Nearly 100 international students from 45 countries attended the “Encounter SCODA, Beautiful Qingdao” event from June 24 to 30, exploring multiple facets of Qingdao, a beautiful coastal city in East China’s Shandong province.
As part of the “My Beautiful Encounter with China” series of activities, the social practice event was hosted by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Demonstration Zone Administrative Committee, and co-organized by the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade and Qingdao Preschool Education College. Its goal was to present to the international students the development achievements of Qingdao in various fields such as education, technology and culture.
Explore education in Qingdao
Stepping into Qingdao Preschool Education College, the international students were attracted by the carved seashell handicrafts, which were designed and created by the college’s School of Jewelry.
Moving through different classrooms in the college, visitors observed the staged processes of making exquisite jewelry handicrafts, from designing and sawing to filing, welding and polishing.
Lawrent Gordon Mairusya, a Tanzanian PhD student at Dalian Maritime University, was impressed by the students’ skills and the advanced precision instruments. Mairusya said his country should also adopt such a practical teaching style and high-tech instruments in vocational training.
Experience advanced technologies in Qingdao
Manjula Sirnath, a Sri Lankan PhD candidate who is doing research on robotics, thought the visit to the Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal (QQCT) of Qingdao Port was really exciting. Upon hearing that QQCT, Asia's first fully automated container terminal, can reduce over 80 percent of on-site staff, Sirnath said it was exactly what he aimed at as a robotics student.
QQCT is one of the world’s best in terms of automation and efficiency. Its operational efficiency was 30 percent more advanced than traditional terminals. This year, its average productivity reached 60.2 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per hour, setting a world record for the 10th time.
The high automation level and efficiency of the terminal is supported by advanced technologies such as 5G, internet of things and AI, which also has wide applications in daily life.
In the Chinese artificial intelligence company iFLYTEK, international students experienced a wide range of AI products, such as Spark Desk, an AI-driven large model, the Global Chinese Learning Platform and iFLYTEK Smart Translator.
Users can either speak to the smart translator or highlight text with it, and the translated version is instantly provided. Amazed by the speed of translation, the international students were eager to try their hands on the smart translator.
They also engaged in reading Chinese characters, words and essays, and speaking Chinese before a large screen, trying to get an AI-generated report on their Chinese language proficiency on the Global Chinese Learning Platform.
“I witnessed many advanced application of AI technology. It’s quite an exciting experience for me, because I have never visited such a kind of company before,” said Sirnath, the Sri Lankan PhD student.
Embrace diverse cultures in Qingdao
In the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) stands the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center. The center, with a 168,800-square-meter floor area, exhibits cultural elements from all the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
International students visited the center on June 25, wearing their respective traditional clothing to celebrate their own cultures.
“I wandered through the various exhibition areas, experiencing the collision and fusion of different cultures. It showcased China's efforts in promoting international exchange and cooperation," Dr. Nazmus Sakib, a Peking University PhD fellow from Bangladesh, said after visiting the center.
The international students were also exposed to Taoism in a visit to Laoshan Mountain, and learned about Qingdao’s tea and beer cultures. They also took the elevator to the 81st floor of Haitian Center, the tallest building in Qingdao, to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern city.
“The activity showcased the vibrant culture of Qingdao, displaying its economic dynamism and the scenic beauty. It enhanced mutual understanding and fostered close ties among the SCO members. It was a unique opportunity for cultural exchange and collaboration,” said Fahim Uddin, a Pakistani postgraduate student at Tsinghua University.
Li Xiaozhe, deputy director of the CSCSE, praised the vigor and dedication of the international students in China, encouraging them to share with the world the socio-economic development of the country, so as to enhance the world’s understanding of China.
Now in its seventh year, the annual “My Beautiful Encounter with China” series of activities aims to provide a social practice platform for international students, promote cultural exchanges among youths from different countries and contribute to the telling of China’s stories and the spread of the Chinese voice and development experience.
