On the afternoon of March 14, 23 international students from SCO countries at UPC visited the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone and carried out in-depth experience activities. The event was jointly organized by the Exit-Entry Administration of Qingdao Public Security Bureau and the SCO Demonstration Zone, and co-organized by our university and Qingdao University, aiming to to help our international students better enter and integrate into Qingdao by experiencing the prospect of high-level opening and development of the SCO Demonstration Zone from a close distance, and by appreciating the excellent traditional Chinese culture.

In Qingdao - Pearl of SCO International Expo Center, international students learned about theinitial process of SCO Demonstration Zone through economic and trade cases, combined with digital light and shadow, and shared the cooperation results of economic and trade exchanges among SCO countries, as well as immersed themselves in the real-life experience of life style, special elements and country gardens in the display area of cultural elements of the SCO countries, such as Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and so on.

In the Confucius Six Arts Cultural Park, international students visited the Confucius Academy, the Black Pottery Art Museum, the Shaohai Art Museum, and the Jiaozhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, etc., to read about the civilization of Sanlihe and feel the colorful charm of Chinese traditional culture. The students learned to do the ritual of paying respect to the master in front of the statue of Confucius. In the Confucius Academy, they experienced Chinese calligraphy on the spot, and some of the international students wrote their Chinese names on the spot and took the images on their cell phones to share them with their families. The students also went into the black pottery workshop to witness the process of craftsmanship and marveled at the greatness of art production.

Through this activity, the international students deepened their understanding of the demonstration zone and experienced the positive significance of cultural inheritance and integration. As Mr. Mayun, a foreign student from Afghanistan, said, "The first thing is that I feel very good, and I am impressed by the richness of the contents, including education, culture and medical care,etc. In particular, in the "Pearl of SCO", I saw the results of the SCO countries and national pavilions, experience the Chinese tradition of Confucius, ceramics, tea, traditional Chinese medicine and other cultures of the profound, feel China and the world's integration and development, the creation of a community of human destiny in practice. As an international student, I am fortunate and grateful to witness the platform and opportunities that the SCO Demonstration Zone has provided to us. During my study abroad, I witnessed the benefits brought to the world, especially the Belt and Road and SCO countries, in the process of China's opening up and development. I hope that I can make further efforts and dedicate my talent."

Darya, a Russian international student of intercollegiate exchange who participated in the event, said, "I am very happy to participate in this event and have abetter understanding of Chinese culture, and my classmates are also very excited to broaden their horizons and witness the rapid development of China in an effort to help with future exchanges."

In the next step,we will further combine with the "Belt and Road" international cooperation platform created by the SCO Demonstration Zone, participate in the SCO activities, and improve the cultivation path for international students both on and off campus, so as to realize thetwo-way "going" between urban development and talent growth.