CHINA JOURNEY 2019: DISCOVER - EXPLORE - EXPERIENCE

FACULTY WORLDWIDE

From 4th till 18th April 2019, fifty 3rd stage bachelor’s students in Engineering Technology and five professors discovered, explored and experienced China. It was the 20th edition of the now famous Group T Campus Classic. Since 2000, more than 2,500 students and staff have enjoyed their unique China experience.

The concept of the China Journey was a success from the get-go: splitting up into travel groups of 20-25 students, a separate itinerary for each group, visits to the cities where KU Leuven-Group T Campus has partner universities, involvement of Chinese students, visits to companies and the cultural and historical highlights but also to the daily life, local gastronomy and nature.

Company visits

The Team North, guided by Prof. Inge Holsbeeks and Prof. Han Haitjema explored Chengdu, Xi’an, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Marc Van Aken, Zhibin Sun and Gorik Stevens travelled with the Team South from Chengdu to Guilin, Wuxi and Shanghai. Both teams spent the final days of their journey in Beijing.

Special attention was paid to the company visits. At Volvo in Chengdu, Teams North and South were welcomed by the plant manager, a Campus Group T alumnus of all people. After the presentation of the company and the current automobile market in China, the students were shown the complete assembly line of the new Volvo XC 60. “We were over whelmed by the cleanness, efficiency and the degree of automation”, a student wrote in the travel blog.

In Xi’an the Team North visited Xi’an Thiebaut, a company that produces tubes for the pharmaceutical industry. After the briefing by the plant manager, a representative of the consultancy firm Horsten International explained the students how to do business in China.

In Wuxi Atlas Copco Compressor Co was on the programme of Team South. The students were welcomed by plant manager Eric Langmans and visited afterwards the production lines of the stationary and the portable air compressors and generators.

Heartwarming

At Zhejiang University of Technology in Hangzhou, Team North was eagerly awaited by a comprehensive student delegation. After the campus tour, Belgian and Chinese students were challenged to a game of football. The China-Belgium tournament ended at 1-3 to the glory of the KU Leuven team.

In Beijing, Team North occurred the unexpected opportunity to visit the home of one of the Chinese students. “We were warmly welcomed into the apartment which was rather small to accommodate more than 20 visitors. The parents offered us fruit and showed us around. It was one of the most heart-warming moments of the trip”, a student wrote in the blog.

Yves Persoons