Westfield State students pose in front of the Shanghai skyline.
WESTFIELD – Thirteen Westfield State University students travelled to Beijing and Shanghai China for two weeks this summer as part of the short-term study abroad course “International Economics: China Rising.” The course was led by Dr. Hillary Sackett, assistant professor of economics, and assisted by Professor Bridget Matthews-Kane of the English department.
Sackett said she chose China as the focus of the course due to its economic ties with the United States.
“China has undergone an unprecedented level of economic transformation and growth in the past couple of decades,” Sackett said. “China is now the second largest economy in the world and an important partner to the United States. Students studying economics and business need to be familiar with the role that China plays in the global economy.”
While in China, the students visited businesses and heard from internationally-renowned guest speakers.
Student Tanner Connors ’16 of Yarmouth, Mass. said she most benefitted from visiting the Hutong, a small organization that works directly with residents that live in culturally historic housing. She was especially intrigued by the presenter and Corporate Director Joe Wood, a Texas native that studied abroad in China and fell in love with the culture.
“It was very educational and enlightening to be able to speak with him because he was really able to describe the cultural differences between our nations and open our eyes to what’s really important to the people, not just the government,” Connors said.
When listening to the guest lecturers, Connors said she was pleased to hear different opinions on the same topic, including lectures from Chinese natives and ex-patriots.
“We got to see firsthand how much the government really misled their people,” Connors said. “And on the other hand, we got to witness the strong pride in which they hold their history.”
Students also visited culturally and historically significant sites including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Olympic venues, and the Great Wall in Beijing. They also went on a canal cruise through the water town of Suzhou.
While she thoroughly enjoyed riding a toboggan down the Great Wall, Connors said she most appreciated the cultural aspects of the course.
“Some of the greatest highlights came from simply being immersed in the new, and very foreign, culture,” Connors said. “Wandering through the hutongs, being able to witness the way residents live and interact with each other was truly eye opening.”
One of Sackett’s goals for the course was for students to witness the economic, environmental, and social consequences of international globalization in the country, the most prevalent of which were environmental degradation.
“Air pollution in Beijing is quite bad,” Sackett said. “On several occasions the Air Quality Index rose above 200 (which is hazardous to our health) and we had to wear protective masks. The students also witnessed extreme water pollution looking out the window during our train ride from Beijing to Shanghai.”
Socially speaking, Sackett said students noticed the westernization of eastern Asia.
“The students commented that in some parts of Shanghai, you might think you were in Europe based on the restaurants, shops, fashion, food, and entertainment,” Sackett said. “Many of my students lamented that they missed the ‘feeling’ of Beijing, because it has retained traditional Chinese culture in many places.”
When organizing the course, Sackett hoped students would accomplish a number of objectives including recognizing systemic oppression, synthesizing multicultural perspectives on international relations, and understanding the role of social justice in international economic development. She was most pleased with the inspiration they felt to continue exploring the various areas they studied.
“I had students tell me that this trip has changed their life, that they now think differently about their own consumption, they have a renewed appreciation for the importance of protecting the environment, and that this trip ignited a desire to learn more about different cultures and to continue travelling to other parts of the world,” Sackett said. “There is nothing more fulfilling to an educator than hearing things like that!”
