous for the historic value behind them, including the Confucius Temple, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum as well as the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. The trip to Nanjing was tiring but well worth it as the students took away with them many precious images of this city’s sights and sounds.



By week five, many of the participants felt attached to China and Suzhou in particular as they had learnt of the ways of living here as well as the deep and exquisite culture beyond the physical outlooks. This week, they were brought to the ancient water town of Zhouzhuang and the modern cosmopolitan city of Shanghai. The contrast between the ancient houses beside the quaint willow-lined canals of Zhouzhuang and the sky-rising buildings of the fast-developing city of Shanghai showed to the students the many facades of China as a country with an old history and yet, booming with a multitude of economical developments. The final week of the program came swiftly as the students continued to enjoy touring China while learning new things about its artistic history and innovative technologies. Finally, it was time for the participants to bid farewell to Suzhou and all of them including the staff members gathered in one last gala dinner together for photo-sharing sessions and some discussions about the program.



Overall, the Suzhou Summer Programme 2012 was successful in bringing out the best of China to the students and showcasing the many attractive sides of the country as well. Many felt that the program was especially helpful in cultivating their knowledge of the city of Suzhou, the industrial park and China as a whole. It had been a great experience for all who were involved in this program and should there be an opportunity to conduct it again, it would certainly be done so to promote the beautiful, charming and ancient country of China.