Faculty members from the Gandia campus participated in the International Summer School organized by Beihang University.
“The experience has been very enriching from both an academic and professional standpoint,” says Pablo Huerta, a professor at the Gandia Campus, after participating in the International Summer School organized by Beihang University, one of China’s leading technology institutions.
The courses were held at the Beihang Valencia Polytechnic Institute (BVPI), the new joint campus established by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and Beihang University. The initiative brought together students and faculty from both institutions for two weeks, from July 13 to 26, to receive specialized training and learn about one of the world’s leading hubs of technological innovation, located in the city of Hangzhou.
An international academic experience
The program combined theoretical classes with hands-on activities focused on some of the most promising fields, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, photonics, nanoelectronics, aeronautical engineering, and biomedical engineering.
“I decided to participate, above all, to learn firsthand about this project that the UPV is carrying out in collaboration with Beihang University and to take advantage of the opportunity to gain knowledge that, as much as possible, I can apply to my classes,” explains Pablo Huerta.
Academic activities took place during the first week, including courses, workshops, and lectures. In addition, “a meeting was held between faculty members from the UPV and the host university to share research topics, present scientific findings, and foster collaboration between the two institutions,” adds the professor from the Gandia Campus.
The second week of the program focused on cultural exchange. Participants attended Chinese language classes, calligraphy workshops, and traditional mask-making workshops; they visited research laboratories and went on various field trips to learn about the city’s historical and cultural heritage.
Beihang University and the City of Hangzhou
Beihang University is a Chinese public university specializing in engineering and considered one of the country’s leading institutions in science and technology. It ranks among the top 150 universities in the world, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), and ranks highly in fields such as aerospace engineering, computer science, robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence.
For its part, Hangzhou is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Asia, known as “paradise on earth.” It has also established itself as one of China’s leading technology hubs, to the point that it has often been called the “Chinese Silicon Valley.” The city is home to the headquarters of leading companies such as Alibaba, ByteDance (owner of TikTok), DeepSeek, and Unitree Robotics.