Summer Research Program Brings Cultures Together

The Global Engagement in Academic Research (GEAR) Summer Research Program wrapped up another successful program in August.  The five-week summer research program, hosted by International Affairs, brings undergraduate students from NC State’s global partnership institutions to campus to learn about research while gaining valuable cross-cultural experiences.

This year’s program had 37 students from 6 universities; Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), Jilin University (JLU), National Taiwan University (NTU), Tsinghua University (THU), Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHKSZ) and Zhejiang University (ZJU).  19 different faculty hosted students from various departments, ranging from Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering to Accounting. Students are paired with NC State faculty to conduct research where they learn how to create a poster and present research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. During their time at NC State they learn how to apply to Graduate School, interact with American students at evening activities, and travel to Washington DC.

Feifei Liang, a program coordinator for GEAR this year, completed the program herself in 2013. She returned to NC State as a PhD candidate in Economics after benefiting from the GEAR program. Liang wanted to give back and help other students in the same way as the GEAR program helped her gain valuable experience.

If you are interested in hosting students for GEAR please contact anna_dunaway@ncsu.edu and fill out the interest survey.