On 27 October, the 2026 Autumn Semester Chinese and International Student Exchange Meeting, themed "Shoulder to Shoulder in Our Times, Together Across the Four Seas", was held at the Vitality Island on the seventh floor of the University Library. The event was hosted by the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation and co-organised by the Hailian Student Society and the International Students' Association. Chinese and international students gathered together to deepen mutual understanding and draw closer to one another through cultural sharing and interactive exchange, and to experience the multicultural atmosphere of the campus.
The meeting comprised two segments, "Cultural Sharing by Chinese and International Youth" and "Fun Games and Interaction", offering students a relaxed and open platform for exchange through personal accounts, cultural presentations and team activities.
Sharing by Chinese and International Youth: Discovering One Another Through Cultural Difference
In the cultural sharing session, Mao Simiao, a student of the University, began with China's eight great cuisines and their signature dishes, introducing the culinary characteristics of different regions and, invoking the saying that "the land and its waters shape its people", explaining the regional culture and ways of life that lie behind food. Chen Mengmeng then presented "A Survival Guide to WeChat", using an interactive quiz to explain what commonly used emoji and stickers mean in different social contexts, and guiding international students through the digital social conventions of young people in China.
Three inter-university exchange students from different countries then told the stories of their home countries and their home universities.
Christian Tode from Germany began with urban culture, comparing his home city of Mainz with Shanghai and introducing study and campus life at the University of Marburg. Alissa Rose Hotz from Australia shared stories of Sydney, Western Sydney University, and Australia's emblematic outdoor barbecue culture and sporting life. Charlotte Sophie Madeleine Paijens from the Netherlands spoke about cycling culture, distinctive food and the character of Rotterdam, and shared what she has seen and felt while studying and living in Shanghai and at SUFE.
Stories from different countries, different cities and different campuses converged in the room. Through these concrete and vivid accounts, students saw, in a relaxed setting, the differences between their cultures, and also discovered the shared experiences of life and the emotional resonances that connect them.
Fun and Games: Coming Closer Through Cooperation
After the cultural sharing, the meeting moved on to the fun games and interaction segment.
A series of games unfolded in turn, including "Draw and Guess", "Two Truths and a Lie", pitch-pot, relay Gomoku and "Pass the Bomb". Chinese and international students formed randomly mixed teams and quickly became acquainted through collaboration, guessing and friendly competition.
From first meeting one another to gradually working in unspoken accord, language ceased to be a barrier to communication. Round after round of high-fives and waves of laughter brought students from different cultural backgrounds closer together through natural interaction, and moved the exchange from "getting to know one another" towards "becoming part of one another's lives".
Towards the close of the event, Chinese and international students shared their impressions, and the meeting concluded on a high note with conversation and a group photograph. Through face-to-face accounts and interaction, Chinese students were able to see a more diverse world through the eyes of international students, while international students came to understand China more deeply and to experience SUFE through the concrete details of campus life and the company of their peers. Going forward, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics will continue to build platforms for exchange and interaction between Chinese and international students, enrich the forms of international cultural exchange on campus, and enable young people from different cultural backgrounds to broaden their horizons and deepen mutual understanding as they meet, come to know one another and work together.
