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Canterbury University Students at Peking University
12/04/2018 - A Chinese Language and Culture Programme between Peking University and the University of Canterbury (UC) was successfully held in Beijing between November 17 and December 24, 2017 Thirteen UC undergraduate students from a variety of fields took part in the five week-programme held at Peking University in late-2017. This was the second year in a row that a group from UC has come to Beida and it again turned out to be highly successful. The length of the course and the number of places were increased from the previous year with the programme proving extremely popular. More than 100 applications were received and full Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia funding (PMSA) was awarded to successful applicants.
UC Students Are Welcome at the West Gate of Peking University
In addition to undertaking Chinese language and culture classes, the students once again visited iconic locations including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, as well as participating in recreational activities such as Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy classes. They also participated in the New Zealand Centre’s New Zealand History and Culture course and conducted research as part of a project for two Christchurch-based organisations, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum and Christchurch NZ. The students worked in two groups to undertake projects related to how to increase migration to the Canterbury region, both for study and work. One of the groups presented their final report to the Mayor of Ashburton and other representatives from the Canterbury Mayoral Forum. The report was extremely well received and all parties, including the Mayor of Christchurch, have agreed to be involved in future programmes. The programme succeeded in providing participating students with the opportunity to learn and grow in many ways, including becoming more globally aware and culturally competent, key objectives of the programme and the University of Canterbury more broadly. As an important event of the group, New Zealand Centre at Peking University arranged the UC students to visitNew Zealand Embassy in Beijing. His Excellency Ambassador John McKinnon and his colleagues welcomed the group and had a meeting.
His Excellency Ambassador John McKinnon Meeting the UC Students
Dr Stephen Hardman, the academic lead on the programme, made the following observation: “The programme far exceeded our expectations in challenging the students’ perceptions of cultural differences and enabled them to think critically and creatively about the depths and complexities of cultural identities and how they relate to international connections.”
UC Students at the Unnamed Lake on Campus
UC would like to extend a thank you to the New Zealand Centre and the wider Peking University community for their hospitality. We look forward to continuing to work together in the future and further building the already strong relationship between our two universities. |
