The closing ceremony for the 2025 UAE Students "Chinese Bridge" Spring Camp and the China-Arab Exchange Week was held at ZISU on April 20. Yao Min, Vice President and Member of the Party Committee, attended the event and delivered a speech. Matthias T. E. Leterme, Head of Student Services at the University of Dubai who is in charge of the Spring Camp, participated in the ceremony along with all the campers.
The Camp offers courses on Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, Traditional Culture Experience, China-Arab Youth Development, and AI-empowered Research. These courses have effectively strengthened the friendship between Chinese and Arab youth and promoted mutual learning between Chinese and Arab cultures.
Yao stated that the "Chinese Bridge" program, as a bridge connecting China and the world, has long played a unique role in promoting cultural exchange. He hoped that the campers, as ambassadors for China-Arab friendship, would invite more friends who love cultural diversity to China while bringing back to their home country what they have learned and experienced here. He looked forward to more practical and effective cooperation between China and Arab countries, as well as between ZISU and the University of Dubai, in areas such as foreign language talent cultivation, student innovation and entrepreneurship, e-commerce training and teacher education.
Yao and Leterme exchanged gifts on behalf of both sides. Leaders from the Arab Research Center also presented the Arabic versions ofThe Gems of Zhejiang Culture Through 10,000YearsandA Pictorial Guide to Tea Cultureto the University of Dubai. These books were compiled as part of theTranslation Series of Zhejiang Academic Cultural Studies.
Camper Hiba shared warm memories of her Chinese journey. She had strolled in the Deshou Palace to relish in its ancient history, enjoyed boating on the West Lake to appreciate the charming landscape, visited the Geely Group to experience the dynamic of modern enterprises, tasted Chinese cuisine and discussed Chinese culture with her Chinese peers. These experiences have become unforgettable memories of her trip to China.
Ji Yang, a student assistant from Grade 2021 of Arabic program and a member of the accompanying team, said that the project was not just a platform for language learning; it also enhanced cross-cultural communication skills. More importantly, it built a bridge that created strong emotional resonance between different cultures.
ZISU has designed a special commemorative envelope for this project. All attendees wrote messages on postcards styled after the commemorative envelope to mark the friendship they had forged.
Representatives from the Division of International Exchange and Cooperation, the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, and teachers and students from the School of Asian Languages and Cultures attended the event.
CN
