Co-op@CUHK Field Trip to Shanghai

As an exchange student, the Shanghai field trip offered an invaluable experience to visit major companies in the mainland.

During our visit to Bilibili in Shanghai, I gained valuable insights into the company’s dynamic working environment and the wide range of career opportunities available in the technology industry. Seeing the office firsthand provided a much clearer understanding of how innovation, collaboration, and creativity are encouraged in a real-world professional setting. The open and community‑driven workplace demonstrated how technical expertise is combined with user‑focused thinking to drive platform development. This experience allowed me to reflect more deeply on my own future career path and helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical industry application.

However, aside from the professional opportunities and traveling, just hanging out with new friends made the trip truly worth it! Navigating a new city together turned this field trip into a series of meaningful personal connections. Stepping out of my comfort zone to explore Shanghai taught me that being an exchange student is about more than just classes, it’s about immersing yourself in new cultures and gaining a broader point of view.

CHENG Howard, Howard, Year 2, IASP/Computer Science, Engineering

What really grabbed me was what the professor said about trust. Shanghai’s become a financial powerhouse because people, both from China and abroad, actually believe in it. That sense of reliability keeps investors and companies coming back year after year. Sure, there’s money and flashy buildings, but the real story is the relationships and credibility Shanghai’s earned over time. That’s what makes the difference.

That insight really changed the way I think about what makes a financial centre thrive. It’s not just about impressive buildings, piles of money, or flashy technology. What really matters is trust, people need to believe in the system, know the rules won’t suddenly change, and feel confident about who they’re dealing with. As a law student, this hit home for me. Trust, credibility, and strong institutions aren’t just nice ideas, they’re the backbone holding up both legal and financial systems.

At Fudan University, the conversation really brought this to life. We talked about how legal rules and social habits can kickstart economic growth, mostly by calming people’s nerves and making them willing to invest or take risks. That stuck with me. It made me even more interested in how law can keep economies steady and help countries work together.

Walking around Fudan’s campus only added to the impression. The place is huge and thoughtfully laid out, blending Western and traditional Chinese architecture in a way that just works. It’s like a snapshot of Shanghai itself, open to the world, but still firmly rooted in its own culture. Each faculty has its own spot, which shows how serious the university is about both top-notch academics and mixing different fields together. After that visit, I saw how universities aren’t just about classes, they help shape the city’s culture and economy too.

WONG Wai Ching Sorcha, Year 3, LLB, Law

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Shanghai field trip organised by the Co-operative Education Programme (OCEP). The field trip offered valuable opportunity for us to visit different leading Chinese enterprises, including Bilibili, SAIC Volkswagen, Midea Group, and Trip.com Group.

As a final-year student majoring in Global Communication, I have long been eager to explore the real-world application of communication strategies in business environments, and these visits provided exactly that—practical perspectives to inform my career considerations.

I would say the highlight of the trip is our visit to Midea Group, where my group delivered a presentation and moderated the subsequent Q&A session. While Midea is widely recognised for its household appliances, I was particularly impressed by its pivotal role in the international markets.

The sharing session included thoughtful contributions from professional engineers, managers, and CUHK alumni, which have deepened my understanding of corporate development in both domestic and international markets. One of the CUHK alumni named Mia, who shared her journey in overseas communication and brand promotion. Her experience demonstrated how a journalism background can be leveraged to develop strong corporate communication skills, particularly in high-stakes settings such as press conferences and public events.

The trip provides opportunities for us to expose to industries far removed from our major, such as advanced manufacturing and high-tech innovation among them, enabling me to observe cutting-edge technological advancements and the corporate development in both domestic and international markets. I highly recommend such experiential learning opportunities to fellow students. The trip has significantly broadened my horizons, providing fresh insights and alternative career pathways as I plan my next steps.

LI Yee Kiu Nicole,  Year 4 Global Communication, Social Science

The Co-op field trip to Shanghai and Suzhou provided us with an incredibly memorable experience. Through the company visits around Shanghai, I was greatly amazed by the technological advancements made by Chinese companies.

The Shanghai Field Trip brought me not only the joy from cultural immersion- beautiful, magnificent buildings and delectable local food- but also precious insights from each corporate visit.

The most memorable experience was our tour of the SAIC Volkswagen factory. SAIC Volkswagen is one of China’s leading automobile company, we can see its products everywhere. In the trip, we got the opportunity to visit its factory headquarter, and really see some of the vehicle production process. What impressed me the most is the automation of production line. This is a mind-blowing journey seeing most processes are automated, and we could barely see a few workers controlling those high-end machines. Those machines with cutting-edge technology can do complicated works like welding and polishing efficiently and accurately. This not only surprised me with the advanced technology in China, but also reminded me to equip myself with transferable skills, be open-minded with new technology, and learn continuously.

Beyond the visits, this five-day journey also gifted me a family-like team of teammates, we shared the moment of pleasure and growth, making this an unforgettable journey of my life.

HUI Pui Shan, Sarah, Year 3, Quantitative Finance, CUHK Business School

The field trip to Shanghai broadened my horizon in the corporate industry. As a medical student I barely step foot in the business world, Co-op gave me the opportunity to explore outside my comfort zone. A memory indelibly engraved in my heart would be our journey to Trip.com. We get to delve deeper into the process behind trip planning and advertisement strategy in promotion. I was especially amazed by the “magical doors” in the tour visit in Trip.com headquarter!

Apart from the corporate visits, the cultural sites in ShangHai fascinates me as well. As a student who has never been to Shanghai, the iconic waterfront show in the Bund left me in awe. The lighting show and vintage architecture showed me the cultural value behind Chinese constructions and planning.

PANG Tsz Tung, Jamie, Year 3, MBCHb, Medicine

The Shanghai trip is definitely an eye opening towards various business industries. Moreover, each company tour showcased breathtaking innovation, efficiency, and global ambition, hence highlighting Shanghai’s role as a futuristic economic power. Their individual journey and pace of their development is mighty impressive.

The subsequent cultural visit to different historical place in Suzhou such as Tiger Hills, Shantang Street and also the historical bund, Serene Yu garden in Shanghai provides the prevailing aesthetic and deeper understanding about the heritage behind this modern society.

The key takeaway that I got from this trip is that China’s economic and business strength cannot be fully understood without the existence of its long rooted history. The Shanghai trip curated by Co-op CUHK offers a compelling understanding of the cutting edge business landscape and historical values. It is truly a remarkable opportunity to be a part of this trip.

LEONG Fiona, Year 2, Computational Data Science, Interdisciplinary