East China Normal University hosted two international exchange events on Oct 19 — the 19th ECNU International Cultural Festival and the national finals of the 2nd International Chinese Language Education Case Competition for Postgraduates.

With the theme of mutual learning, the events provided platforms for cultural exchange and educational excellence, offering international students and faculty an immersive cross-cultural experience.

The culture festival also marked the 60th anniversary of international student education at ECNU and the development of international Chinese language education. Nearly 100 alumni from 28 countries returned to Shanghai to join the celebrations.

A highlight of the festivities was the mini expo of national customs, featuring 73 themed booths independently designed and decorated by students from their respective countries.

At the Thailand booth, students wore traditional saris and demonstrated incense-making techniques. The Nigeria booth displayed colorful wood carvings and handwoven tapestries, with students explaining the tribal cultural significance behind each piece in Chinese.

Organizers specially curated "culture passports" stamped with the university emblem, distributing over 1,200 copies throughout the day. Visitors were invited to participate in a  stamp collection activity, gathering distinctive stamps from each booth they visited.

At 7 pm, a themed cultural gala was held at the university gymnasium. Hosted jointly by Chinese and international students, the performance featured 18 acts spanning diverse artistic forms.

Huang Meixu, director of the International Education Center at ECNU, said that over the past six decades, the university has cultivated more than 20,000 international students from over 160 countries. The festival, now in its 19th edition, has grown from participation by just 10 countries to today's 73.

The event has grown beyond a campus cultural brand into a significant window for cross-cultural exchange within Shanghai and across China. ECNU also plans to introduce an online culture exhibition to allow overseas alumni and friends to share in this cultural celebration.

The 2nd International Chinese Language Education Case Competition for Postgraduate featured four distinctive tracks: Smart Chinese, Chinese Plus, Chinese Stories, and Overseas Localization. The competition attracted 854 teams comprising 3,433 teachers and students from 285 universities nationwide. Among them, 176 teams received awards, with 70 teams advancing to the national finals.

The competition covered diverse topics such as City Walk urban explorations, teaching methods using the "scattered perspective" technique of Chinese painting, and instructors' daily life vlogs, fully demonstrating the integration of Chinese language teaching with real-life contexts, traditional culture, and modern communication methods.

Source: Shanghai Observer