Tea, tech and tradition: my engineering summer school in China

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By Matthew, third year student Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (MEng Hons)

Spending seven weeks in China this summer gave me an experience I’ll never forget. Based in Nanjing, I took part in a four-week Engineering Summer School at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA). The programme aimed to introduce international students to Chinese culture and traditions, showcase China’s rapid technological development, and teach practical engineering skills.

During my trip, I also travelled to Beijing, Chengdu, Ganzi, Xi’an, Suzhou, Shanghai, as well as several cities in Taiwan. This really enhanced the experience for me, as I saw many of the country’s greatest cities and marvellous landscapes along the way.

Throughout the month, we were constantly engaged, with a new schedule each week — from traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy to cultural classes exploring festivals and history. We tried our hand at playing the guzheng and ocarina in music workshops, took part in a tea ceremony (which was starkly different to the UK’s casual tea drinking culture), and even learned some basic Mandarin to help us interact with locals and deepen our cultural understanding.

Our time at NUAA wasn’t limited to classrooms. We had guided tours of historical sites like the former Imperial Examination Hall in Nanjing and the Site of the First National Congress of the CCP in Shanghai. These trips highlighted China’s fascinating blend of modernity and tradition — a relationship I found inspiring.

Campus life was an experience in itself. The campus had everything students could need — from grocery stores and canteens to a gym and swimming pool, and even a hospital. Our student volunteers introduced us to interesting local foods like the famous Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup, and showed us their favourite spots around town.

In my free time on weekends, I ventured further afield and I took the chance to travel around cities like Beijing, Xi’an, Suzhou and Shanghai, giving me a deeper sense of China’s diversity and scale. I also spent extensive time exploring the different areas within Nanjing — the city is a lot larger than I anticipated, with 13 metro lines taking you around the city from corner to corner. I visited all of the main tourist attractions in Nanjing, including to pay my respects at the tragic Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre. During lunchtimes and after classes I also found the time to go into the city centre to explore the grand malls such as Deji Plaza which was ginormous! I managed to climb several large hills to get the best views of the city as well as wander many beautiful scenic areas both in the city and slightly further out.

In the second half of the programme, we focused on engineering, using CAD software and 3D printers to design drone parts and CNC machines to carve personalised Chinese name stamps from metal — a perfect fusion of tradition and technology. These workshops built my confidence with tools and techniques I now plan to explore further in the University of Edinburgh’s Engineering MakerSpace.

This experience exceeded my expectations — not only did I gain technical skills, but I also formed lasting friendships (both from the UK as well as internationally) and developed a new appreciation for China’s rich culture and forward-thinking mindset. If you get the chance to join a summer school like this, take it!