On the afternoon of May 9th, the 19th International Cultural Festival themed "Co-creating the Future in Our Hearts" held a special volunteer event where international students from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) visited its affiliated elementary school. Over 40 international student volunteers from more than 10 countries came to the school, hand-in-hand with nearly 120 children, to envision their future together.
After brief interactions, the international students and children were grouped together. They collaborated on illustrating their visions of the future on scrollsor white T-shirts, focusing on "cultural exchange" and "creative crafts." Throughout the process, the international students and children communicated and cooperated, holding hands to strengthen their emotional bonds. Li Yingzhi from Peru, one of the volunteers, said, "I'm thrilled to co-create the future with these adorable children. Interacting with them has given me deeper insights into the lives and studies of Chinese children."
During the opening ceremony of this International Cultural Festival, the International Cultural Exchange School formally launched the "Tell China's Stories Well" project led by its Party Committee. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, this volunteer service event serves as the inaugural activity of the "Volunteer China" foreign student volunteer plan within the "Tell China's Stories Well" project. The aim is to guide international students to understand China in various ways and to deepen their understanding of General Secretary Xi Jinping's diplomatic thoughts. Vira from Kazakhstan stated, "This volunteer activity allowed me to have a cultural exchange with the children. I shared with them the dreams of children in Kazakhstan, and they depicted the future as seen by Chinese children. This experience made me realize that despite our different cultures, we all hope for a peaceful and beautiful tomorrow."
Chen Lingkai, from the United Kingdom and in charge of the event, said, "After yesterday's food carnival, I'm delighted that SUFE's international students were able to engage with students from its affiliated elementary school once again through this volunteer event. Throughout the activity, whether it's the children or us, the international students, everyone was very friendly. The fact that different cultures could blend and interact on such an occasion moved me deeply."
The school's party leaders Wu Yanbei, Chang Jie, and Wang Shanshan, along with Yang Hong, Deputy Dean of the International Cultural Exchange School, jointly attended the event.
From | SUFE-ICES
