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2024 Tongji-KAIST Summer School

Written by Kyu-Ri Kim & Huiwon Ahn, undergraduate students, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• • The 15th Tongji-KAIST Summer School was held from July 28 to August 3, 2024 in Shanghai. Twelve undergraduate students and two professors from the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at KAIST participated and had a wholesome time interacting with the members of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Tongji University. It was also an opportunity for students to bond with each other, despite our different nationalities or ages - the intense heat in Shanghai seemed to reflect the energetic time we spent together.
    
    
  • The Summer School began with a symposium on civil engineering, followed by 3 days of short lectures on AI-Empowered Civil Engineering, as well as lab tours. On the last day, we had a tour of Shanghai Tower to check out the newest cutting-edge civil engineering technologies.
    
    
  • We arrived in Shanghai on the evening of July 28. All the students and professors gathered to have dinner together at a Chinese restaurant near the hotel and got to try many traditional Chinese dishes. Students and professors interacted freely, and the students were able to ask questions that they wouldn’t normally feel comfortable asking, and got genuine answers from the professors. It was an informative and heartwarming time for the students, especially for those who had concerns before them.
    
    
  • On the second day of arrival, we officially kickstarted our Summer School programme at Tongji University. After a series of opening lectures from professors and graduate students from both KAIST and Tongji, we headed to Tongji University Jiading Campus. Through touring around their facilities, we learned about how their facilities, such as the earthquake simulation table, worked. Many facilities were newly built and were not active yet, but it was still very interesting to see how other universities manage the experimental side of Civil Engineering on their campus. After we had a look around the campus, we were warmly welcomed by a dinner prepared by Tongji University, during which we got to interact with each other, as well as professors from KAIST and Tongji University.
    
    
  • On July 30, two courses on AI-empowered civil Engineering were delivered. We learned how to develop an AI model in structural health monitoring and how AI can help solve human-induced vibration problems by increasing accuracy in assessment and devising a more efficient control design. After the lectures, a student at Tongji gave us a tour of downtown Shanghai. We had dinner at a local restaurant and enjoyed a panoramic view of Shanghai along the Huangpu River. This city tour was a time of bonding for students who didn’t have a chance to get to know each other. Any lingering awkwardness seemed to melt away.
    
    
  • On July 31, we continued with our Civil Engineering module at Tongji University. We learned about applications of low-carbon engineering and 3D printing in tunnel construction, which was a new area for most undergraduate students. The professors who delivered these lectures emphasized the need for a digital base in the construction process and the importance of taking advantage of the characteristics of construction materials like concrete so that we can move towards a more sustainable and sturdy transportation infrastructure. For dinner, our friend at Tongji - who gave us the tour of the city the day before - brought us to Haidilao, a global hotpot restaurant. We had a fun insider conversation on the different cultures of food, universities, and relationships in South Korea and China.
    
    
  • On the first day of August, we had our final lectures about smart construction. We learned how robots can be used for construction. We then took an exam to review what we had learned. Afterwards, we celebrated with a pizza party. We wrote short letters to students who would participate in this summer school in the future by reflecting on our time at Tongji University. After that, the students again spent their time freely - some students visited Yuyuan and gained another unforgettable local experience.
    
    
  • On August 2, we went on an exciting excursion to Shanghai Tower. We took the world’s fastest elevator to go up to the world’s highest observation deck, from which we savoured the view of the entirety of the city. We learned the difference between towers and buildings, and the guide’s enthusiasm showed how much the people in Shanghai loved Shanghai Tower. It was inspiring how the components of the building were designed aesthetically and appealingly so that citizens could get an interactive experience rather than just sightseeing around the building. More specifically, we watched an enthralling music show delivered by the mass damper on the top of the building. After we finished a tour of Shanghai Tower, students were given some time to freely explore the city - the visits included the Provisional Government of the Republic of South Korea or Xintiandi. For dinner, KAIST students got together in the restaurant we went to on the first day to get dinner. It was exciting to hear from everyone how they’ve spent their free time throughout the day.
    
    
  • On the last day, after we each had breakfast, we headed to Pudong Airport. Some of us went to Tianzifang, a shopping street, to get our last pieces of souvenirs. By the end of the program, everyone became so close that we chatted nonstop until we arrived in Korea.
    
    
  • We all had an unforgettable week; we were intellectually stimulated and were able to broaden our horizons in civil engineering through the special lectures and lab tours. Above all, the invaluable experience gave us an opportunity to experience Chinese culture firsthand and build unity amongst fellow students. We are very grateful to KAIST CEE for providing this opportunity, and we look forward to creating more worthwhile memories with our professors and classmates in the future.