On June 22nd, three international students visiting from the University of La Rochelle in La Rochelle France, will present their research presentations based on their summer work here at the College of Charleston.
Jia Jun Chai, Maël Gaonach, and Meven Turmel, arrived on April 8 to begin their respective 12-week study abroad programs here and will fly out on June 24. All three are seniors.
Maël, whose undergraduate focus is in embedded computing, has been working with Dr. Jim Bowring on Squid software as part of the CIRDLES.org research while Meven, whose undergraduate focus is in software engineering, has been working in the Cyber Security lab with Professor X. Chai, whose experience includes software and web development, has been working with Dr. William Bares.
When not working on their research projects, the La Rocelle students have enjoyed making friends in Charleston as well as with other international students who are visiting CofC this summer. “People are very friendly here, and warm and welcoming” Meven said when asked what he likes about Charleston, adding “we are not alone here.”
Left to right: Jim Bowring, Maël Gaonach, and Meven Turmel, at a River Dogs game.
The students attended a Charleston River Dogs game on May 2, giving them a first-hand experience of an American baseball game. When not in their labs, they have also enjoyed seeing movies, exploring downtown, and eating American southern cuisine.
La Rochelle, founded in 1993, is France’s newest university offering innovative courses in business law and the Asian-Pacific world and, in 2000, boasted an enrollment of 6000 students. Its goal is to become one of the best independent schools in France and Europe.
The College of Charleston and La Rochelle have a long-standing partnership, allowing students multiple opportunities for study abroad programs at one another’s institutions.