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The SotA XJTLU Field Trip 2025 allowed students experience a little of what it would be like to take up the ‘Year in China’ option with their degree. It also aimed to improve student mobility and to build a sense of inter-departmental community and belonging among SotA students. Philosophy student Amelie Hawkins was among those who won a place on the trip. Here she tells us more!
Last month I had the incredible opportunity to visit Suzhou, China as part of an academic exchange program organised by my university's School of the Arts department. This trip was designed for all SOTA (School of the Arts) students, giving us the chance to respond to thought-provoking question prompts about why we should be chosen to participate. I decided to create a video, filming accents of Liverpool where the XJTLU students should go when they come over for their year in the UK. The trip spanned seven days, including two extensive travel days, and was attended by 25 fellow students along with three staff members.
Whilst in China we travelled from places such as Shanghai, Suzhou and Taicang with visiting various oldtowns in-between. Our trip started in Suzhou at XJTLU with a bridging cultures meeting with other students and Mandarin 101 lessons to get us familiarised with the basics.
These first couple of days at the university were extremely eye opening especially as we were able to converse with people who lived in the city we were exploring. On our fourth day we took a trip to Taicang exploring the other campus. With this day trip being centralized around technology and innovation, we were set tasks to create our own products that worked under certain conditions. Our journey concluded with a free day in Shanghai, where we explored a mix of modern and historic streets, each of us choosing activities that suited our own interests and preferences.
I would highly recommend this trip to other students! It’s a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture, connect with like-minded peers, and learn in an international academic environment. As for future adventures, I have already applied for other exchange programs and travel opportunities and from this I have been granted one with Philosophy to Hamburg in June.
For more information about global opportunities for students studying philosophy, contact the department Global Opportunities Lead, Dr Robin McKenna.
You can watch Amelie's vlog below: