Hangzhou, China Project Center - IQP

Hangzhou is beautiful, ancient, modern--all at once. Located on China’s booming southeastern coast, it's the current capital of China’s richest province (Zhejiang) and one of China’s ancient imperial capitals. The city exemplifies China’s quest to become a modern economic power while retaining its historical and cultural identity. Hangzhou itself is a tourist destination for both Chinese and foreign travelers; students can wander around historical sections of the city that date to the Ming and Qing dynasties or explore West Lake, a Song dynasty imperial park that goes back nearly 1000 years! Or they ride one of the world's best (if not the best) subway systems to explore areas devoted to high-tech research and development. The Hangzhou Project Center started in 2014, and in 2019, we started using a mixed-team model, with WPI students working alongside students from our university partner, Hangzhou Dianzi University (HDU), making for a truly international and collaborative project experience. The Hangzhou Center has included projects on smart cities, entrepreneurship, education, and biotech (among other topics); many sponsors are start ups. Students stay on the HDU campus in the Xiasha District of the city, east of downtown Hangzhou.