SCUPI

This summer vacation, seven undergraduate students from Sichuan UniversityPittsburgh Institute (SCUPI) travelled to Toulouse, France, known as the “European Aerospace Capital”. Together with peers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Sun Yatsen University, they took part in the Culture, Science and Technology Exploration Summer School hosted by ToulouseINP (National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse). The twoweek summer camp integrated engineering research training, visits to aerospace industries and immersive exposure to French culture.

Running from 13 July to 26 July, the summer school drew on high-quality engineering education resources from Toulouse INP. It combined hands-on research projects, French-language classes, industry visits and local cultural experiences, allowing international students to experience France’s elite engineering education model and gain first-hand insight into cutting-edge aerospace industry ecosystems.

In the academic track, students completed intensive technical project-based training on the INPENSEEIHT campus. Working in groups across four themes — IoT heart-rate monitoring device design, radio-frequency wireless-signal detection, introduction to digital electronics, and fundamentals of deep learning — they went through research investigation, solution design, hands-on debugging and final project presentations. Complementing technical work, daily graded French as a Foreign Language (FLE) morning classes helped students improve their language proficiency and adapt to overseas study, enabling simultaneous progress in engineering expertise and cross-cultural competence.

Outside the classroom, students visited the Cité de l’Espace (Space City) in Toulouse to trace the evolution of aerospace engineering. They toured the Aeroscopia Aviation Museum and Airbus-related exhibition zones to learn about milestones in aeronautical development, bridging textbook theories with real-world industrial practice. Cultural excursions covered central Toulouse plus iconic sites across the Occitanie Region: the medieval fortified city of Carcassonne, Albi, and Cordes-sur-Ciel. Participants also cruised along the Garonne River, experiencing southern French heritage and broadening their cross-cultural perspectives.

Packed yet rewarding, the two-week programme fostered exchanges among young scholars from diverse backgrounds. Students gained hands-on laboratory experience, witnessed the appeal of aerospace industries first-hand, and deepened their understanding of European societies through cultural immersion. Many reflected that the summer school strengthened their practical engineering skills and teamwork, exposed them to France’s practice-oriented, project-driven engineering pedagogy, and provided valuable preparation for future academic pursuits and global careers.

Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute consistently develops high-calibre overseas exchange opportunities. By building diverse international practice platforms, the institute empowers students to learn in authentic global contexts, enhance professional competence and cultivate globally minded engineering talent.