From July 21 to August 3, 2019,four students including LvQi from the School of Management, Jilin University, went to Harvard University and Columbia University to participate in the two-week Eastern United States Ivy League Summer Academic Program, Led by Ms. Yang Hong. Also joining the program were another 19 students from 11 colleges and schools of JLU, including Economics School, Business School, School of Philosophy and Sociology, College of the Humanities and School of Journalism and Communication, and College of Automobile Engineering, and more than 180 teachers and students from other universities.

Theprogram wasdivided intoseveral directions, i.e.business, artificial intelligence,and medicine, andstudentsof our schoolchosebusiness. During the two-weekprogram, students participated in modules such asspecializedcourses, case study workshops, visitsto companies and institutions, and cultural experience at Columbia University and Harvard University.

At Columbia University, students took twospecializedcourses, “Financial Innovation” and “Business Practice”, and had an in-depthlook intoworld finance, innovation and entrepreneurship. It is worth mentioning that in combination with the teaching content,the programalso invited therichestfemale entrepreneur in New Yorkfor“case teaching”. The entrepreneur helpedstudents deepentheir understandingof innovation andstartup, business operations,and entrepreneurship by sharingherownexperiences, corporate strategies, operation management, etc.

At Harvard University, students took two courses,“Application of Econometric Analysis in Business Management” and “CollegeWriting”, and gained econometric expertise and academic writing skills. In addition, theprogramalso arrangedaseminar with Harvard students. Throughface-to-face communication,studentshadfirst-handexperience ofthe learning atmosphere atHarvard University andtheAmerican culture, andgainedamore comprehensive understanding of persuasion techniques,business case study,leadership and speech methods.

Atthetwotopuniversities,students workedin groups and collaborated with theirpeersfrom differentprofessionalbackgrounds.In the final presentation, four students ofour schoolreceived unanimous praise from professors at Columbia University and Harvard University,bringing the programto a satisfactory conclusion.

After class, students were organized to visitYale University and MIT,andhada closer look at the two universities and the learning and living conditions. During the enterprise visit, studentswere broughtto Brooklyn Navy Yard toseethe history and reform of this oldest naval yard in the United States, andits currentdevelopment after being converted into an industrial park.

One of the biggest differences between American and Chinese classrooms is that students always do more than teachers in America. I took fourprofessors’courses at Columbia and Harvard, i.e.Banking and Investment, Entrepreneurship, Economic Management Methods, and Academic Writing, and gave presentationsin mygroupat the end ofeach course.Atclass, the professors encouraged usa lotto cooperate, think and discuss. Through theseacademicgroupdiscussions,instead of studying in isolation, each ofus was more active to think and discuss, and constantly motivated to explore deeply. Moreover,we enhanced ourcomprehensive abilitythrough the courses taught in English. To me,allthese arefantasticexperiences and themost significantpart ofthe program.

——Zhang Xiang, a 2018 Undergraduate, School of Management

I did not rushinto aninternshipoverthehalf month. Apart fromenjoying class and travel, Ihadmore time to think about my life,and thushada new plan for mystudent life. Everyone should have a unique lifestyle thatisright forthem. There is no need tobe mediocreandfollowthe crowd,nor should welose our own voice for the sake of others.Beit life or work, the most important is tobeyourself.I would like to givespecial thanks to the School of Management of Jilin University for giving me such an opportunity toseea different world. I have gained knowledge andexpandedmy horizonsin thehalfmonth. The world istoobig and life istooshort. Let’s open our eyes, live in the moment and enjoy youth!

——Ao Yidan, a 2017 Undergraduate, School of Management

“Mytrip to the United States has been very fulfillingand satisfactory. I have experienced the unique andinclusiveAmericanculture,trieddifferent teaching methods, exercised my English listening and speaking skills, and met many lovely students.Mostly important,Ihave built a stronger sense of teamwork during theprogram.We stayed together inthe14daysand hadunforgettable memories. Here I would like to thankMs.Yang Hong for herthoughtfulnessand company along the way.I highly recommend thisgreatprogramtoyou all!”

——LvQi, a 2018 Graduate, School of Management