In order to strengthen the educational exchanges between China and Japan, a 15-member delegation from Iwate Prefecture, Japan, visited DUT from September 8 to 10. This was one of the "China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year" activities commissioned by the China Education Association for International Exchanges (CAEIE). Seventeen student representatives, DUT Arts Club and members from the other student clubs joined the Japanese teachers and students in a series of colorful cultural exchange activities, including lectures, Sino-Japanese traditional cultural exchanges, and club events, etc.
On September 8, the welcome ceremony of the Dalian University of Technology-Iwate Prefecture college student delegation to China was successfully held. The welcome ceremony opened with a show of traditional Chinese and Japanese arts and culture. The students of DUT Art Club demonstrated the inheritance of the beauty of Chinese traditional culture to Japanese teachers and students through Chinese folk musical instrument performances, Peking opera performances, and folk dances. Japanese students also told the story of "Miyazawa Kenji’s Hometown---Hanamaki City" to exhibit Japanese literature and culture. Finally, a DUT student who had studied in the Iwate University and his friend, one of the visiting group members, performed a guitar duet together, which manifests the preciousness of the continuation of the friendship of classmates. The welcome ceremony was hosted by Qu Yuan, a teacher from International Office of DUT.
Professor Cong Fengyu, director of the International Office of DUT, delivered a speech at the welcome ceremony. He welcomed the visiting delegation and pointed out that the friendly exchanges between Chinese and Japanese youth were of great significance to the mutual development of China and Japan. In addition, he hoped that the Chinese and Japanese university students would take this opportunity to enhance mutual trust and understanding, and to serve as the inheritors of traditional Chinese and Japanese culture, as well as practitioners of friendly exchanges between China and Japan. Cui Sujing, a teacher from Fuji University and the representative of the visiting delegation, expressed that it is hoped that Chinese and Japanese students will learn from each other objectively on the basis of real exchanges and recognition of cultural differences between the two sides. Luo Jiang, a teacher from CAEIE, expressed the hope that through this event, the visiting students would have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, enhance their friendship with the Chinese, and make positive contributions to a better tomorrow for the two countries.
On the morning of September 9, the visiting delegation conducted in-depth academic exchanges with relevant departments and experienced the scientific research atmosphere of Chinese universities so as to have an overall understanding of the actual situation of university students' study and research in China. Takachi Ishida from the School of Foreign Languages gave students a lecture on "Cross-Cultural Understanding in the Era of Globalization", and the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship demonstrated to the teachers and students of the delegation the innovation and entrepreneurship and practice of DUT on-campus students in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics. Afterwards, the visiting delegation visited the State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals and the library of DUT.
In order to further enhance the mutual understanding of traditional Chinese and Japanese cultures and university culture exchanges, on the afternoon of September 9, the visiting delegation had an experience course of traditional Chinese culture---Chinese paper-cutting and Chinese calligraphy. With the support of the DUT Communist Youth League Committee of, DUT students from the Peking Opera Club, Sanshou Club and Taekwondo Club had an exchange with the teachers and students of the visiting group. The Chinese and Japanese students tried on the costumes and had demonstrations, experiencing the rich club life of Chinese universities.
On September 10, the visiting delegation successfully concluded their trip to Dalian. This exchange has deepened the mutual understanding of college students from both sides, and it's hoped to inject more vitality and positive energy into the Sino-Japanese friendship in the future.
