6 minute read
CHINA JOURNEY 2025: CONNECTING TO A DIFFERENT CULTURE
During our China Journey in April 2025, organised by Group T and De Nayer Campuses, we were introduced to the Guanxi principle. It refers to the network of personal relationships built on trust, mutual favours, and long-term reciprocity in traditional Sino culture. The longer we stayed in China, the more we came to understand its incredible cultural importance in the country. But for Group T Campus, guanxi is no stranger. For nearly 20 years, the campus has upheld a tradition of traveling to China - building connections, both cultural and professional, along the way.
The China Journeys offer a deep dive into Chinese culture - from connecting with local students and touring top universities and companies, to exploring iconic landmarks and experiencing the country’s rich traditions firsthand. That tradition, however, was put on pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2024, Group T Campus decided it was time to bring it back - and in April 2025, a new group of 20 engineering students set off to China. This year, five Campus De Nayer students joined the adventure. During the 12-day trip, we were introduced to four very different cities: Chengdu, Xi’an, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Meaningful connections and lifelong memories
Already, when we arrived in Chengdu, a group of students from UESTC warmly welcomed us at the airport - a gesture which already reflected the UESTC Glasgow College’s commitment to maintaining strong ties with KU Leuven Group T Campus.
That first encounter was more than just a greeting; it set the tone for what would become a trip full of meaningful connections and lifelong memories. It was guanxi in action - not just an idealized concept, but something we would experience in every conversation, meal, and moment of collaboration.
Our visit to UESTC was a highlight. The university welcomed us with a thoughtful presentation and guided us through their campus, sharing stories from their history along the way. That sense of pride and hospitality persisted throughout our visits to the other universities as well: Xidian University in Xi’an, Beijing Jiaotong University in Beijing, and East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. At each stop, we met students, shared meals, explored campuses, and took part in cultural workshops that gave us a deeper understanding of Chinese life, values, and traditions.
We learned from a sugar painting master, gave our best efforts at playing jianzi - a traditional game similar to kick ups in football but with a feathered shuttlecock - and even learned how to cook some local desserts. Some of these activities were also new for the local Chinese students, making the experience even more memorable for everyone.
Riding bikes along Xi’an’s ancient City Wall or hiking up the steep paths of Hua Shan Mountain were just as exciting for them as they were for us. Our immersion in China challenged us to think beyond our own outlooks and gave us insight into a different way of thinking, working, and living.
It helped us grow - not just as engineers, but as individuals preparing to work in a global world, a world that feels increasingly uncertain, but one where KU Leuven Group T and De Nayer Campuses choose connection.
Built on trust and strong partnerships
China is a global giant - vast, fascinating, and impossible to fully grasp. As we were told during our visit to the Belgian Embassy in Beijing: “There are no China experts, only China witnesses.” That phrase stuck with us. It reminded us of the humility needed to approach such a powerful and complex country - not with certainty, but with curiosity and respect.
The embassy visit also offered practical lessons: we learned that success in China is built on trust and strong partnerships. A prime example of this was our visit to Thiebaut Pharmaceutical Packaging Co. Ltd in Xi’ana company that began as a Sino-Belgian joint venture and could not have started without the collaboration between Belgian expertise and Chinese market knowledge and demand. It was a powerful example of what international collaboration can achieve - a pattern we continued to observe throughout our journey.
In nearly every factory we visited - including SAIC Motors in Shanghai and Maccura Biotechnology Co., Ltd in Chengdu - there was a clear reliance on European machinery, particularly Germanmade equipment. It was a striking reminder that global industry does not operate in silos, but thrives through exchange, partnership, and mutual reliance. China’s industrial strength partly depends on European innovation, just as Europe benefits from China’s scale, ambition, and market dynamism. That interdependence makes collaboration not just beneficial, but essential.
A most valuable and future-focused journey
Another inspiring moment came right after the embassy visit, when we toured ByteDance - the tech giant behind TikTok. Even more remarkable was the fact that our company guide was Wang Siyuan, a Group T Campus alumna. Seeing ‘one of us’ working in one of the world’s most influential tech companies, was a powerful reminder of the kind of talent Group T and De Nayer Campuses cultivate.
That sense of opportunity was reinforced throughout our company visits, where a few students even started internship applications - clear proof of how valuable and futurefocused this journey was. It combined travel, learning, and career opportunities in a way that was both intense and inspiring.
To conclude our adventure, we can confidently say that the China Journey 2025 helped us take the first steps in building a connection - not just with the country, but with the people we met along the way. We learned that guanxi is not something that forms overnight; it is a lifelong process, built on trust, shared experiences, and time.
This trip gave us the opportunity to plant the seeds of those relationships — and now, it is up to us to nurture them, to stay in touch, and to continue building on what we started during these intense two weeks. Most of us arrived in China with empty WeChats; we left with contact lists full of new friends from all over the country. But more importantly, we left with the beginning of a network that could shape our personal and professional futures for years to come.
For anyone considering joining a future Intercontinental Student Journey, we wholeheartedly encourage you to take the opportunity. It would be the experience of a lifetime.
- Hugo Alonso Barranco & Lennart Peus
