During 17 June to 15 July, the first and second module of the 2013 Shanghai International Summer School have been successfully held in School of Economics and Management, Tongji University. The 2013 International Summer School is composed of three modules: Cultural Integration, Academic Lectures & Company Visits, and Internship in Shanghai. Thirty-three students from 10 countries gathered together to learn 13 business lectures, 1 Intercultural Communication course and 1 Chinese language course and visit 4 well-known companies, featuring Chinese culture and doing business in China, within the past four weeks. The condensed schedule and multi-national communication made the summer school a wonderful and memorable experience for all the students this summer.

The overseas students went to Beijing and Xi’an in the first week, where they were deeply impressed by the traditional culture of China. Hiking in the Great Wall, visiting the Forbidden City and eating sugar-coated haws, showed foreign students a special Chinese experience except for its modern development.

During the second module, experienced faculties from SEM gave informative and interesting lectures on business and Chinese economy. In the comparative corporate governance class, students analyzed the case of Bao Steel Group for the corporate governance in three countries. And the following company visit to the steel plant gave students a clearer picture of the operation of Baosteel Group. In the consumer behavior class, the professor discussed the problems of world-known MNCs’ coming to China and applied it to practice in the Nielson company visit. And in the Entrepreneurship in China class, the faculty with rich international education background explored the comparison of Chinese and overseas economy and helped students get to know the Chinese market from a new perspective.

Moreover, SEM matched each foreign student with a Chinese buddy from Tongji University. They learned and communicated together in  and after class and cooperated together to make a successful group presentation, etc, which helped foreign students with not only life and study in China but also understanding a vivid knowledge of Chinese culture.

The successful holding of 2013 Shanghai International Summer School is expected to attract more international students to come to Tongji for further study, and has, at the same time, made great contributions to the development of international exchange of School of Economics and Management.