Study trip to Beijing, a reflection of China

"The smog in the streets is so thick, you can't see the lightning. Then the rain comes – it's acid rain from all of the traffic exhaust trapped in the basin between the mountain range to the north and the Bohai Sea to the southwest. In Beijing, the rain clears the sky. This megapolis seems to breathe to the rhythm of these northern storms and winds that drive away the pollution. From the Great Wall of China, you can see the cloudy dome of this capital of twenty million inhabitants, like a hidden giant on the plain, constantly growing and moving.
It is here, in the political and economic heart of China, that twenty EPFL students spent two weeks to mark their Bachelor's graduation. This study trip, made possible thanks to support from STERCI, Pexys, Avesco CAT Rental, BBHN SA and from EPFL, was a combination of cultural and company visits. By meeting with employees of ABB, seeing a presentation on the economic stakes of Sino-Swiss relations at the Swiss Embassy and gaining a general overview of urbanization in a city that never sleeps, we became more aware of Chinese potential and the possibilities that it offers to students in information technology and communication systems.
We stayed at a very welcoming youth hostel in the Sanlitun quarter, which is quite popular among expatriates. The Tian-Tan Agency helped us to organize several cultural tours, such as the one to the Great Wall of China. However, we also visited the immense Temple of Heaven, whose main alleyway seems to rise up above the capital. We imagined the emperor and his three thousand concubines in the palaces of the Forbidden City, Cixi the mad empress haunting the cursed stones of her summer palace, the massive demonstrations in Tiananmen Square under constant video surveillance, the jubilant crowds during the Olympics at the Bird's Nest, the National Stadium. Modern art galleries in District 798 provided us with a different perspective on China. The fake-goods shops in and around the Silk Market helped us to sharpen our sense of merchandising. We also tried fried scorpions and starfish sold in the overcrowded streets of Wangfujing." (Read the rest of Mathieu Demarne's article in Flash)

This adventure was not organized on a whim. The students first discussed the project together and then talked to Professor Alain Wegmann, who encouraged them to continue with their plans. The IC School's student association, CLIC, several of whose members went on the trip, also played an important role. As a result, CLIC members can now offer their know-how to other students such as providing a bank account for the depositing of funds, handling all of the administrative formalities, conducting a survey to determine a graduation class's preferences in terms of destinations and price range and/or finding sponsors. Nelly Afonso, who went on the trip, explains: "It is both an ambitious and exotic project. However, if you plan early enough, the price is reasonable. It takes over a year to plan, mainly due to the administrative procedures and the need to find sponsors. CLIC and I can now guide students wishing to undertake similar projects."

Find out more about the IC School's student association by coming to CLIC's general meeting in BC420 on 22 October at 7.00 pm. Committee members will be elected and the new statutes of the association will be adopted. This will be a good opportunity for students to learn about the many different activities of this dynamic and fun association CLIC and ask about the adventure in Beijing.

More information can be found on the CLIC website.