The year 2024 is of particular significance, marked by the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations, the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, the Paris 2024 Olympics, etc. For this year, the 10-day Audencia Summer Study Trip was scheduled in 3 parts: academic courses, corporate visits, and French cultural experience. The trip was specially tailored for students seeking additional credits or intending to attend Audencia Business School (hereafter referred to as Audencia) in the future so that they could broaden their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the European market and management practices. At the same time, the trip took the students to experience the atmosphere of Paris in the run-up to the Olympic Games, enjoy the unique festive mood of the French National Day, and explore the history and romance of the cities of Nantes and Paris.
Academic journey at Audencia
After arriving in Nantes, the students spent two days getting oriented before embarking on their academic journey with Audencia in great anticipation. The academic experience at Audenciainvolveda combination of coursework and group projects. With English as the course language, students can choose from three modules of courses: Data Science for Marketing, European Productivity, and Boost Your Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem.
From July 8 to 11, Ms. Amelia from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) delivered an original course on European Productivity, which skillfully integrated micro- and macro-economic approaches to show the students how global production and economy work. In class, students from different countries around the world discussed and interacted with each other and introduced their respective countries' economic and cultural characteristics through the lens of economics, building a bridge of cross-cultural communication along the way.
Ms. Amelia had an ingenious way of teaching the class. Whether it was fill-in-the-blank notes or follow-up quizzes, she used a variety of approaches to help students consolidate their newly acquired knowledge. She also set up a presentation session for each class, where students could have the opportunity to apply and showcase what they had just learned. Every one of our students was actively and attentively engaged in the group assignments and interacted with other students from different countries to spark new ideas and stimulate innovative inspirations. They perfectly demonstrated the youthful talent of Shenzhen Audencia Financial Technology Institute (SAFTI) students.
After successfully passingthe exams and thus officially completingthe courses, the students received their summer program certificates from Audencia. This honor not only recognizes their academic performance but also is a precious remembrance of this cross-country learning experience.
Cultural experience of France
The summer study trip to Nantes was an academic encounter and a thorough cultural exploration. Well planned by Audencia, the study trip, apart from allowing students from all over the world to exchange their knowledge in the classroom, also designed city walk routes to guide the students to discover the unique charm of Nantes, a city where history and modernity are intertwined. In the ancient streets of Nantes, students felt as if they had traveled through time and space to touch the pulse of history. From the historical buildings to the old stone paths, every corner of Nantes exudes the atmosphere of time and history. At the same time, they also caught a glimpse of the city's energy and innovation in the modern cityscape and felt the city's flourishing vitality.
Every step of the way touched the deep cultural heritage of Nantes. With a deeper understanding of the city, the students gained more appreciation for this study abroad opportunity, marked their journey with the desire for knowledge and the stamp of growth, and engraved this precious cross-cultural memory in their hearts.
Audencia attaches great importance to classroom learning and endeavors to provide hands-on opportunities for students to experience the charm of financial technology. That is why Audencia also arranged a corporate visit to Cointreau, paving the way for the students in their future career lives.
At Cointreau, students can acquire an in-depth insight into the latest trends and applications of financial technology and combine the theoretical knowledge they have learned in class with real-world operations to experience the innovation and vitality of this industry. This corporate visit broadened the students' vision and helped them grow more confident about their future career direction. Our students thus learned and grew in practice by seamlessly integrating theoretical knowledge with real-world operation, laying a solid foundation for their future career.
When the trip took the students further into the romantic city of Paris, it was just on the eve of the French National Day celebrations and the Summer Olympics. The whole city seemed to be shrouded in a glorious aura. As the students made their stops at the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Seine River, Versailles, and Arc de Triomphe, they were treated to the symphony of art and history. Meanwhile, under the solemn atmosphere of Piazza d'Italia, thousands of miles away from home, SAFTI students quietly felt patriotism in their hearts and souls. They followed the glorious footsteps of young Zhou Enlai in France as if traveling through time and space, side by side with the national hero, to feel the passion and dedication to strive for the ideal.
Reflections on the Summer Study Trip
XIAN Youlan,Financial Technology, Class 2 of 2023
My time at Audencia Business School in France has been a profound and enlightening journey for me. This institution is not only famous for its excellent business education, but also perfectly integrates the essence of art and business, opening up a new cognitive dimension for me. Here, I am immersed in a rich curriculum system, from marketing strategy to financial management, each class is like exploring unknown treasures, so that I have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the business world.
Working with students from all over the world has made me deeply appreciate the diversity of cultures and the beauty of the collision of ideas. We discussed and learned from each other, broadened our horizons and forged a deep friendship through sharing with each other. In addition, the romance and vitality of the city of Nantes also added a lot of colors to my study abroad life, so that I can enjoy the beauty of life in addition to the intense study.
ZHANG Shurun, Financial technology, Class 1 of 2023
On our first day in Nantes, three volunteers (two Chinese students and an Indian brother) took us to the Duc de Breton Castle in the center of the city. It was windy, but you could still feel the heavy historical atmosphere of the castle, which was heard to be the last castle before the Loire River melted into the Atlantic Ocean.
The next day, we started a one-week course (Data Science for Marketing). The teacher was very friendly, and the students were almost from all over the world. They were also willing to communicate with us as long as you dare to open the microphone. It is very helpful for the training of listening and speaking. The course was a little difficult, but in the class, we could see that foreign students were very active in asking questions. Whenever they encountered something they didn't understand, they would raise their hands and asked the teacher what they wanted to ask. They were not timid at all, which is also where we need to learn. On the afternoon of the last day, we went to the Cointreau winery for a corporate tour, where the docent sister explained the history of Cointreau.
After that, we began a two-day trip to Paris, full and happy. It is worth mentioning that in the evening we went to Montmartre Highlands, sitting together quietly overlooking the whole Paris night scene……
About theAudencia Summer Study Trip
Audencia, the partner of Shenzhen University for joint educational programs, organized the summer study trip this year. The 10-day summer study trip from July 6 to 15 consisted of academic courses, French cultural experience, and corporate visits, providing the SAFTI students an excellent opportunity to communicate with the international community, broaden their horizons, and enrich their knowledge.Applicantswere filtered and selected according to SAFTI's requirements on English proficiency, GPA, and different kinds of experiences at school. Once the application was accepted, each student would be awarded a scholarship by SAFTIfor the study trip.
Please follow the WeChat Official Account of SAFTI to get more information about the excellent exchange, study abroad, and study trip opportunities that SAFTI and Audencia will continue to offer.
