Ethical Issues in My Profession: One of the major themes of this trip was the use of big data. As a computer engineer, I will have to be careful in considering how I collect and share this data. If data is taken or distributed without the customer’s knowledge, it could erode trust in my profession,…
Tag: Brian Randall
Plus3 China 2017 Student
Day 12: Yu Garden
It’s unreal how the time flies. Today was our last full day in China, and it was bittersweet. We began our day by visiting the Yu Garden. I was particularly excited for this site because it is the one I studied for the pre-departure presentation. And, I was not disappointed, it was a beautiful place…
Day 11: TE Connectivity & Dupont
I woke up late today. We were supposed to be in lobby at 8:45 and I got out of bed at about 8:25, so it was a stressful morning. I quickly showered and threw on a business casual outfit, then raced downstairs to grab some bananas and yogurt. At 8:44, I met with group, and…
Day 10: Yangshan Port
Our day began with a trip to the Yangshan port. On the way there, our tour guide for the day, a business man in the freight-forwarding business, talked to us about his work in logistics and adjusting to life in China and Shanghai. He told us that he hadn’t much considered living in China, but…
Day 9: Donghua University
We visited Donghua University today, a college famous for its engineering, business, and fashion schools. When we arrived, we were treated to another lecture on the smartphone industry. This time we learned about the big three tech companies in China – Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (collectively known as BAT). Baidu is essentially the Chinese Google;…
Day 8: Shanghai
Today marked out arrival in Shanghai. Again, we traveled at over 200 miles per hour by bullet train. This time though, I spent most of it catching up on sleep. However, in the last hour or so of the ride, I woke up, and Dr. Li shared some loose-leaf tea with me. I had never…
Day 7: Terracotta Army
With its incredible history, breath-taking scale, and intricate detail, the Terracotta Army has been my favorite site yet. There were 3 massive dig sites, enclosed in hangars, that told the history of the site. The first site contained mostly unearthed and fully reconstructed warriors, including foot soldiers, archers, generals, horses, and carriages. Each statue was…
Day 6: Greater Wild Goose Pagoda
What an eye-opening experience. Today, we visited the Xi’an Children’s Village. The Children’s Village is a 100% donation funded home for Chinese children whose parents are either in jail or otherwise currently not able to support their children. We were there to deliver Pitt’s donation, and to partake in several activities with the children. First,…
Day 5: Arrival in Xi’an
We woke up early this morning to catch an 8am bullet train to Xi’an. The train ride was actually pretty cool. The ride was unbelievably smooth for travelling at 200mph, and thus made a 1000-mile trip only 5 hours long. It made me wonder why there wasn’t something like this in the United States. We…
Day 4: Old Beijing
Between the company and university visits of the past two days, we have seen how Beijing has positioned itself for the future, but today we took a look at the rich history of the city and the origins of its culture and values. Starting with the famous Tienanmen Square and Forbidden City, we learned about the…
Day 3: Cheetah Mobile & Microsoft
Our day began with a visit to Cheetah Mobile, a Chinese app development and software company. I had never heard of Cheetah Mobile, so I wasn’t sure what to expect of them, but they ended up blowing me away. The global scope of their work, the modern facilities, and easy-going culture of the company made…
Day 2: Central University of Finance and Economics
Today we visited the Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) to learn about the smartphone industry and interact with the local students. Our day started with a lecture from Professor Yao about the smartphone industry in China and the role smartphones play in people’s daily lives. In China, laptops and home computers are too…
Day 1: The Great Wall
Today was out first full day in China! After 14 hours in the air, we finally arrived in Beijing. The jet lag had gotten to me the night before, so I started today bright and early. Kieran and I had breakfast at the hotel, and it was surprisingly good. The spread consisted of both Chinese…
Pre-Departure Individual Report
My International experience to date is: Currently, my international experience is quite limited. My only international trip was a vacation to Toronto, Canada when I was 12 years old. But, nevertheless, I am quite optimistic and excited about going to China. I think that, because I’m going with a large group led by experienced travelers,…
Meet Plus3 China 2017!
Welcome to the China Plus3 Study Abroad Program! Each year, a group of freshman engineering and business students will conduct a 2-week field study in several cities China. The field study includes company visits, sightseeing, and lectures in China, and the students will learn about international dimensions of engineering, business, and culture. Each student will…