Qingdao...it's beer! Hooray beer!

This morning Megan and I received an email that we have been assigned to teach at the Shandong University of Science and Technology. We were glad to finally know where we would be placed, but before I became too pleased with our placement I realized I should learn something about the school, it's location and our specific positions. After all, I hadn't even the slightest idea where Shandong Province was.

Let's get started.

LOCATION

I was relieved to discover that Shandong University of Science and Technology is located in a town I had heard a little about over the years: Qingdao. Many readers may be more familiar with the spelling that appears on green beer bottles around the world - "Tsingtao." As well as being China's beer capital, Qingdao is a major seaport and industrial center. Qingdao also has several beaches which are very popular among Chinese tourists. Perhaps most interestingly, Qingdao boasts a strong German influence, hence the beer, as the city was a German colony in the early 20th century.

Resting at the tip of Shandong Penninsula, Qingdao experiences slightly milder winters and slightly cooler summers than inland areas. August is the warmest month average highs of 28 C and January is the coldest month with 3 C average high temperatures. It is nice to know that it won't be as cold as Michigan or Colorado (probably).

Other facts:

• Etymology: "Qing" means green or lush and "dao" means island.
• Qingdao is not an island; hopefully it is lush.
• Qingdao is about 6 hours by high speed train to Beijing and about 10 hours to Shanghai.
• Qingdao was recently named the 9th most livable city in China by China Daily.
• Qingdao has a population of about 2.5 million in the urban area and 7.5 million in the greater Qingdao area.
  
• Qingdao is nicknamed "China's Switzerland" due to the European influence.

SCHOOL & JOB

About 38,000 students attend Shandong University of Science and Technology (SUST) spread between 3 campuses, the main being in Qingdao. The school mentions how it has 8 National Teachers of Excellence, 19 Provincial Teachers of Excellence, and is known for its strength in basic and applied research. The most telling sign of their excellence, however, is the animated .gif fireworks that explode over their logo on the front page of their website.

The top academic programs at SUST are Mining Engineering, Surveying and Mapping Science and Technology, Control Theory and Control Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, and Mechanical Design and Theory. This is particularly well suited for Megan and I as we are both experts in Mechatronc Engineering.

We will be teaching Oral English, Business English, and Literature to primarily 19-22 year old students.  We will teach 16 classroom hours a week and will also participate in the "English Corner" club.

According to the information we have, our on-campus apartment will have heating, air-conditioning, a kitchen with refrigerator, and internet access. Let's hope all that is true.

Also, SUST apparently has a pretty decent basketball team by Chinese collegiate standards.

PHOTOS OF MEGAN'S VISIT TO QINGDAO - FEB. 2007

(Scott Greene & Heather Wigmore also featured)

Posing by the sculpture "May Breeze" near the coast.

Outside the Tsingtao Brewery

After a hike up Mt. Laoshan outside Qingdao

By the beach.