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Joint undergraduate and master's simulation international conference held at Chang'an campus, NWU

Created Time：2024-07-02 Hit：

On the morning of June 29th, Northwest University's undergraduate and master's students convened for a joint simulation international conference on the theme of “Chinese Wisdom and the Construction of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind”. The event took place at the Foreign Language Classroom II on the Chang'an Campus, and attracted nearly two hundred participants from twenty departments across the university. Organized meticulously by Professor Gao Shuling and Professor Gao Minna from the School of Foreign Languages, the conference was inaugurated with opening remarks by Vice Dean Li Mi.

This conference, now in its 11th edition for graduate students and 2nd for undergraduates, represents an innovative initiative by the International Conference English Course Team of the School of Foreign Languages. It aims to enhance the internationalization of both graduate and undergraduate students at Northwest University through a blended English teaching approach. The event fostered a project-based learning environment where graduate students mentored undergraduates, enriching their global awareness and improving their cross-cultural communication skills.

The conference highlighted three main features. Highlight One is the “joint participation of both undergraduate and graduate students”. They discussed together the significance of Chinese wisdom and the Chinese approach in building a community with a shared future for humanity. Highlight Two is the “wide range of topics”. Students, drawing on their own professional backgrounds, explored China's contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity through various lenses, including climate change, warfare and military conflicts, global health challenges, poverty, healthcare, educational equity, aging populations, law and justice. Highlight three is "diverse student participation". Students engaged in various forms such as conference organization, poster design, session moderation, keynote speeches, presentation of papers in parallel sessions, exhibition displays, virtual attendance via video, onsite assistance, and informal networking. All of these activities have provided students with a comprehensive experience across all facets of an international conference. Participants described the conference as a transformative learning experience, and emphasized the importance of English proficiency in communicating Chinese perspectives globally and contributing solutions to global challenges. They expressed eagerness for more students to engage in future simulation international conferences.

This event marks a significant step in Northwest University's efforts to innovate graduate and undergraduate education. In the future, the university plans to continue hosting joint simulation international conferences over the next five years, so as to promote comprehensive international exchange experiences for all students.