I’d like to start with saying that I had a phenomenal time at SJTU and I can truly recommend studying here for anyone who’s interested in diving deep into a new culture, an exciting city and meet many interesting people from China, but also from around the world. SJTU’s Xuhui campus, where I had all my classes, is located right next to Xuijahui in central Shanghai which really gives you the experience of living in in the middle of Shanghai. Something that is very important if you’d like to get a taste of the city life beyond the walls of the university.
As for the university, I was glad that I had pretty much all my classes with the same students which allowed me to form deeper connections with my classmates and thus, also learn more about Chinese culture and customs outside of the classroom. Particularly, the introductory course teamwork and communication is something I want to highlight here and highly recommend to any incoming exchange student. It’s the perfect course to get to know your classmates since everyone is new here and keen to find new friends. My group ended up going out for dinner nearly every evening during the course and we also went skiing as well as go-karting and other activities. The classes themselves are well structured and all the teachers speak English very well and try their best to keep the classes engaging. The selection of classes for Exchange students is somewhat limited. Personally, I did not mind this since I had no issue crediting the classes back at my home university. In my opinion, the work load is fair and I appreciate that many classes are organized as block courses, i.e., most only go on for 1 or 2 weeks with class everyday compared to typical undergraduate classes that go on over the entire semester but only once a week. I think this condensed MBA format is very good to immerse yourself in a new topic but then also leave you some time to explore other parts of China outside of Shanghai to get familiarized with the deep history, culture and diversity of this stunning country.
The campus itself is also very nice, particularly in autumn once the trees start to turn orange. The cafeteria food is great and very affordable (However, since it’s located in such a central area there are also many great food options right outside so you’ll never get bored). Another good thing about SJTU is that they always provide snacks and breakfast for all classes. There are also many sports options from playing badminton, a gym to having an outdoor running area and field where you can play ultimate frisbee on campus. I think this is one of the nicest campuses I have studied in before.
If you are interested in China I think SJTU is the perfect place for you. Not just because, in my opinion, Shanghai is the most exciting city in China but also because SJTU itself is a great school (on of the best in China) and provides a very well organized experience for its exchange students (including hosting cool events, I particularly want to highlight the end of semester event or the halloween party).