Yang Mei yangmei_szdaily@163.com THE 2024 Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS) Global Summer School opened with a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday morning on its campus in Nanshan District, welcoming 110 exceptional students from 34 countries, representing 63 universities worldwide. Participants include representatives from Tsinghua SIGS’ partner universities such as the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and from members of the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), of which Tsinghua University is a member. In the afternoon session, students attended a Chinese culture lecture delivered by Zhang Yuantan, a Ph.D. student at Tsinghua SIGS, followed by a hands-on dough figurine-making workshop. Led by a local artist, students learned about the art form’s history and techniques, crafting panda-shaped figurines. Running through July 4, the Global Summer School program aims to expand participants’ global competence through cultural exchange and cross-cultural collaboration and to foster their innovation and entrepreneurship skills. Throughout the program, students will be able to delve into postgraduate education at Tsinghua SIGS while immersing themselves in Shenzhen’s innovative and entrepreneurial culture, as well as broader Chinese cultural experiences. The curriculum includes a range of activities such as lectures, workshops, hands-on projects, company visits (including Shokz and BGI), tours of Tsinghua SIGS’ research ship on the sea, and various cultural activities. These activities are designed to expose students to cutting-edge research and provide new insights into their fields of study. Collaborating with leading experts will help them develop practical skills that are invaluable for their future careers, said Tsinghua SIGS. Sara Rosic, a German graduate student from the University of Geneva in Switzerland, currently on exchange at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told Shenzhen Daily that she is very interested in Chinese culture, economy and politics. She said Shenzhen’s rapid transformation from a small fishing village to a global metropolis is what partly motivated her to join the program. Janice Putri Haryanto, from the Universitas Indonesia, plans to pursue her master’s degree in China and shares a passion for Chinese culture and language, having begun learning Chinese in kindergarten. “Tsinghua is the top university in China, so I couldn’t miss this opportunity. It’s a great stepping stone for my future studies,” said Haryanto. Having visited Shenzhen for the first time at 9 years old, Haryanto is eager to see the city’s tremendous transformation firsthand. She believes the program will benefit her in three ways: building connections with international students, deepening her understanding of Chinese culture, and learning how to adapt if she pursues a master’s degree in China. | 