On March 31, 2012, invited by the Caterpillar Inc. in Wuxi, Jiangsu, fifteen JI students led by Career Guide Councilor Candice Liu visited the company’s R&D Center . They were briefed by Mr. Ritch Larsen, the manager of the Engineering Talent Development, and offered an opportunity to observe the production process in one factory.
Caterpillar is the world’s top manufacturer of large construction equipment, and China is its number one market . Caterpillar has been investing in China for decades. The Wuxi R&D center first opened in December 2009, which currently has more than 500 engineers and support staff developing a variety of new products tailored to the demands of Caterpillar’s rapidly expanding customer base in China and other growing markets.
The UM-SJTU Joint Institute is the model of China’s higher education reform and has been cultivating innovative problem –solvers who will be future global leaders. Graduates in the fields of mechanical engineering and electrical and computer engineering have been employed by Fortune 500 companies such as Caterpillar and are highly appreciated.
JI ‘s Co-operation and Career Guidance Office has initiated internship opportunities with several multi-national companies and provides career placement counseling to students. Before this visit to Caterpillar, the office has organized regular visits to international and domestic companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Coca Cola, and Lenovo.
Besides visiting the big companies, JI often invites successful entrepreneurs from various industries to give seminars to expand students’ horizon and to prepare for a career path.
Instructor： Liu Yanji
