Day 7: Fall Out Boy Are Not The Only Ones That Can 'Light 'Em Up'.

Today was a travel day. We checked out of the Suzhou hotel in the morning and by the time we arrived at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, I realized that my book bag was still in the hotel lobby. After paying for the taxi to drive it to where we were, we listened to a presentation by Dr. Glover, the person in charge of scientific research at the university. XULU is definitely different from other Chinese universities in quite a few ways. They use the British university system, so most undergraduate programs take 4 years, just like American Universities. Also, there is a 2+2 program in which a student can take 2 years of courses at XULU and then you can finish your undergraduate degree at the main Liverpool University campus in England. We ended the trip by taking some of the students out to lunch. Since XULU runs English based lectures, the Chinese students get intensive English class right as they come in, so their English is really good and we were able to chat for a while.

           

When then went to OPPLE, China’s largest lighting company. They are also a privately-owned enterprise so the state does not own them. Remember earlier when I said I would explain the difference between privately owned and state owned enterprises in the business setting once we visited our first privately owned business. Because OPPLE is privately owned, they do not have the same access to government money that state-owned enterprises do, so their business decisions must be quicker and more efficient. Not only that, but since their main product is an LED, they have to make innovations to their product quicker as well because consumers will not by new LEDs because their old LEDs’ life spans end anytime soon. The constant innovations to OPPLE LEDs compensates for their products’ long life span. After another Pitt grad showed us around and took a group picture with us, we soon arrived in Shanghai. After dinner, we went to the ‘Bund’ area. It is a river that separates the New World City shopping district from the industrial buildings of different companies like Samsung on the other side. After taking some awesome pictures, we turned in for the night.