Western Carolina University
ENGR 365 Global Engineering and Technology
May 18 – June 1, 2018
A Summer Travel Course to China in 2018
A P6 world-culture category perspective course with 3 credits
Open to all WCU students
Led by Dr. Yanjun Yan
Beijing TianAnMen Square Flag Raising Ceremony
China Datang in Beijing
Badaling Great Wall
Roast Duck
Forbidden City
Prince Gong's Palace with Grand Theater Building
South Luogu Alley
The Bund in Shanghai
Shanghai Museum
The People's Park in Shanghai
Shanghai General Motor
Shanghai Gold Dragon Fish Oil Experience Center
East China University of Science and Technology
Yu Garden
City God Temple
Suzhou Wu's Family Restaurant
Suzhou Museum
The Humble Administrator's Garden
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Panda Reservation Center
Sanxingdui Museum
Chunxi Road
Estimated Costs
Note: If you qualify, these costs may be covered by financial aid. Talk to Ms. Jennifer Thomas and review the financial aid procedure document for more info.
Note: WCU reserves the right to cancel or alter the course format or to change costs as situations require.
Item | Amount | Payment | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Passport | $135.00 | Student responsibility | If you do not have a passport, apply for one at any postal office. Allow for 6-8 weeks (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html). If you have a passport, make sure that it is valid until Nov 2018 (6 months from the day we leave USA). To get the best deal in flight ticket, you should have your passport ready in Dec 2017. |
Visa to China | $264.00 | Student responsibility | WCU IPS recommends this trustworthy website https://www.passportsandvisas.com/ (it applies for a 10-year Chinese visa on behalf of you). You are free to use any other agent. The service fees may differ at different agents, beyond the consular fee of $140. Some visa is for one-year, which can be enough. Just be sure on what you are getting. |
Airfare from AVL to PEK, and then CTU to AVL | $1100.00 | Student responsibility | The trip in China starts from Beijing (PEK) and concludes in Chengdu (CTU). You may leave and return USA at an airport of your choice, if not AVL. |
Most meals | $367.50 | Student responsibility | Everyone's tastes may differ and you can choose your meals. The instructor will give recommendations for restaurants as we go. |
Ethinic meals in group | $80.00 | Pay to OneStop | Food is an essential part of a culture and a few ethinic meals will be shared as a group. You are highly encouraged to give them a try. |
Admissions and activities | $170.00 | Pay to OneStop | The instructor will collect the fees and purchase tickets together to save time for the group. |
Shared speaker fees | $266.67 | Pay to OneStop | As a small token of our appreciation towards our speakers. |
Local transportation per person | $325.00 | Pay to OneStop | For subway and high speed trains, the instructor will collect the fees and reserve tickets. |
Shared group transportation | $103.33 | Pay to OneStop | For taxis, we will share as a group. |
Lodging | $360.00 | Pay to OneStop | We will choose the prime location in all the cities in the most affordable way: a youth hostel or airbnb with the best rating in town. |
Travel insurance | $150.00 | Pay to OneStop | Required by WCU, to cover any booking loss if this trip would be cancelled due to uncontrollable events. The insurance fee is not returnable. |
Health insurance | $21.30 | Pay to OneStop | Required by WCU. |
WCU International Program Office fee | $200.00 | Pay to OneStop | Required by WCU, to cover the administrative efforts of the IPS. |
Faculty expenses per student | $828.92 | Pay to OneStop | Faculty travel cost if shared by three students. The instructor has waived stipend to lower the costs. |
Tuition | $0.00 | No charge for 3 credit tuition. | |
Total | $4371.72 |
Potential Itinerary
Beijing → Shanghai → Suzhou → Chengdu
# of days | Date | Day | Location | Event/Speaker/Activity |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5/18/2018 | Friday | AVL or home | Leave for Beijing, China |
2 | 5/19/2018 | Saturday | Beijing | Arrive in Beijing near evenining and check in at YHA Youth Hostel or an airbnb apartment. |
3 | 5/20/2018 | Sunday | Beijing | Tour of TianAnMen Square with flag-raising ceremony |
Tour of Forbidden City | ||||
Lunch at QingFeng Dumplings | ||||
Tour of Prince Gong's Palace with Grand Theater Building | ||||
Dinner of Roast Ducks | ||||
4 | 5/21/2018 | Monday | Beijing | Visit China Datang (Wind and Thermal Power Research Group) |
If time permits, visit Heaven Temple with the Whispering Wall | ||||
Tour South Luogu Alley | ||||
5 | 5/22/2018 | Tuesday | Beijing | Tour of Badaling Great Walls |
Tour of Great Walls Museum | ||||
Watch a 360-degree movie of Great Walls | ||||
6 | 5/23/2018 | Wednesday | Shanghai | Take high speed train to Shanghai |
Check in at Mingtown YHA Etour Youth Hostel, No.55, Jiangyin Rd, Huangpu, 200003 Shanghai, China. | ||||
Tour People's Park, Nanjing Pedestrian Street, and the Bund | ||||
7 | 5/24/2018 | Thursday | Shanghai | Visit General Motor in Shanghai |
If time permits, visit Gold Dragon Fish Oil Experience Center | ||||
8 | 5/25/2018 | Friday | Shanghai | Visit Shanghai Envision (Wind Power Assistance Software System Research Group) |
Visit Huadong Science and Technology University, to attend a talk and chat with their students | ||||
9 | 5/26/2018 | Saturday | Shanghai | Tour Yu Garden |
Lunch of juicy dumplings at City God Temple | ||||
Tour Shanghai Museum | ||||
If time permits, watch a show at Shanghai Grand Theater | ||||
10 | 5/27/2018 | Sunday | Suzhou | Take high speed train to Suzhou |
Check in at YHA Mingtown Suzhou International Youth Hostel. 28 Pingjiang Rd, PingJiang Lu, Gusu Qu, Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu Sheng, China, 215000 | ||||
Tour The Humble Administrator's Garden and Suzhou Museum designed by Leoh Ming Pei. | ||||
11 | 5/28/2018 | Monday | Suzhou | Breakfast buffet at Wu's Family Restaurant |
Visit local community | ||||
Relax at Suzhou Park, Central Park, and/or Lakeside Park. | ||||
Dinner of Su-style dishes | ||||
12 | 5/29/2018 | Tuesday | Chengdu | Take high speed train to Chengdu with a transfer in Shanghai. It takes a full day. |
Check in at Heaven Pool Youth Hostel, 81 Xue Dao Jie, Jinjiang Qu, Chengdu, Sichuan Sheng, China, 610016 | ||||
13 | 5/30/2018 | Wednesday | Chengdu | Visit UESTC (exoskeleton robotics lab and/or intelligent vehicle lab) |
Visit exoskeleton spin-off company | ||||
Dinner at Chunxi Road | ||||
14 | 5/31/2018 | Thursday | Chengdu | Tour Panda Reservation Center |
Tour Sanxingdui Museum | ||||
15 | 6/1/2018 | Friday | Chengdu | Depart Chengdu for home |
Frequently Asked Questions
Application
How do I apply?
When are the trip applications due?
However, the estimated costs are based on early booking (buying flight ticket in Dec or Jan, etc.), and the later it goes, the higher the costs will be. Meanwhile, booking flight tickets and train tickets requires your passport number. If you want to join this course, you need to get your passport ready by Dec, which means that you need to apply for the passport in Oct or sooner if you don’t have one yet. So you might as well apply for this course by Oct. You are highly encouraged to talk to Dr. Yan in person to make a decision on whether you can/want to join the travel course as soon as possible.
Is there an application fee to join this travel course?
When will we hear back if we are selected to go on the study abroad trip?
Is this class only for engineering and technology majors?
How many students get to go and how are they selected?
Can I still take this class if...
Yes, you can. You just need to apply to WCU as “transient student,” and there’s a $50 charge to the Admissions Office to do that. For more details, see the Admissions Office’s information about transient students. For WCU grads, your 92 number will basically be reauthorized for summer session and you’ll be registered/billed for the course just like anyone else. For non-WCU students, the process is a little more involved, but it’s mostly just paperwork.
Costs and Financial Aid (Pre-Trip)
I have a question about financial aid. Who do I contact?
Email: jthomas@email.wcu.edu; be sure to email from your Catamount email and include your 92 number
In person: Stop by the financial aid office in Killian Annex and ask for Ms. Thomas
You can also review the Financial Aid procedures document to get more info
Are there scholarships available to help pay for the trip?
When are payments due?
Is there a payment plan or do I pay all of the money upfront?
To whom do I make the check out for the trip?
What extra things will I need to budget for while travelling (e.g., food, gifts, etc.)?
- Gifts – buying souvenirs for yourself or for others
- Extra activities – what you do in your free time
- Excess food or drink – an allowance of certain amount per day is included in the budget for meals. This covers basic eating in chain restaurants, but if you’re going out to mid-level restaurants (or better), or ordering more expensive drinks during dinner, you’ll go over the budgeted amount quickly.
- Excess travel – The amount budgeted for travel will be enough to get you to/from all required activities. However, anything you do on your own time will need to be covered by you.
See the budget for a list of what is covered, which will help you determine what isn’t covered.
Course Contents
Does this course count toward liberal studies? As an upper level perspective?
This class counts as an upper level perspective (ULP) for non-E&T majors. For E&T majors (EE, ECET, BSE, ET), it only counts as a ULP if you’re double majoring in something else too, otherwise it does not count as an ULP.
Where does this count for the E&T degree?
What are the course objectives?
- Gain factual knowledge about global engineering and technology practices. Collect, interpret and use information related to engineering and technology practices within local, national, and international contexts. Apprehend the impact of engineering and technology solutions in a global, economic, environmental, societal and global context.
- Reflect upon the principles, generalizations and theories of global engineering and technology practices beyond United States. Articulate the importance of cultural disparities and similarities when developing engineering practices. Understand and is committed to address professional and ethical responsibilities including a respect for diversity.
- Critically examine complex issues of a global nature in contemporary engineering and technology practices. Recognize contemporary issues. Understand the nature and importance of interrelationships and interdependence between and among individuals, countries, and regions.
- Identify, formulate, analyze, and solve broadly-defined engineering and technology problems. Apply knowledge of global engineering and technology practices to prepare project statements with clear project goals and objectives. Analyze project requirements to propose potential designs, determine the available resources, and apply practical constraints.
- Contribute as a member of a multidisciplinary team to create a project schedule and plan. Function on multidisciplinary teams effectively as a member or leader. Organize and participate in effective team meetings. Develop and document the solution to engineering design challenges as part of a team. Propose clearly-defined metrics to evaluate the performance of a solution.
- Communicate in an engineering environment through technical writing, verbal communication, and delivery of presentation. Develop organizational and communication skills that facilitate active involvement in, and contributions to projects in a wide variety of disciplines. Apply written, oral, and graphical communication in both technical and non-technical environments effectively; and identify and use appropriate technical literature.
Please read the syllabus to learn more about the assignments and grading for the course.
What kind of school work is involved before the trip?
Please read the syllabus to learn more about the assignments and grading for the course.
What will be required of us while on the trip?
Please read the syllabus to learn more about the expectations of students while on the trip.
What does the post-trip work entail?
Please read the syllabus to learn more about what is required upon the completion of the travel.
Credit Hours
How many credit hours will I receive for this class?
The three credit hours of the ENGR 365 course are determined based on the contact hours and course contents. A student can not elect to receive zero or less than three credit hours by doing fewer or none of the coursework nor to receive more than three credit hours as there are no further coursework to warrant it.
Are the credit hours too few?
Are the credit hours too many?
First, in terms of the 140 hour surcharge rule, summer credits are excluded (details at surcharge.wcu.edu). “2. Excluded are credit hours earned through: f. credit earned in all summer sessions;” You will never need to pay the surcharge for later courses due to any summer course.
Be aware, though, the automatic registration system sends out emails as soon as one’s total credit hours surpass 90 hours without removing the excluded courses. It is a staff member in the registrar’s office who does the exclusion manually, and please contact your adviser and the registrar’s office if you have any questions.
Second, in terms of the P6 credits exceeding the required 3 credits for graduation, more credits will only show your interests and efforts on world culture without hurting your progress towards graduation or in any other way. Your experience will be shown in the course titles on the transcript, and employers typically are very interested in and appreciate such unusual courses.
Travel
Will I need a passport and/or a visa?
If you do not have a passport, apply for one at any post office. The cost is $135 altogether (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html). Allow for 6-8 weeks . If you have a passport, make sure that it is valid until Nov 2018 (6 months from the day we leave USA). To get the best deal in flight ticket, you should have your passport ready in Dec 2017.
WCU IPS recommends this trustworthy website for visa application (it has been used by WCU before, and they can help you to apply for visas to many countries): https://www.passportsandvisas.com/ (update: our students used this site and they provided very speedy service. Unfortunately this site no longer works). For a 10-year Chinese visa, the cost is $264 altogether. You are free to use any other agent. The service fees may differ at different agents, beyond the consular fee of $140. Some visa is for one-year, which can be enough. Just be sure of what you are getting.
What do you recommend we pack? How much?
Whatever you do, pack lightly! Plan to take a carry-on and a backpack – no checked luggage.
- I can’t stress that enough (but I’ll try).
- The website One Bag is a good resource that goes into detail about one-bagging it for trips abroad.
- This YouTube video on bundle packing that shows how to get 16 garments into a carry-on.
- Scan through Lifehacker.com’s packing-related posts to get more tips. Some are geared more toward frequent business travelers (like this YouTube video, which is way beyond my packing abilities), but the tips still might be helpful.
How much cash should we have on hand while in China?
Will I need to convert money to have on hand while in China?
Will we be flying as a group or by ourselves?
- We don’t include flight costs in the required payment to WCU OneStop (added in the budget, though, to give you an idea on the overall cost and allow it to be covered by financial aid) because of students taking different itineraries home, using frequent flyer miles, leaving from a different city, etc.
- For the flight over, we will try to go as a group. Dr. Yan will provide students with the flight numbers as it gets time to book (around Dec or Jan). If you cannot fly with the group for some reason, talk to Dr. Yan and we’ll look at options for how to meet us there.
- For the flight home, students will be encouraged to come back home together. Dr. Yan may stay behind in China for some more time, but she will accompany the student group to the airport for the departure.
How will the roommates be paired? / What will the living situation be like?
- We will mostly stay in YHA Youth Hostels with best ratings in town at the prime location of each city, and we may choose an airbnb apartment with at least 3 rooms (for male students, female students, and faculty) and 2 bathrooms (for male and female) to save costs while experiencing the local community. The Youth Hostels are often booked by the number of beds in a big room of 6 to 10 beds with bunker beds. It will be safe, clean, well-maintained, and you will meet other travelers from around the world. The intended lodging options are listed in the potential itinerary, and you are welcome to check them out.
- No coed roommates are allowed.
- Given the small cap of this course in 2018 (3 to 10 students) and the big room with 6 to 10 beds in a youth hostel, all the male students are probably roommates, and all the female students are probably roommates. Otherwise, wherever possible, you will be given the option to choose your roommate(s) ahead of time. Those who do not have roommates in mind will have ample opportunity to meet others taking the course during the spring semester and will be able to match up accordingly.
What medical examinations/immunizations will I need before going?
Please maintain your routine immunization, and you may also check out the Health Information for Travelers to China for more details.
Who are we going to be with in China?
Occasionally we may have another faculty member from one of the universities we will visit accompanying us during the day. We will not join tours that are rushed by a guide.
Should I use a phone in China?
1. If you activate the international roaming service of your cellphone to use in China, you can maintain your regular phone number. However, it can be expensive. Please contact your cellphone provider to understand the terms and rates.
2. If your phone uses a SIM card that can be taken out to put in a new SIM card, or if you have a unlocked phone that uses a SIM card, you may purchase a local SIM card at the airport or in town in China. There are SIM cards that can be used for a month with certain amount of minutes, and you can purchase and load more minutes after that, if needed. The local SIM card will give you a Chinese phone number. You and your family can purchase a calling card to call each other for several cents a minute.
3. If you do not want to activate your roaming service in China and your phone does not use a SIM card (for example, the SPRINT phone uses CDMA without a SIM card, and the prepaid phones typically don’t use SIM cards), you may purchase a second phone that is simple and inexpensive (possibly in China) to use the local SIM card, only for voice-call or message purpose. Such a simple phone typically does not allow you to use apps such as wechat, and please still bring your regular phone to China to use apps with WiFi.
4. Out of google search, I found this website that said that phone-rental in China is possible. Note that we have not used this service and we do not endorse it.
If you decide not to use the cellphone service in China, please still bring your phone, as WiFi is widely available in China, and you can get in touch with your family and friends using the app, wechat, while in China.
Also, please keep the phone numbers of the instructor and the contacts at activities (which will be provided when the activities are confirmed), in case you ever need to use a public phone to get in touch with us.
Application
Student questionnaire to the instructor
https://www.wcu.edu/learn/office-of-international-programs-and-services/resources.aspx
Then fill out the online Qualtrics application form below. This is the official application form required by WCU IPS. Once submitted, the data will go directly to WCU IPS, and it will be forwarded to Dr. Yan (not instantly, but at regular updating periods). It is imperative that you fill both Qualtrics forms (the one that goes to Dr. Yan, and this official one).
Student Application for Travel Course
The information of this course on the Qualtrics survey is provided below:
Course prefix, number, and name (e.g., HESA 600 – International Education): ENGR 365 – Global Engineering and Technology
Course destination (city, country): Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Chengdu, in China
Course duration (e.g., 10 days): 15 days
Leading instructor’s name: Dr. Yanjun Yan
Travel Dates (mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy): 05/18/2018 to 06/01/2018
Note: In the space for your email address, use your @catamount.wcu.edu address. Also, do not leave the physician contact information section blank. If you have a regular physician, fill in their name, address, and phone. If you don’t have one, put in WCU Health Services at 828-227-7640.
Dr. Yan will review the applications and invite students for a short interview. Following the interview, students will be notified about whether they are accepted to the course. It is important to submit your applications as soon as possible. Of course, if you have any questions filling out the forms, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Yan.