Education of International Students in SIS Witnesses More Innovation during Pandemic
In 2020, COVID-19 posed new challenges to education as it swept across the world and international students were unable to return to Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) as scheduled. In the fall semester, there were 23 fresh students of the “Belt and Road” undergraduate scholarship program and 15 international students of undergraduate and graduate degree-granting programs in the School of International Studies (SIS). Facing the pandemic, SIS leaders paid great attention and the teaching staff worked tirelessly to tackle difficulties so that innovative breakthroughs were made in the education of international students.
Working Hand in Hand and Extending Warm Care
Centering for the principle of “studying at SYSU and pursuing excellence”, SIS overcame difficulties despite the fact that international students lived all over the world. It arranged online courses for international students to ensure that students of degree-granting programs can study without disruption and Chinese Language students of the Belt and Road Scholarship Program can achieve steady progress in Chinese learning. Before this semester, SIS mobilized the teaching staff to formulate teaching management systems, making early preparation for the smooth implementation of teaching work. SIS also kept pace with the times and took action according to local conditions. It performed remote education through online conference platforms, making knowledge available across borders and time zones and preventing education from negative impact of the pandemic.
At the navigation meeting of international students, SIS leaders introduced the professional cultivation goal of SYSU to the students, which is “nurturing students who have both ability and moral integrity, able to cultivate charisma and eager to serve their country”. They also introduced the education characteristics of SIS, which are “humanities, bilingual proficiency and global perspective”. Thanks to the meeting, students’ confidence in studying at SYSU became stronger. In addition, SIS regularly organized online sessions for the leaders to talk with international students. Last year, at the Winter Solstice Festival, which fell on December 21st, three representatives of the teaching staff extended warm greetings to these students, including Huang Aicheng, Deputy Party Secretary of SIS, Ye Weiyin, the instructor, and Lizhuo, the manager of Chinese Language Program. They also encouraged international students to tackle difficulties and challenges posed by the pandemic bravely, focus on self-improvement and take care of themselves, especially protecting themselves from COVID-19.
Though international students could only communicate with teachers through online platforms, they all felt the charm of SYSU, including its strong historical and humanistic atmosphere, its academic atmosphere of “seeking the truth and being pragmatic” and its education philosophy of openness and inclusiveness. All of the students looked forward to their future studies and lives in SYSU.
Achieving Integration of Classrooms through Chinese Tutoring
SIS International Student Association (ISA) launched an online Chinese tutoring program in the autumn semester. In this program, ISA members served as tutors, providing after-class Chinese tutoring services for international students through online conferences and interaction. They not only helped these students learn Chinese and make preparations for HSK, but also expanded students’ knowledge by introducing Chinese traditional culture and customs. ISA strictly controlled the content and schedule of Chinese tutoring, as it collected the tutoring records of tutors each month to make systematic periodical reviews. In this way, they identified and solved problems in a timely manner to promote the smooth implementation of the program, having achieved an effective integration of traditional and second classrooms.
Building the Bridge of Culture with People-to-People Bonds
Being committed to promoting exchanges between China and the rest of the world, ISA hosted a wide range of cultural activities to tell international students “Stories of China”. At the outbreak of the pandemic, ISA applied Internet technologies to these activities innovatively, achieving the integration of online and offline resources.
Breaking the Ice with “Translation” and Shortening the Distance
“Cloud Ice-breaking Activity” is a new way for Chinese and international students to meet and know each other. In spite of the long distance between the students, they could still feel the passion of others, because they have numerous topics to talk about and much happiness to enjoy in the communication. The activity was well received by the participants and came to a perfect end, and the new form also gave birth to fresh ideas for hosting activities.
Reciting Classics and Inheriting Calligraphy and Painting
The poetry recital event marked the beginning of activities held in the “Chinese Cultural Month”, and it attracted many international students to participate. In this event, the students completed audio or video recording with the guidance of teachers and ISA members, experiencing the charm of Chinese culture by reciting poems online, which transcended time and space and left a great impression on the students. The second event in the Month is “Experiencing Chinese Culture through Calligraphy and Paintings”. Both Chinese and international students wrote Chinese classical works and painted the Chinese landscape during the event, building a cultural bridge.
Beautiful Clothing, Ceremonious China
The Hanfu lecture titled “Beautiful Clothing, Ceremonious China” invited the Bronze Sparrow Hanfu Club from the SYSU South Campus to show international students the beauty of Hanfu in various ways, including playing the videos of ancient Chinese dances, introducing basic knowledge about Hanfu and Chinese rituals and traditions. Owing to the lecture, international students appreciated the “vivid beauty” of Hanfu and learned the rich cultural heritages of China, which promoted the friendly exchanges between Chinese and foreign students and the external communication of the Chinese culture.
Faced with the pandemic, SIS never ceased to care for international students. It conquered many difficulties to gradually improve the innovation of education of international students. An enduring faith will bring about outcomes someday. SIS hopes that the gloom of the pandemic can be dispelled and international students can come to China and SIS, their warm family as soon as possible. The school also hopes that these students can study hard and pursue their dreams in youth, so as to become ambassadors of friendship between China and other countries.
[Hanfu: It is also named Han clothing, being the traditional clothing for the Han Chinese ethnic group. And its styles differ according to various Chinese dynasties.]
