ZJUI's BEST Program earns rave reviews: fostering excellence in engineering and cultural Exchange

The BIM-ZJUI Excellence Summer Training (BEST) program, a collaboration between the Zhejiang University-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJUI) and the Beasiswa Indonesia Maju (BIM) Scholarship Program, has concluded with resounding success, receiving high praise for its commitment to engineering excellence and cross-cultural enrichment.

Spanning from July 1st to 13th, the BEST program welcomed twenty high school students and two teachers from Indonesia to ZJUI's International Campus in Haining. Under the guidance of a distinguished team of educators, including Associate Prof. Wee-Liat Ong, Assistant Prof. YANG Liangjing, Assistant Prof. Timothy Haw Yu Lee from ZJUI, and Dr. PENG Boyu, a Distinguished Research Fellow of ZJU, the program offered a holistic learning experience.

The curriculum was meticulously crafted, providing students with a comprehensive insight into diverse engineering domains, ranging from Python programming and mechanical engineering to robotics, sustainable urban transportation, infrastructure construction, machine vision, and integrated circuits. The program's pinnacle was a final design project, challenging participants to integrate their newfound knowledge to create an automated targeting and shooting system based on machine vision, showcasing the program's cross-disciplinary and innovative nature. 

Project design

Beyond academics, the BEST program promoted cultural exchange. Indonesian students and their peers from Haining Senior High School shared their countries' traditional lantern culture. Haining Senior High School students, in turn, introduced the art of Chinese tea to the Indonesian students, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation of their respective cultures.

As the program reached its conclusion, participants explored notable cultural landmarks in Hangzhou, including the China National Silk Museum, West Lake, and the Chenghuang Pavilion, immersing themselves in the richness of traditional Chinese culture and embracing its vibrant diversity.

A token of appreciation from the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology

Funded by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, the BEST program underscores the robust collaboration between Zhejiang Universiy and the Indonesian government. It aims to cultivate talent by exposing students to cutting-edge engineering knowledge, enhancing their practical skills, and fostering cultural exchange. The recently concluded feedback survey overwhelmingly showcased the participants' satisfaction, with the program almost achieving full marks.

Source: Zhejiang University-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (ZJUI)

Editor: TIAN Minjie