Twenty-two students and their instructors get a view into international politics and economics.

In late May, 22 SCCCD students capped off the semester with a two-week tour of China. The students—from instructor Reg Spittle’s Comparative Government class and instructor Marianne Dunklin’s International Business class—had spent a number of weeks in a classroom setting learning about the intricacies of international politics or economics. They were ready to experience it firsthand.

“They came to the table really excited to learn about China,” Spittle said.

“I’ve never had an academic experience like it,” Spittle said, “and I don’t think the students had either.”

The students, along with their instructors, flew across the Pacific Ocean and into the world’s greatest audiovisual aid.

“I’ve never had an academic experience like it,” Spittle said, “and I don’t think the students had either.” For some students, it was their first experience outside the United States. For some, it was their first time on an airplane.

The group spent time in Beijing, touring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and other icons of Chinese antiquity. They also saw modern additions like the Olympic Village. The rice-farming region along the Li River in southern China offered a view into a much different lifestyle. “It was as rustic as you can get,” said Spittle.

The poverty and relatively undeveloped conditions of the Li River region provided an even more dramatic contrast with the group’s next stop: the highly developed and modern Shanghai. Students passed skyscrapers, rode the world’s fastest train, and visited the Shanghai Lixin University of Commerce.

“From one area to the other, things are very different,” Spittle said. “It became apparent that when you say ‘China’, you’re talking about an amazingly diverse place with huge cultural—as well as economic—differences.”

This contrast was illustrated, perhaps most strikingly, in the group’s visit to Hong Kong. As a largely autonomous Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong offers many attributes distinct from the rest of the country. Students witnessed a protest against the Chinese government—something that would not be tolerated in other areas.

“China was our classroom,” Spittle said. “Compared to a regular classroom setting with books, lecture, and discussion, the experience we had was so rich. Every minute was a learning experience. We were all so engaged in the process. You can do all that in a classroom, but when you do it in person, it’s a whole other level of learning.”

Next year a different group, composed of Arts and ESL students, will make a similar trip, with a focus on their respective disciplines.

Related posts:

• New Madera Center learning community stays focused on the ‘goal’
• Taking classes at multiple campuses gives SCCCD student, Nicole Margulis, flexibility
• Classroom space added at the Oakhurst Center
• Local designers converge on Willow International for fast-paced competition
• SCCCD Trustee advocates for higher education while continuing her own