In order to advance the internationalization of our school, further broaden the international horizons of students, promote international exchanges and cooperation and cultivate international talents, Xi’an University of Science and Technology sent a delegation of ten students to the UK for one-half month of study at world-renowned university the University of Cambridge. The delegation departed from Guangzhou on January 21 Beijing time. The students who participated in the study tour at the University of Cambridge were all outstanding students selected from across the school and their participation in the winter vacation study tour program was funded by the school. The winter vacation study tour was the first student exchange program organized under the guidance of the Measures of Xi’an University of Science and Technology for the Management of Student Exchanges and the Measures of Xi’an University of Science and Technology for the Funding of Student Exchanges. During the preparatory work, teachers at the Office of International Affairs actively helped the students apply for a visa and determine the itinerary.
During their studies in London, the students studied together with students from more than 40 countries around the world in the same classroom, where rich and varied forms of learning occurred, including tutoring, group discussions, personal presentation, etc. Every day they found learning fulfilling and exciting. Through a variety of themed learning activities, they showed to foreign friends the long cultural history of the Chinese nation and also learned about the different cultures of different nations.
The students also spent the afternoon sightseeing and left their footprint in many places at the University of Cambridge. They boated on the River Cam to enjoy the beauty of Trinity College and King’s College; they stood on the bridge to apprehend the state of mind of Xu Zhimo at that time. The toured the Ely Cathedral which was built in the seventh century AD to have a taste of the magnificence and splendor of Christian buildings and touch the profound history.
The students also visited the Cavendish Laboratory which has produced 29 Nobel Laureates, toured the Cambridge Science Park which is home to companies and institutions such as the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Babraham Institute, the Wellcome Trust, the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and Huawei and conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions. They visited Greene King, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favorite brewery during his UK visit. They felt the ambiance of Cambridge and acquainted themselves with different regional cultures.
The exchange coincided with the Chinese Lunar New Year. The University of Cambridge organized a variety of activities and students from all over the world made dumplings and watched the Spring Festival Gala together. The University of Cambridge organized a celebration of the 45th Anniversary of China-UK Full Diplomatic Relations and the 2017 Pan-UK Spring Festival Gala, allowing the students to build a strong friendship with outstanding students from around the world.
Student Xiong Shiyu from the English Language Department of the College of Humanities and Foreign Languages received the approbation of Mr. Patrick Horsley, a former FCO diplomat, who granted him a handwritten letter of recommendation.
During the nearly one-half month period of study, the students felt the incomparable charm of the British culture and Western philosophy of education, greatly improving their oral English. More importantly, they harvested the deep friendships of students from different countries and host families. Taking leave of Cambridge again, gently waving my sleeve, I am not taking away a single cloud. Our school will carry out the program again during the summer vacation. The school hopes that more students will participate in student exchange programs and through such programs, students can broaden their horizons to become outstanding students with a global mindset.
