Organized by the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and supported by Social Sciences Administration Office, Cuiying Honors College, and the School of International Cultural Exchange, 2013 LZU International Summer Program was held from July 28 to August 24, in order to make more international students learn about China and LZU, as well as broaden the international vision of LZU students. There are 31 students from 13 partner institutions such as the University of Manitoba (Canada), Otaru University of Commerce (Japan), Gyeongbuk University (South Korea), University of Malaya (Malaysia), and Hong Kong Baptist university, and 9 LZU students attending the summer program.
The summer program offers 5 courses: Elementary Chinese Language, Intermediate Chinese Language, Modern China’s Economy and Society, Ethnic Groups in Northwest China, and Chinese Kungfu, taught by senior teachers from the relevant schools of LZU. Besides, the students visited Gansu Museum, the Yellow River Scenic Byway, and other typical scenic spots in Lanzhou city. During the summer program, they also did cultural exploration in Jiayuguan city, Dunhuang city and Gannan city respectively at weekends, where they climbed up to ancient city wall, visited the Dunhuang frescoes, the deserts near the Singing Sands Mountain and the Crescent Moon Lake, Sanke Grasslands, and Labuleng Temple in Xiahe county. Those beautiful natural scenery, folk landscape, and historical cultural background reflecting the distinctive features of Northwest China, provides a good oppotunity for the students to experience Chinese culture in person, and promotes the communication among them. Through the whole summer program, they were altogether attending classes, learning Chinese Kongfu, singing songs, enjoying group-buying delicious foods online, setting up WeChat groups, and speaking in various languages mixed with English, Chinese, Korean, Malasian or Cantonese without any trouble in communication. Gradually, the students from different regions, different universities, and different culture, built up sincere friendship.
On August 23, the closing ceremony was held at LZU. The students made summary reports in 14 groups, reporting what they have experienced and learned during the summer program. They thanked LZU for offering such a precious oppotunity for communication and learning about Northwest China, and thought the LZU summer program was a meaningful place where they could learn many useful and distinctive knowledge. “Although the summer program has been ended, the communication and friendship won’t end up forever; I believe the LZU summer program must be better next year,” one student said.
