China Three Gorges University Posted May 23, 2004 at 12:00 am
We were called out of our slumber at the early hour of 6 A.M. We had breakfast on the ship and checked out of the Splendid China at 7:45 A.M. The day would prove to be extremely busy.
We boarded a bus after deboarding the Splendid China and rode to Yichang City (about 40 minutes away). In the city, we found the China Three Gorges University (CTGU), which was formed from two older universities in 2000. We were greeted by a representative of the student body before being paired off for tours with individual students. I first met Lee, a bio-technology major. Lee indicated that I should probably be paired with someone closer to my major. I think they may not recognize Computer Engineering separate from Electrical Engineering, because they could not find an exact match. In the end, I was paired with a Civil Engineering major with the English name Davy (?).
We followed a large group around campus. This group toured the CTGU library, gym, power station simulator, and the grounds in general. We all went to lunch together at one of the school’s dining halls before breaking out into pairs to visit the dormitories.
Davy’s room was located on the second floor of one of the dormitory buildings. His room was comparable to my apartment bedroom except it was home to six students. The room was simplistic: three bunk beds, a few newspapers hung on the walls, a long desk in the center of the room, a water tap for a water jug, and some cubby holes for the residents. Maybe three of the five roommates were home, but the room was soon filled with other students from the building. I guess everybody wanted to see the American. I asked questions and fielded questions in turn. Most of the students spoke some English and I could generally figure out what they were trying to say. Davy translated as necessary. The Chinese students I talked to were perky and spirited. They all seemed to be studying civil engineering, city planning, and hydropower. We talked for one or two hours over various small topics.
After visiting the dorms, the major groupings (EE/IT in my case) reconvened for group discussion and exchange. This seemed like the most disunified event of the day. Most discussion was limited to about three people at most and the groups in different parts of the room were discussing different things. I was asked at several points what my specialization was. I indicated that I did not have a specialization. In a way, computer engineering is a specialization of electrical engineering, but is generally regarded as a distinct major in the United States. I do, however, feel that the university system in the U.S. provides a very broad education and that further specialization is only achieved through electives, co-ops/internships, and further studies in your field. Our system gives a great deal of flexibility to graduates as they settle into the work force, but it also assumes a great deal of initial investment in preparing employees through company-sponsored training. This is a sharp contrast to China’s system where students receive a very focused education preparing them for immediate immersion in a very specific job type. Each system naturally has its advantages and disadvantages.
After the group discussions we left the CTGU campus for dinner at the Three Gorges Corporation building. We were originally slated for a meal at the “Noble Steakhouse” and I think many of us were disappointed by the distinctly un-Western-style food we received.
After dinner, we returned to the CTGU campus for a last hurrah with the Chinese students. Davy was there, so I got to chat with him more and exchange e-mail addresses. The performances alternated between groups with the Chinese students performing many excellent traditional songs and dances and our group representatives repeating many of the performances seen last night. I did not perform. When I think about it, I have never taken the time to develop (or randomly happen upon) any cool parlor tricks. I have a good ear for music but I have the lyrics to only a few songs memorized and most of the music I listen to does not lend itself well to karaoke. After the party, we bid our hosts farewell and made the forty minute bus ride back to the TGP area and our hotel.