A cultural exchange event was launched virtually marking the very first session of Dandelion Program-Cultural Exchange Series was initiated successfully on 30th December 2021. The first session of the cultural exchange series was scheduled to launch during the second part of the TUNEM’s 2022 New Year Gathering where participating students shared the opportunity to experience the amusement of cultural exchange in the midst of distance learning despite the impact of pandemic. The first sharing session of the cultural exchange series was entitled “How Do You Celebrate the First Day of a New Year or Important Festivals in Your Country?” aligned with the impending festivals worldwide.
The session was held by a Malaysian freshman, Leong Zheng Hao, and had gathered the orators virtually to share about their celebrations of festivals in their motherlands and in China. Oforiwaa Priscilla Obeng, a postgraduate student in DEP talked about her memorable and joyous experience while studying in China and was enthralled by the grand celebration of Chinese New Year in China.
Leong Zheng Hao (left) holding the sharing session by inviting the first speaker, Oforiwaa Priscilla Obeng (right).
Besides, Shamekh Abdel Salam Mohammad Alshboul, a freshman of TUNEM 2021 from the Hashemite of Jordan, had exposed the attendees to the aesthetic culture of the ethnic while sharing the traditional customs for celebrating new year in his motherland. A freshman of TUNEM 2021 who is from the Republic of Ghana, Knollis Delle, described the multiculturalism in Ghana where people with multiple religions pray peacefully on the first day of new year and share meals within the community.
Shamekh (fifth from above) sharing the traditional new year customs in the Hashemite of Jordan.
Knollis (fifth from above) showing the usuals of Ghanian during celebration of new year.
Junyi Chen, a Chinese graduate student of DEP was invited to introduce about the colorful festivals in China. The Spring Festival is the grandest celebration in China where Chinese hold various types of celebrations with rich of regional characteristics all over the country, said Junyi Chen. Also, the Tomb Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival are all important festivals in China for them to embrace the traditional integrity inherited from the ancestors.
Junyi Chen introducing the international students about the important festivals in China.
There will be 17 events more to hold in succession. By organizing the cultural exchange event, we wish to enhance mutual understanding between different countries and cultures worldwide and eventually to develop global competencies of all the TUNEM students.
About Dandelion Program
The Dandelion Program is a financial grant program established by Tsinghua University to ease the difficulties and fiscal distress of international students outside China who in need by encouraging applicants to provide voluntary assistances and services, and TUNEM will provide them the subsidy.
