Mega Infrastructure

Location of Program: China      Year: 2015
Program Director(s): Rick Balling and Grant Schultz
Participating Major(s): Civil and Environmental Engineering

Summary:

The China Mega Infrastructure program focuses on structural and transportation engineering. Students were put in groups and assigned a city in China that has an excess of 10 million people. They researched amazing buildings, bridges, and transportation systems that set China apart from the rest of the world. During the journey to China, students saw firsthand the specific structures and cities they had researched.  

Recap of the Year:

Leadership Development

Students developed critical thinking skills by working with spreadsheets and analyzing transportation systems. They practiced finding various ways to solve problems and determining the optimal solution, rather than fixing a problem through a single process. Students developed confidence in their abilities to accomplish world-class feats. 

Global Agility

Students prepared for this experience by emailing Chinese students before the trip.  While on the trip they interacted with them in person. These networking opportunities helped students establish relationships that have the potential to last throughout their lives. They also studied Chinese culture and history, which helped them become familiar with the economic, political and historical background of China.

Technical Experience

Students gained experience in structural and transportation engineering as they studied Chinese megacities. For four months they researched buildings, bridges and transportation systems of these cities, then visited them in person. They also learned how to design a skyscraper and several different types of bridges using excel spreadsheets.

Student Experiences

"Learning about mega-structures and mega-transportation was eye-opening! Seeing the unique buildings, the complex roadways, the high-speed trains, the highly-connected cities, and the immense skyscrapers provided me with a new vision of what a city can be."
-Ryan Beaumont

"Because of this experience I am more confident in the direction I want to follow in Civil Engineering. My potential as a BYU student has grown exponentially; I know I can achieve whatever I put my mind to."
-Conor Seat