Dialogue@ZJU: With overseas ZJU students (Part 2)

[Message from the Editor: In the time of COVID-19 pandemic, ZJU community is concerned about the lives of overseas students. Here is the second part of our dialogue with them.]

SUN Tiantian, PhD Candidate

Major: Marine Resources and Environment

Overseas university：Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (Germany)

Starting time: Dec, 2019

“Leibneiz institute has been scheduled to be closed from March 15th to April 19th, 2020. Since then, I have started to study from home. Group meeting in our geological team used the Zoom web conference video to exchange ideas and keep the progress of research projects.  

My supervisor here is a very responsible to me. Due to the pandemic, all my experiments were postponed. He asked me to analyze the data from previous experiments and help with the preparation of an article. I am trying my best to keep up with scientific research as normal.”

WANG YU, ’2020 Undergraduate

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Overseas university: ParisTech (France)

Starting time: July, 2019

“In early March, French government issued a strict “stay-at-home” order. More than a month has passed in a blink of an eye and I have gradually adapted to this life.

Universities in France began to suspend in-person classes on March 12. All the courses in our University have also been taken to online platforms such as Zoom and Adobe connect. The assessment method of the courses was modified as well. Overall, the regular teaching schedule remained unaffected. For me, since I can watch the video of the course repeatedly, it helped to relieve some of the pressure on French-taught lectures.”

ZHANG Lulu, PhD Candidate

Major: Marine Resources and Environment

Overseas university: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain)

Starting time: Sep, 2019

“Since the outbreak of epidemic，Spain has entered the ‘emergency state’. Most stores were closed except pharmacies and supermarkets that operate to meet people's basic living needs. UPC campus was closed as well and I started to study at home. Using Skype video, my supervisor connected with me regularly.

I also participated in a meaningful activity that forms spontaneously in my neighborhood. At 8:00 pm every night, people go out to their balcony and clap hard for the medical staff and the people infected by the virus.”