To expand students’ international horizons and improve their cross-cultural communication skills, City University of Macau recently held an international student and exchange student exchange meeting for the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year at the Taipa campus. The event invited exchange students from Anglia Ruskin University, Hainan University, Beijing Second Foreign Languages University and other universities at home and abroad to exchange and share their learning experiences with City University students who are about to exchange at domestic and foreign universities.
The word “university” is derived from the Latin word “universitas,” meaning “convergence,” symbolizing the blending of knowledge and people, said Wu Cheng, director of Office of Global Affairs. The university is not only a place for academic research, but also a platform for cultural exchange and collision of ideas, and exchange learning is an important way to realize this concept - allowing students to step out of the classroom, experience multiculturalism firsthand, and cultivate a global perspective. He encouraged students to take advantage of Macau’s advantages as a place where Chinese and Western cultures converge to actively participate in cultural exchanges and academic cooperation, laying the foundation for cross-cultural competencies for future adaptation to diverse workplaces.
The students said that Macau’s multicultural environment has created unique learning conditions for them, helping them to have access to a diverse educational system and rich academic resources. During their study and life at City University, they not only broadened their international horizons, but also improved their cross-cultural exchange capabilities.
Exchange students from the UK shared their life and learning experiences in Macau, impressed them by the local friendliness and social etiquette, and expressed their hope to apply the teaching strategies they learned at City University to British educational practice. In addition, by actively participating in local cultural activities, they deeply felt the unique charm of Macau’s multiculturalism.
Pan Guohao, a student from Hainan University, said that City University has very rich academic resources, and this exchange of studies not only completed his personal goals, but also broadened his international horizons. Yang Xinyu, a student from Beijing Second Foreign Languages University, said that the study trip to City University is an expansion of knowledge.
Chen Zirui, who is about to exchange at Suzhou University, looks forward to improving his autonomy and independence through exchange learning; while He Yuxin, who is about to exchange at Tamkang University in Taiwan, hopes to gain an in-depth understanding of local culture and lifestyle and enrich his learning skills.
The exchange not only deepened the students’ understanding of multiculturalism, but also improved their cross-cultural communication skills and promoted cultural learning exchanges. In the future, CityU will continue to expand its cooperation network with universities at home and abroad to provide more diverse learning and exchange opportunities to help students become comprehensive talents with international competitiveness and cross-cultural communication skills.
