This July, the School of Civil Engineering and Transportation at South China University of Technology (SCUT) launched its annual summer overseas practice and industry exchange program for 2023 undergraduate students. Building on over a decade of successful implementation, these global study tours have become a signature highlight of the School's international education initiatives, designed to immerse undergraduates in cutting-edge developments in engineering construction and academic research abroad, enabling early-stage planning for their academic and professional trajectories.
Following last year's expansion to cover all eight undergraduate majors in the School, this year's program once again offers opportunities to all eligible students, featuring three distinct tracks in Hong Kong/Macau, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. A total of 146 students participated in batches, engaging in in-depth visits to multiple overseas universities, industry-leading organizations, and prominent international consulting firms.
The Hong Kong-Macao journey, characterized by deep engagement and immersive experiences with world-class academic and industry leaders, enabled the SCUT School of Civil Engineering and Transportation delegation to systematically grasp frontier knowledge, core technologies, and evolving trends in civil engineering and smart construction. Participants also experienced firsthand the international academic environment, innovation culture, and diverse career pathways.
The student group in Singapore has shuttled between state-of-the-art factories, world-class laboratories, and signature green buildings, witnessing firsthand the efficiency and precision of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), experiencing the transformative momentum of digitalization through Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR), 3D printing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and appreciating the innovative appeal of sustainable development initiatives spanning solid waste treatment, low-carbon design, and green building materials.
The UK Group has visited Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge—immersive explorations of cutting-edge laboratories, and on-site experiences of cultural landmarks in London. The faculty-student delegation not only gained profound insights into frontier UK civil engineering technologies and development trends in metal 3D printing and carbon neutrality, but also deeply experienced the British academic culture where tradition and innovation coexist and the borderless nature of engineering technology under global industrial chain collaboration. From theoretical exchanges in classrooms to technical practices in laboratories, from engineering wisdom embedded in historic architecture to the developmental pulse of modern cities, each experience broadened students' global perspectives and infused their future academic and career planning with an international mindset.
The School will continue to deepen its overseas practice platforms through a dual-track model of academic exchange + cultural immersion, empowering students to accumulate experience and enhance capabilities on the global engineering stage. This initiative aims to cultivate interdisciplinary talents possessing both professional depth and international vision, who will continuously contribute SCUT's wisdom and strength to national infrastructure development and technological advancement.
