2023 Summer Research Program Info Session

On April 27th, GEC Academy held an information session during the April Faculty Meeting for approximately 30 professors who had expressed interest in the upcoming 2023 GEC On-site Summer Research Program. Mr. Sheng Yan, President of GEC Academy, presented important details on program arrangements, available support, and useful tips for the attending professors. In addition to Mr. Yan's presentation, two members of GEC's teaching faculty, Professors David Shimko from New York University and Professor Pavlos Protopapas shared their personal experiences at GEC's on-site camps. Their insights proved to be valuable in providing the attending professors with a clear understanding of what they could expect during their stay in China.

The 2023 Summer Research Program will mark the return of on-site summer camps after the pandemic outbreak. For the past three years, all professors have conducted their teaching virtually. Therefore, we are thrilled to bring the on-site camp back in person for this event, which also presents a great opportunity for us to meet GEC's teaching faculty face-to-face and offers an unforgettable learning experience for students. The Summer Research Program will take place across four campuses: Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, Cambridge campus and Oxford campus in the UK, and Columbia campus in the US. Over 40 professors have committed to joining the program, and more than 800 students are enrolled to participate in GEC's Biggest Summer School Campaign at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Topics covered during the Summer Research Program include business & finance, science & engineering, computer science & AI, and humanities & social sciences.

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Arrangements for the Summer Research Program

July 8th & 15th: Two online courses

July 23rd: Professors suggested to arrive on campus

July 24th & 25th: ICAID & opening ceremony

July 25th afternoon: Program officially starts!

August 4th: Camp closing ceremony

By the end of the meeting, Professors Shimko and Professor Protopapas shared their experiences at GEC's on-site camps. They talked about how impressed they were by the staff of GEC Academy and Chinese students, what they did and learned during their stay in China, and offered tips for professors. Professor Shimko said, "I have been collaborating with GEC Academy for many years. I was really surprised by the quality of the students in general. Chinese students are typically used to very formal classroom settings, so this is an opportunity for them to have less formal and more productive learning sessions. From that point of view, I found it to be very positive. My favorite part is that we can go out to dinner for a casual local meal with the students, form personal relationships, stay in contact, and the students may become young friends for you over time. There is also a great spot called French Concession to visit in Shanghai, full of historical meaning. Besides, I learned quite a bit of Chinese, being able to read street signs and give people directions."

Professor Protopapas added, "I know GEC Academy grew from small to big. They are well-organized and take good care of things. My first comment is about the students who are hard-working. They consistently surprise me with how much progress they make and how well they do. Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to make friends with the students, go out for a drink, and play basketball with them. I also took the opportunity to visit Chengdu and Xi'an to see Terracotta. I cannot say a single word in Chinese, but I tried everything when I was there, and I'm looking forward to seeing Shanghai. A little bit of warning is that you have to figure out how to use WeChat Pay because you have to pay for everything with it."

In addition to the Summer Research Program, GEC will co-host the International Conference on AI for Design (ICAID) on July 24th with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The summit aims to integrate science and technology subjects with literature and business subjects, bringing together professors from renowned universities in China and abroad, as well as experts and scholars from various industries. We warmly welcome interested teaching faculty to participate in this summit, which provides an excellent opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas with professionals in different fields.

If you have further questions, thoughts, or ideas about this program or ICAID, please feel free to contact your academic manager. For new professors, please feel free to contact our outreach specialist Katrina at katrina.wang@gecacademy.com. Click HERE to access last month’s faculty meeting recording.