From April 26 to 27, the 16th SDU International Culture Festival was held on the central campus of Shandong University comprised of three Cultural activities, the International Students "The Belt and Road" Cultural Forum, the International Cultural Exhibition and the Culture Festival Evening Party, which all embodying the theme "Culture".

Thousands of people participated in all these three activities including international students from more than 130 countries, teachers and students of Shandong University, special invited guests, representatives from peer universities and consular officers from related countries.

On April 26, the International Students "The Belt and Road" Cultural Forum was held by the SDU International Students "The Belt and Road" Academic and Organizing Committee and co-sponsored by the Department of International Affairs, Shandong University in the Mingde Building of the central campus. Encompassing the overall theme "Culture", the forum focused on its specific theme of "Culture, the Heart of Connectivity". In essence, the forum aims to build an academic research platform for all international students to participate, build, and foster mutual understanding and cooperation through the continuous creation of cultural exchange and open dialogue through communication.

The forum hosted by SDU International Student Fatma Abdullatif extended a warm welcome to everyone in attendance, and then welcomed special guest speaker Professor Yang Luhui, director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studiesof Shandong University to give the opening speech. The professor marked by elegance addressed the forum by informing and reminding students of the significance of the "The Belt and Road" and encouraged students to endeavor to participate in the research of "The Belt and Road". Dahlia Patricia Sterling, president of the SDU International Student "The Belt and Road" Academic and Organizing Committee, like-wise addressed the forum with an opening speech.

International students from various different countries and university participated in the forum session, and as representatives of their study group, they had the opportunity to make strong technical and theoretical statements based on their topic of presentation. The study groups discussed different aspects of culture from many different avenues such as medicine, media, language, Confucianism, acculturation, etc, In the end, the importance and success of the future of "The Belt and Road" from the perspective of culture between China and the world was discussed thoroughly.

The International Cultural Exhibition was held on April 27, where international students from more than 100 countries set up 19 exhibition stands to represent the cultural aroma of their countries. Embraced by the delicious food and beautiful cultural accessories, thousands of visitors enjoyed themselves and took part in the activities actively with laughter and cheers.

On the evening of April 27, The 16th SDU International Culture Festival Evening Party was held. Co-hosted by the Department of International Affairs and Shandong University Committee of the Youth League, the evening party was themed "Young Dream: Connecting the World" with three chapters- "Encouraging the Youth”, “Listening to the World” and “Embracing the Dream”. Presided by five international students from five different countries, the party provided a visual feast in grandeur for more than 1,000 audiences with songs, dances, traditional Chinese operas, martial art, fashion shows, etc.

Essentially, the International Culture Festival of Shandong University has been held successfully for 16 years, becoming an annual event as well as a cultural feast for international students. As a platform, the festival provides opportunities for students to gain a better understanding of each other’s culture and learn from each other which embody the spirit of Shandong University of inclusiveness, openness and positiveness. Currently, more than 1,800 international students from over 130 countries and regions are studying in Shandong University, bringing unique charm and vitality to the campus.

Written by Syed Mohsin Ali

Edited by Xie Tingting

Source: view.sdu.edu.cn