Shenzhen Technology University held an International Online Summer School lasting three weeks with many international universities during July to August 2023, the third term of 2022-2023 academic year. The summer school was cooperative program of our school with other international universities, such as Bonn-Rhein-Zieger University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Costa Carolina University in the United States and Cape Coast University in Ghana, etc. This summer school offered students ten business international courses, such as Introduction to Digital Business, Commercial Law and International Commercial Arbitration in East Asia and Introduction to Securities Enforcement.
To train compound, applied and innovative students with patriotism, global vision and professional literacy, it’s an important measure for our university to develop an international and diversified study environment. This online summer school course invited teachers from top universities in the world, providing curriculums like cross-cultural management and global governance, and the application of technology in business ,the virtuality and reality of digital currency and tokenization, attention to how the revolutionary Chat GPT technology remodels the pattern between international business and scientific research and sustainable development, which is aimed to develop young talents who have the global vision, the cross-cultural communicating and expressing skills in the international organizations and cross-country institutions. In the program, 79 students from our university competed together with the students from foreign partner universities, and developed deep interactive communication.
Teaching Knowledge with Practical Cases
In the class of "Commercial Law and International Commercial Arbitration in East Asia", Dr. Daniel Berg closely integrated theory and practice, encouraged students to actively express their own views and opinions, and gave full play to students' subjective initiative. In his class, students learned that international commercial arbitration is mainly influenced by common law, and has formed a set of basically stable trial procedures. China belongs to the civil law system, so its commercial arbitration practice is different from the process of international commercial arbitration, but "different" does not mean "bad", because different dispute resolution trial methods have their own development of cultural background and social environment; And from a practical point of view, students learned about the difference between international arbitration and domestic arbitration.
Linying Wei, a student of Business School, expressed that commercial law is creative, it can really create value. She said, “International commercial arbitration has made me understand the difference between international arbitration and domestic arbitration in East Asian countries, depending on the degree of involvement of the parties, the links involved in the arbitration process, the "evidence disclosure" stage, the role of lawyers in arbitration, etc. This course not only let me learn professional knowledge, but also broadened my horizons, accepted the views of peers from all over the world. And through the explanation of these cases, my knowledge about these things became more three-dimensional and clearer”.
Presentation Practice, Friendly Communication
From body language and voice training, to creating comfortable visuals using appropriate media mediums, content screening for words, and influence techniques when speaking... This is the course teacher Dr. Daniel Agyapong's classes that were well-prepared and full of examples. Students benefited greatly by having them complete a speech on their own, and allowing them to learn to give constructive peer feedback, thereby deepening their impression of the content of the teaching. In class, each classmate completed his or her own speech and gave his or her own opinion; After class, students carefully prepared the content of the speech, browsed a lot of literature, and enriched their knowledge reserves. Students learned to deal with anxiety and language problems in a variety of ways to build confidence, boldness, and make friends.
Tianen Cai, student from Business School, who chose the course Presentation and Rhetorical Skills, was brave to expression her opinions and conducted practical exercises. As an encourager for every spokesman, she gave the sincerest applause to every peer!
Reflection after Class
⚪ Student Jiayu Wen from Business School:
I enjoyed the course Presentation and Rhetorical Skills, and I benefited a lot from it!
Although I am a member of the Business School, I always feel that I am not confident enough and do not do well enough when I present, and Dr. Daniel Agyapong taught a lot of practical knowledge and skills, and there were students from Canada, Germany and other countries joined the course as well. Everyone will have a positive evaluation of everyone, you can find their own bright spots, and there will be suggestions for improvement to make everyone's speech better. In addition, the professors under the English teaching will take care of each student carefully, slow down a little, open the words, and do not worry about missing a lot of content due to incomprehension or network lag, which is a very good learning experience.
⚪ Student Yan Li from School of Foreign Languages (SFL):
The class experience was very good. Teachers and classmates were so nice and I was so grateful for their encouragement. Sometimes I wonder if they can really understand what I was saying? Because no matter what I said, they gave me good feedback. Teachers always listened carefully to what the students were saying and later output their own opinions. This course really meant a lot to me and allowed me to take the first step in English communication.
Brief Introduction of Some Courses:
Presentation and Rhetorical Skills
ü Describe the communication process
ü Verbal and non-verbal communication (English in an international context)
ü Body language and voice training
ü Start and end the presentation
ü Plan and organize presentations online or face-to-face
ü Influence Skills (Great Speaker)
ü Informative and persuasive speech
ü Visual effects and use of appropriate media (web conferencing, PowerPoint, video, audio)
ü Combine all of this: give a speech
ü Learn to give constructive peer feedback & learn to deal with anxiety and language problems
Social Innovation: Tackling Global Challenges with your Ideas
Workshop content
In this course, you'll explore the exciting field of social innovation, which involves creating and implementing new ideas to improve society. We will delve into the complex challenges facing the world today, including social, environmental and demographic issues. You'll discover how the social innovation process works and learn how to engage effectively. We will discuss how social innovation can solve key problems and have a positive impact on society. Throughout the programme, you will have the opportunity to work with international student teams, using your education and expertise to tackle global societal challenges.
Whether you aspire to make a difference in the world on a large scale or make a difference in your local community, this module is designed to help you achieve your goals. You will gain the skills to develop innovative solutions relevant to various sectors, such as employment, gender equality, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability.
Learning and teaching methods
The online course will introduce students to the core theories, tools, and methods that support social innovation, and students will discuss and debate different strategies that may be applicable to featured social innovation. Teamwork will focus on participants' participation, creativity, and team building. The output of the workshop will present the team's social innovation ideas and implementation strategies. The last highly developed concept of online sharing.
Learning outcomes
Students will...
ü Learn about the role of social innovation in bringing about social change
ü Describe and apply key frameworks/tools in the field of social innovation
ü Demonstrate the ability to understand, evaluate and solve social innovation challenges
ü Learn how to capture, generate and develop ideas using ideation techniques
ü Familiarity with the basics of developing a canvas for social business models
ü Create a social innovation solution communication strategy
ü Understand the different team roles
ü Give public speaking to showcase social innovation ideas to others
ü Develop creativity, critical thinking, perseverance, self-awareness and conflict resolution skills
Intelligent Insights: Mastering Chat GPT and other AI Applications in Science and Business
In the five-day “Intelligent Insights: Mastering Chat GPT and other AI Applications in Science and Business” course, we will delve into the world of artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on revolutionary GPT technology and its various applications. We'll explore how AI is reshaping the landscape of international business and scientific research, changing everything from customer service to data analytics. Students will gain hands-on experience with AI tools, including OpenAI's GPT, and learn to harness their potential in real-world settings. The course also includes a critical examination of AI ethics and the societal implications of broader AI integration. By the end of this course, students will not only understand the theoretical foundations of AI, but will also be able to effectively apply these powerful tools in their future careers
Introduction to Securities Enforcement
Introduction to Securities Enforcement is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the regulation and enforcement of securities laws around the world. This course will explore the roles and responsibilities of regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, in maintaining fair and efficient markets.
Crypto Assets and the Bitcoin Rush
The course enables students to learn about crypto assets, digital currencies, and tokenization, including Bitcoin and related financial market characteristics. We will discuss important questions about Bitcoin, such as: How do crypto assets work? What makes Bitcoin stand out? What determines the price of Bitcoin? Can cryptocurrencies be regulated? What is the difference between cryptocurrencies and central bank-issued digital currencies? How are financial institutions and other companies benefiting from the Bitcoin "boom"? What does the future hold? After this course, students learn that they can distinguish between fact and fiction when reading statements about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. They will have a conceptual basis to assess the market potential of crypto assets and have an in-depth understanding of current and future market developments.
International Career Building
Strategic planning of international academic programs and activities (short/long-term); Student exchange or internship; Dissertation projects in other countries and cultures); Effective job search methods in different geographical and cultural contexts (CV writing; The anti-discrimination policy of the human resources department; The role of social platforms and internship/job search engines in international career development)
Interview practice and mock job interview selected assessment center tasks; Culture at work (Hierarchy; Written and unwritten codes of conduct; Formal and informal forms of communication)
Through the study of this course, students understand the job search methods in the selected country and cultural environment, and are able to write a convincing job motivation letter, resume and resume; Be familiar with typical interview questions and able to answer them in English; Be familiar with the work of the selected assessment center; Be aware of some cultural differences, and need to expect and know some strategies for successful integration into the international work environment.
Development Finance
We will unlock the dynamics of global economic developments in our 5-day interactive Development Finance course. To discover the critical role of development finance in promoting economic growth, delve into microfinance and SME financing, and examine how they drive developing economies. Learn about key players from NGOs to the private sector and learn about their strategies. Explore the critical role of development finance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By the end of the course, you will gain valuable insights into the challenges, opportunities and future trends of development finance, preparing you for a promising career in this evolving field.
Introduction to Digital Business
This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the key concepts and tools of digital business. Through the course, students will learn about the benefits and challenges of digital business, digital business models, and the opportunities and threats associated with digital disruption. They will also explore case studies of successful digital businesses, and examine the strategies these companies used to achieve their goals.
With sharing the business practices from international partner universities and exporting cultural connotations as well as practical knowledge, this online International Summer School fully cultivated students' cross-cultural communication skills, global vision and international thinking, and provided a platform for Chinese and foreign students to share knowledge.
Photos: Tianen Cai, Siyan She, Linying Wei
Text: Yuli Chen, Ying Chen, Tianen Cai, Linying Wei, Jiayu Wen, Yan Li, Xinyan Wang
Review: Gang Liu, Xueqi Li, Ying Liu
Translator: Ying Liu
