On June 1, the opening ceremony of the University of Bradford delegation was held at ZJSU. Cheng Yuanping, Deputy Director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, and Wu Luyan, Vice Dean of the College of International Education, attended and addressed the ceremony. Li Feng'an from the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, relevant faculty from the CIE, and all students from the University of Bradford attended the opening ceremony, marking the official start of a two-week program of Chinese language study, business study tours, and traditional Chinese cultural experiences.
Opening Remarks: Deepening Inter-University Cooperation and Building a Bridge for China-UK Youth Exchange
At the opening ceremony, Cheng Yuanping, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, first introduced ZJSU's history and overview to the British students. He noted that both universities boast long histories, and that this summer school is a landmark achievement in deepening practical cooperation between the two sides. Drawing on Hangzhou's regional advantages and ZJSU's strengths in business education, the program offers a systematic curriculum covering finance, cross-border e-commerce and traditional culture. He hoped the British students would cherish this rare in-person study-tour opportunity, look beyond textbooks and learn on the ground, immerse themselves in China's economic development and folk culture, break down cognitive barriers through exchange, and become young ambassadors for people-to-people friendship between China and the UK. Wu Luyan, Vice Dean of the CIE, encouraged the British students to master the language in Chinese classes, study China's practices in finance classes, and appreciate the roots of Chinese culture through calligraphy, painting, kung fu and tea ceremony; she also hoped they would visit the China National Tea Museum and the Fund Town to connect closely with local industries. She looked forward to the students communicating actively, experiencing eagerly, gaining knowledge and friendship through the study tour, and bringing what they see and hear back to Britain to tell vivid, true Chinese stories to relatives and friends. The university, she added, would provide full logistical support throughout to ensure their studies and life in Hangzhou go smoothly.
A Tailored Study-Tour Agenda Where Academia and Culture Meet
The summer school offers a rich, well-rounded curriculum. Beyond foundational Chinese courses, it features special courses such as “Macroeconomic Finance: Insights from China,” “Cross-border E-commerce and Platform Operations,” “Experience China,” and “Chinese Philosophy.” It also includes hands-on traditional Chinese culture courses—calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, and kung fu—giving students up-close access to intangible cultural heritage and national treasures. Outside the classroom, there are field visits to sites such as the China National Tea Museum. These immersive cultural experiences will help the British students appreciate, in full and in depth, the profound richness of Chinese civilization.
Setting Out on a Distinctive Study Tour of China with High Expectations
After the opening ceremony, Zhang Yuanxun, a teacher from the CIE, led the British students on a tour of the campus and the University History Museum. As they strolled the campus, they familiarized themselves with the surroundings. The students from the University of Bradford shared their eager anticipation: finally in Hangzhou for on-site study tours, they were keen to learn about China's distinctive business knowledge, while also looking forward to practicing brush calligraphy, learning kung fu, and savoring tea, hoping to deeply experience the landscapes and customs of the Jiangnan region and Chinese culture over the two weeks.
The successful launch of this cooperative summer school with the University of Bradford marks deeper, well-grounded cooperation between the two universities. Going forward, ZJSU will continue to consolidate its partnership with the University of Bradford, expand cooperation in such forms as short-term study tours, degree exchange, and joint research, and keep building regular platforms for youth exchange between China and the world—using education as a bond to promote mutual learning between Chinese and UK civilizations and friendship between their young people.
