This year, twelve Slovenian students responded to the invitation, five of them from UP, two from UP FHŠ and three from UP FAMNIT. In Beijing, the Slovenian students were joined by a group of ten students from the Slovak Komenius University in Bratislava. The Slovenian students were guided by Sinologist Anja Ahčin from KUK UP.
The trip started with a visit to Beijing, where the students experienced the rich cultural heritage and the modern pulse of the Chinese capital, spending two days visiting historical sites such as the Great Wall of China or strolling through Beijing’s modern avenues and shopping malls.
They then took a high-speed train to the coastal city of Qingdao, where they spent a week. As well as exploring natural sights such as the Laoshan Mountains with its many Buddhist and Taoist temples, they also visited the Zhan Qiao Temple by the sea.
At the same time, they had the opportunity to improve their Chinese language skills every morning between 8.30 and 11.30 as part of the regular programme. The language course was an important part of their trip as it enabled them to better understand Chinese culture and develop their intercultural communication skills.
Qingdao also impressed the students with its cuisine, which is mainly based on seafood. They had the opportunity to taste a variety of dishes made from mussels, squid and snails, as well as Chinese jiaozi stuffed with sea urchin meat.
The last part of the trip was dedicated to Shanghai, where the students visited the headquarters of the technology giant Huawei, in addition to the Old Town and the famous Zhujiajiao water town. There they were warmly welcomed, shown the latest technological advances and given a fun simulator experience where they virtually visited the underwater world.
The summer school offered students an unforgettable experience by combining cultural, linguistic and culinary experiences. The programme not only deepened their understanding of Chinese culture and language, but also gave them an insight into cutting-edge technological innovations that will undoubtedly influence their future academic and professional careers.
