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Building on the School of Law’s links with China’s prestigious Sichuan University (SCU), opportunities exist for undergraduate and postgraduate students to participate in SCU’s Summer Immersion Programme.
In 2015, supported by a generous scholarship from the School of Law in UL and Sichuan University, a team of 10 School of Law students completed the two-week programme in China, with fellow students from all around the world, gaining an invaluable international education experience.
We began our journeys to China in early July, all feeling incredibly excited about the opportunity to embrace another culture and to learn from some of the best university professors in the world. During the opening ceremony, over 500 international students and scholars were introduced to variety of Chinese hand crafts, calligraphy, as well as a music and arts exhibition. On the first day of academic activities, participants were welcomed by the Head of School of Law Professor Liu Xinjie. UL students participated in empirical legal research, law and literature, as well as cross-cultural communication classes, among others. Prof. Daniel Kleran from University of Southern California taught us various types of experiments in empirical legal research, where we learned more about the difference between law in books and law in action. We also were taught the historical evolution of American constitutional rights and English tort law by Professor Michael J. Perry of Emory University and Prof. Donal Nolan of Oxford University respectively.
Aside from the academic programme, we were exposed to new life perspectives and a broad range of valuable cultural experiences. Within two weeks of the program, we made a lot of new friends with both students and staff of the university. The staff and students of the University were so welcoming, and went to every effort to make us feel welcome thousands of miles from Ireland. In our free time, we travelled to various tourists’ attraction centres such as the Chengdu Panda Reserve, Wuhou Ancient Shrine and the Leshan Giant Buddha. The cultural element to the trip was just as rewarding as the educational side. The opportunity to observe the Chinese way of life for almost three weeks was incredible. Studying abroad wherever it may be is a privilege, but China was a life changing opportunity for many of us. Studying in Chengdu has given us unforgettable memories, fantastic learning opportunities and a cultural experience like no other.