—— ZJUI holds “Parents Day”
ZJUI held its second “Parents Day” event on the International Campus in March. More than 140 parents attended. The events were planned around interaction with ZJUI leadership and faculty. Dean Li Erping talked about “Tireless pursuit of excellence” about the importance of cross- disciplinary engineering training for the future. Through the mission vision, education, and training programs of the institute, he laid out a roadmap and vision for student life and learning.
Dean Li said that "The development of cross-disciplinary training is an excellent way to stimulate student interest and expand the horizons of engineering. As a new institute that was initiated just three years ago, we still have a long way to go. We will move forward and seek excellence. I firmly believe that in the era of globalization, the world needs students like the ones at ZJUI."
Executive Dean Philip Krein gave parents a perspective on “Preparation for Graduate Study in the US.” He pointed out the traditional misunderstanding of school rankings, a desire for students to target “famous professors,” and over-emphasis on GPA. He emphasized that for students, in addition to daily study, participation in research training, industry internships, team projects, and campus leadership are important. He presented ways for students to secure letters of recommendation from their professors, how to write a good personal statement, and how to choose a supervisor.
Assistant Dean Lu Qiang held an open discussion to address parent concerns. He explained research directions linked to the institute's cross-disciplinary education, how GPA is computed, and how parents can communicate future concerns. He expressed the hope that parents will help support ZJUI educational programs, urge students to cherish their youth, and work with the Institute for healthy and productive student growth.
Ms. Liu Ling, Chair of the ZJUI Parents Board, spoke on behalf of the parents. She reported on prior work of the Parents Board and presented some expectations for the institute. She reported that the Parents Board will continue to cooperate with the institute for the benefit of all ZJUI students.
The event included laboratory tours and tours of key campus facilities. Faculty presented overviews of majors, including Professor Li Chushan’s talk on "Why to Choose Electrical Engineering," Professor Zhu Tingju's presentation on "The Past, Present and Future of Civil Engineering," and others. Sophomore Hong Kaiwen shared his experiences in participating in research projects (see article above). Freshmen Su Haoyu and Yang Zhaohua presented the small self-driving “cars” from their "Introduction to Electronics" course team project. Juniors Wu Zhenbang and Huang Jinghan, who had recently returned from an exchange term at UIUC, shared their perspective on three years of life and study at ZJUI.
The Parents Board elected six vice chairs and confirmed that Ms. Liu Ling will serve another term as Chair. This past year, the Parents Board has played important roles in helping parents and institute communicate, helping students expand extracurricular research and social practice, and promoting the Institute. Executive Dean Krein expressed his gratitude to the Board on behalf of the Institute and looked forward to closer contact and support. The Parents Board reported that it will further promote communication between parents and the institute, unite strengths of parents to create more opportunities for students, and contribute to the development of the institute.
