“As a Pakistani, I can learn different traditional cultures of the nations along ‘the Belt and Road’ and taste various special foods, which seem to make me walk at this road personally,” happily said NEFU international student Arif on July 9th, at the NEFU International Culture Festival.
Dean Qiao Fenghe from the School of International Education and Exchanges introduced the fact that the Ministry of Education had started the project of “the Belt and Road” scholarship in 2017. This project is an essential part of the Chinese Government Scholarship, which aims to provide nations along “the Belt and Road” with top talents through scholarship. NEFU was awarded the qualification to recruit students for this project, and there will be 20 overseas students who earn “the Belt and Road” scholarship studying at NEFU on September this year.
NEFU seeks to continuously serve the strategy of “the Belt and Road” initiative. Also, NEFU has already recruited 127 overseas students from 11 different nations along the Road. These students have not only learned Chinese culture from their majors, but have also shown their own cultures through the International Culture Festival of NEFU.
The festival had a Chinese Kongfu show, a traditional dance from Tanzania, and songs, dance and musical performances from Vietnam, Sultan, Burma and so on. Cultures from 35 nations displayed unique charm through this culture show.
At the 20 international cultural exhibition areas, hospitable overseas students not only showed special products, traditional clothing and paintings of their nations, but also made local cuisine. Therefore, visitors could experience the exotic cultures through sight, sound, and taste.
The Vice Dean from the School of International Education and Exchanges, Luo Ying, said “The aim of holding this activity is to make “the Belt and Road” deeply rooted in the hearts of students, so that both international and Chinese students can better learn cultures of nations along the road.
A Chinese student from the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Du Yujie, said “This is a totally international culture feast. Now, I find that ‘the Belt and Road’ is really close to us actually. And, the policy of ‘the Belt and Road’ will not only bring economic development, but also influence our lives.”
In NEFU, “the Belt and Road” truly influences many students’ lives. Angelina is a 21-year old girl from Russia, who is an exchange student studying here. She never thought that she could find love in a foreign country. In 2016, she fell in love with a handsome boy from Sudan named Mahmud. He happily said “the strategy of ‘the Belt and Road’ will provide two nations with more communication platforms. And, I study International Trade here to obtain a better opportunity to improve myself in the future. However, I have never thought that I may love somebody here.”
The establishment of the“Silk Road Economic Belt” and “the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road” provides the development of regional education’s great opening up, exchange and integration with an important turning point.
Giving impetus to the common prospective of education of “the Belt and Road” can meet the demands of cooperation with nations along the Road on education and carrying out the process of Chinese educational reform. President of NEFU and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Li Bin, said that NEFU was willing to extend cultural and educational exchanges, improve talent training and create a better future with other nations along the Road.
