Chinese students at UC celebrate Lunar New Year

Earlier this month, people around the world rang in the 2019 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Pig. In places like China, businesses shut down for the celebration, sometimes for weeks at a time. Though the Lunar New Year may not have as much cultural significance in Ohio, for Chinese students at the University of Cincinnati, the holiday is still important.

On Feb. 9, UC administrators brought a slice of home to Chinese students enrolled in the university’s Joint Co-op Institute (JCI). JCI students and UC faculty and staff shared Lunar New Year stories and traditions over egg rolls, dumplings and other Chinese-inspired foods. The event provided an opportunity for JCI students to relax before academics and graduation preparation take over the second half of the semester.

In 2013, UC partnered with Chongqing University to form JCI. Mechanical and electrical engineering students from China study at Chongqing University for the first four years of their degree before taking their final year at UC.

More than 400 students are enrolled in JCI. About 50 of these students prepare to graduate in May. With knowledge gained at UC and Chongqing, along with professional experience from industry, these students are prepared for long and successful careers in engineering.  

Featured image at top: A student enrolled in UC's JCI program shares a photo of how he spends the Lunar New Year. Photo/Corrie Stookey/CEAS Marketing