Over the summer semester, many students ventured outside the borders of mainland China. Among the programs that students from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) attended, the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, was hugely popular, attracting 49 students from SUSTech.

3 SUSTech students provided their own insight into their month-long studies in Canada. Yin Ziyi took a month long course in biochemistry, while Wu Xinyue and Sun Chang joined the Sauder School of Business. Yin Ziyi and Wu Xinyue are joining the SUSTech School of Medicine to undertake the clinical medicine major, while Sun Chang is joining the Department of Finance, and these are their stories.

Yin Ziyi: Department of Medicine

As a junior medical student, I’m eager to grab an overview of human diseases. This summer, I went to the University of British Columbia and took a one-month course about molecular mechanism of diseases, as well as current issues about biochemistry in society. Instead of simply focusing on the symptoms and prescriptions, this course gave me a chance to know “Why do we fall ill?”

This course used diabetes as an example, discussing the pathogenesis of the disease to clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment. We need to apply the knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology to analyze actual cases. Although we focused on diabetes, we were able to “touch bypass” these areas, because the pathogenesis and traits of diabetes are similar to other diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. For example, a decrease in insulin secretion may lead to amyloid deposition in the pancreatic islet, much like the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. We still need to have a full understanding of the human body in order to discuss the complications of diabetes deeply.

The most attractive part of this course is problem-based learning (PBL), which is different from the way we study in SUSTech. After being divided into groups of 7-8 people, we tried the best to analyze the cases given by our mentor. We were asked to develop treatment plans based on individual specificity. Apart from learning professional knowledge, we also practiced our oral English and worked on our teamwork skills.

Class B dealt with the relationship between biochemistry and society. This course was designed for science propagation, but I was disappointed about how the contents of this course related to the study of medicine. In retrospect, this course made me consider the connection between creatures and the environment, beyond the traditional focus on diseases and patients.

Wu Xinyue: Sauder School of Business

SUSTech provides many opportunities to undertake an study abroad program, but I wanted to broaden my horizons by choosing a focus that is completely different from what I plan to study. That is why I decided to study within the UBC Sauder School of Business, while I will be joining the clinical medicine major at SUSTech.

Since it was my first time studying in a foreign country, I struggled to fit in on arrival, including the food, the school time, and even the English they speak here. I eventually adjusted to the differences and enjoyed my time in Vancouver.

Studying abroad didn’t create the competitive pressure or concerns about my future. Even though I undertook many classes, had to write many papers and join in many discussions, I always got the chance to make my own plans for what I wanted to study, under the guidance of the teachers at UBC, based on my interests.

I was also given the opportunity to show my own abilities, and the faculty organized a number of interesting activities around Vancouver. In this way, SUSTech is similar to UBC, as we are able to study things we are interested in studying.

One class that left a deep impression on me was a marketing class. The professor gave each group a rare egg, which we were encouraged to decorate in order to sell for the highest price, using strategies we learned in class. The class roared with laughter, thoroughly enjoying the class. Universities in other countries tend to focus on a wider range of skills of their students that create the conditions for students to explore creative and innovative solutions to problems, and I think that’s the most important thing I learned while I was abroad.

Studying overseas is not easy, but through the challenges, I found a lot of pleasure.

Sun Chang: Sauder School of Business

This was not only my first experience as an overseas exchange student, but also my first trip to Canada. I always thought Canada was a large but empty country, but I found that the Canadians are a friendly and enthusiastic people. The students at UBC are from many parts of the world, so it is a great opportunity to learn from many different cultures.

I took two courses within the Sauder School of Business. My classes were “New Entrepreneurship Development,” and “Strategy Management.” New Entrepreneurship Development was all about setting up a new company, where we were asked to come up with an innovative idea and bring it to market with a detailed proposal. We struggled at first, because we had never been asked to take such a practical approach in a class before, but we dealt with the challenges as best we could, and now we really want to bring our idea into action!

There were also some great after-class activities and I really enjoyed playing bubble soccer. I had never tried it before, but I found it fantastic. I even scored a goal! It was a great chance to make new friends from different cultures.

While the exchange program is over, the month-long trip will be firmly implanted in my memory.