On the afternoon of July 1, the NCWU-UTS Youth Forum VIII & Chinese Bridge Summer Camp Closing Ceremony was successfully held at the Longzihu Campus. This ceremony was attended by Dean Li Shengji and Vice Dean Zhou Yantao of the School of International Education, the incoming Chinese Dean Han Fule and Malaysian Dean Huang Shengxin of NCWU Confucius Institute, and all the summer camp participants.

Before the ceremony started, Li Shengji delivered a presentation titled “Henan, Our Roots” to the camp participants. He elaborated historical origins and contemporary expressions of Central Plain Culture systematically and vividly from six aspects: origins of Chinese civilization, continuity of traditional thoughts, cultural symbols, intangible cultural heritages, geographical products, and times transformation, enabling the participants to deeply appreciate the breadth and profoundness of Central Plain Culture.

At the NCWU-UTS Youth Forum, 9 students from both universities, including Jun Kai and Fa La from University of Technology Sarawak, Malaysia, and Wang Zhuxuan and Ma Yingkai from NCWU, delivered speeches and engaged in discussions themed on “Hometown” and “Career Planning”. With a warm atmosphere, this forum, as the first offline exchange since 2021, enhanced the mutual understanding and narrowed the gap between young students.  

At the closing ceremony, Han Fule reviewed the activities during this summer camp. She noted that from oracle bone script calligraphy to Shaolin Kung Fu, from the Yellow River Museum to Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Project, from broad and profound Central Plain Culture to modern changing Henan, this camp provided an opportunity to explore the Central Plain Culture. She believed that this journey would be a valuable experience for all the participants.

Huang Shengxin expressed sincere gratitude to the thoughtful arrangement made by NCWU, and noted that the camp participants improved their Chinese language proficiency significantly, enhanced their understanding and appreciation for the cultures of the Central Plain and Yellow River, and were highly rewarded during this journey.

Zheng Zhenxiong, a participant from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, noted that he was grateful to NCWU and all the teachers for their hard work, which provided them a fulfilling and unforgettable experience, and after returning home, he would tell his friends that NCWU is a good choice for studying Chinese and water conservancy in China.

At the end of the ceremony, Han Fule presented certificates of honor to Chinese and international students who attended the Youth Forum, and Zhou Yantao presented certificates of completion for the summer international program to the camp participants.

With the conclusion of the closing ceremony, the 8-day “Encounter the Yellow River, Appreciate the Central Plain Culture” Chinese Bridge Summer Camp finished successfully. In the future, NCWU will continuously sum up experience and enhance quality, striving to create more high-quality international exchange programs.