by Iarkov Ilia (Russia, 2020 IMEM student)

The second Sunday of September 2020 was very impressive. A group consisting of students and teachers from the Master of Engineering Management (Tsinghua MEM) program went on a trip. Many people thought that it would just be normal sightseeing, but after a while the trip turned into a real adventure.

At the beginning, the participants didn’t know much about each other, since most of them were new students at Tsinghua University, but after getting to know each other and having a heart-to-heart conversation, they together became a friendly team.

Under the guidance of the cycling coach, the group enjoyed an exciting bike ride around the beautiful Gui River Forest Park.

At lunch time, the participants went to a local restaurant for traditional Chinese food - hot pot -  which helped them recover their energy for the rest of the trip.

The next destination was Yu Du Mountain. The landscape was beautiful and gave the participants a wonderful feeling of serenity. The final point of the route was the top of Yu Du Mountain. There were paths going beside a series of small waterfalls, and the group managed to climb to the top.

The fascinating journey ended in the evening. Returning on a steep road, the participants could see unforgettable views. A series of waterfalls, paths and the smell of fresh grass is what people need for outdoor activities.

The student participants showed great appreciation for the teachers who organized the trip, which was certainly a great step forward on the way to cross-cultural cooperation between MEM and international Master of Engineering Management (IMEM) students from around the world.

It was an absolute pleasure to participate in the trip to Yanqing. It was a great chance to make new MEM friends over a delicious hot pot meal and hiking the scenic routes at YuDu mountain, with some perfect waterfalls and fresh clear freezing water. My favorite part was the bike ride along the Gui River, it was a great view, and it has been a long time since I went on bike ride like that, so I really enjoyed it.

                                                                                       ——  Derek Mathewson  (Canada, 2019 IMEM )

So far, the trip was an excellent experience for me because I had the chance to explore that part of Beijing, where I had been planning to travel for a year. I also had the opportunity to interact with new MEM & IMEM people, who are full of the potential to learn much professional knowledge. I realized this kind of activity could help us get to know each other, share ideas, and unveil more opportunities, leading to something beneficial for us.  

                   ——Hasan Mohammad Hasibul (Bangladesh,  2019 IMEM Student)

The Yanqing expedition was undoubtably one of the best sightseeing experiences I have ever had. I got the opportunity to have a close encounter with nature through bicycle riding at the Gui River Park and mountain climbing at Guyaju. The best part was making new friends from MEM and enjoying singing in the bus with them. My deepest gratitude goes to the department and the staff for making this happen.

                                                                                  ——  Korbili Mathias Korbla (Ghana, 2019 IMEM Student)

The trip at Yanqing was my first as a Tsinghua Ren and IMEM student! Although separated from my other classmates presently out of China due to COVID-19, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of beautiful minds from among the MEM Students. We enjoyed the scenery of Gui River while riding our bikes, a tiring but beautiful experience, after which we had a bountiful lunch where I learned a lot about Chinese meals from my new friends. We ended the trip at the astonishing Yudu mountains accompanied by beautiful songs from our MEM senior classmates. What I most gained from this trip is that, despite hardships, we can always have great moments through cross-cultural exchanges. I hope during our next trips we will have all our IMEM classmates for a better experience and won't have to put on face masks.

                —— Akofor Nkecho Thierry Bienvenue (Cameroon, 2020 IMEM Student)

I would like to express my gratitude to MEM Education Center for creating a systematically perfect travel itinerary during a short day. This Yanqing trip made me feel the tranquility of nature away from the complexities of the city. What’s more, I was very happy to meet and communicate with professors and classmates with various experiences, and during the bicycle tour, their strong mental power also impressed me greatly.  

                                                                                      ——Kim, Kyeongsin (Korea, 2020 IMEM Student )

Editor: WANG Haitao, KONG Lu, YANG Lu, John Olbrich

Photo: WANG Haitao