Stanford University recently announced their collaboration with BE Education to provide an online course, Technologies Changing the World: Thinking into Action, for high school students throughout China. Students will be able to enroll and start the program in Winter 2020.

The Stanford e-China program is directed by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies in Stanford University.

The online course will focus on the fields of green, health, and financial technology, in addition to artificial intelligence. Students will engage in live discussion sessions, virtual classes, and real-time conversations with Stanford University Scholars and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, as well as American high school students.

The collaboration between Stanford University and BE Education was born out of another collaboration between Study Abroad Director Emma Vanbergen and China Director of International Education, Julia Gooding of BE Education. It became clear to these two education professionals that Chinese students were seeking out more immersive hands-on projects that had real-world impact.

The development of the course has involved finding ways to build a framework that encourages students to analyze challenges facing each of the technologies highlighted above, and then brainstorm innovative solutions that could impact China, the United States, and the world.

Students will gain practical, academic skills:

• Pre-recorded, university-level lectures by leading scholars from Stanford University offer practice listening to a variety of lecturing styles.
• Real-time discussions led by guest lecturers familiarize students with the dynamics of classroom participation in schools such as Stanford University.
• Short writing assignments improve critical thinking skills.
• Exposure to the Design Thinking framework introduces a creative-thinking process and hands-on, problem-solving practice.
• The final project requires students to investigate a suitable technological challenge, collaborate with colleagues in China and the US, develop compelling pitch slides, and practice English presentation skills.

What students will learn:

• Technologies that will have great impact on their academic, professional, and personal lives.
• Design Thinking, a creative framework practiced throughout Silicon Valley to innovate and build prototypes.
• Academic styles and standards at universities like Stanford in preparation for application to study in the United States or elsewhere. 

The Stanford e-China course is designed for exceptional, self-motivated, Chinese high school students studying in China. Students who complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from Stanford Program for SPICE, Stanford University. Although students will not receive direct university course credit, those who successfully complete the course may request a Letter of Recommendation from the Stanford e-China instructor to support their university applications.

The three highest-performing students will be invited to Stanford University, all expenses paid (up to $2,000 USD), to participate in a Stanford e-China program ceremony. The final deadline for students to apply is November 15 2019. For more information scan the QR below.

USD 3,000. January 4 – March 2, 2020 (with break). 

Photos: Pixabay

The round, surly-looking girl greeted me at the door. She would have looked so pleasant, if only she smiled.

I’d signed up for a cake-making class at Sweet DIY Bakery after some serious coaxing from my co-workers. Did it matter to them that I’d never  baked in my life? That I didn’t even cook, beyond omelettes and ramen? Apparently not.

And my teacher’s gruff attitude was not helping matters. Straightaway, she began shuffling together ingredients. I watched apprehensively, wondering if I was supposed to help. After a few minutes of silence, she handed a few bowls over to me, muttering their contents under her breath.

I beat some eggs, then mixed some flour with sugar, oil and water. Oftentimes I had no idea what I was doing – she would demonstrate for me with disinterest, and I’d emulate her methodical movements as best I could. At one point, I accidentally yanked the electric egg beater out of its socket. That got her smiling, but only for a brief second.

After my arms had started to tire, she was satisfied that the mixing process was complete. She poured all my work into a cake pan, creating a perfect flat circle, then stuffed it into a miniature toaster oven.

“Thirty minutes,” she said to me, as she moved on to help the two chatty girls who had just arrived. “In the meantime, sketch out your design.”

I already had a vague concept in mind – a smiling crab to represent my astrological sign – but I surveyed photos of past clients’ creations anyway. Cartoon character heads proved most popular. Meanwhile, the true-to-life Louis Vuitton handbag and MINI Cooper cakes on display gave me a taste of what my cake-decorating skills could eventually become.

For the time being, though, I felt like I was in grade school again. With toothpick and dye tubes in hand, I made some haphazard attempts at spreading the frosting evenly – my teacher watched me wordlessly, then set about smoothing over my bumpy mistakes. Then I dotted, squeezed and dragged the colorful sugar paste according to my vision. At last, I received the validation I’d been waiting for: the vaguest nod of approval from my teacher. Did this mean my very first cake could be considered a success?

To find out, I brought the final product back to the office. At first, all my hard-earned efforts seemed for naught – something that had taken over two hours to make was gobbled up in just under five minutes. But then I saw the frosting-stained smiles on my coworkers’ faces. Mission accomplished.

Call Sweet DIY Bakery at 138 1088 1010 (Chinese-only) to set up a class.

This acticle is from thebeijinger.com.