On September 11, our school participated as a co-organizer in the "China-UK International Education Experience Sharing and Exchange Conference," which was held at the Guangzhou International Exchange and Cooperation Center. Nearly 80 people attended the event, including representatives from relevant departments in Tianhe District and Liwan District, heads of various primary and secondary schools, and individuals from various sectors interested in international educational exchange.

Our school's Chair of the Department of Smart Finance, Xiao Yingzi, was involved in the planning of this event and served as the host. Deputy Director of the Cooperation Office, Qu Feng, and teacher Xue Lirong were invited to lead six students from the Modern Marketing Department's Tea Art Club to perform traditional Chinese tea ceremonies for the guests and proactively took on service work at the event.

In the context of globalization, cultural and educational exchanges are important bridges for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship among people from different countries. In recent years, our school has actively participated in cultural exchanges with countries and regions such as Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The United Kingdom and China have long histories and rich cultural heritage, and they have accumulated extensive experience and resources in the field of education. This sharing exchange meeting facilitated in-depth discussions on educational concepts, teaching methods, and educational systems to promote mutual development and understanding.

In his welcome speech at the event, Zhang Delin, the Executive President of the Guangdong International Education Promotion Association, pointed out that international education plays an important role in promoting cultural exchange and understanding. As a dynamic force in the field of international education, the association is committed to actively promoting the prosperous development of international education in Guangdong Province. It is hoped that this event can serve as a platform for educational and cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and the UK.

The event invited Patrick Derham, a distinguished leader in the British education sector, and Gracie Chen, President of Ultra Education, to share their experiences in Sino-British international education exchanges with the audience. In her presentation, Ms. Gracie Chen introduced the current state of local education in the UK and the overall situation of Chinese students studying abroad, covering aspects such as the education system, curriculum, difficulty of admission, and admission rates.

Patrick Derham, a recipient of the Queen's Order of the British Empire, has served as the headmaster of Westminster School, Rugby School, and Solihull School. In a conference, he elaborated on the differences between the Chinese and British education systems and introduced the experiences of British private schools in fostering students' independence and critical thinking. He believes that cultivating diversity and multi-perspective thinking methods is beneficial for enriching students' knowledge structures, developing their independent logical thinking, and achieving a more comprehensive understanding and resolution of problems.

Subsequently, representatives from various participating institutions introduced their respective profiles and exchanged experiences regarding international education. Guo Huiqing, Director of the Guangzhou International Cooperation Center, introduced the platform functions of the center. She stated that the Guangzhou International Cooperation Center will actively assist various schools and educational institutions in Guangzhou in conducting international exchanges and cooperation, enhancing the level of internationalization in education, and promoting high-quality development in Guangzhou's education sector.

Feng Bingliang, the president of the British-Chinese Business and Cultural Exchange Association, introduced the association's recent activities in the field of cultural education exchange. Currently, the association is actively promoting exchange visits between schools in China and the UK, providing resources and building a communication platform for establishing sister school relationships between primary and secondary schools in Guangzhou and the UK.

During the final free exchange session, themed "A Full Moon at Mid-Autumn, Appreciating Chinese Culture Together," our school's tea art performance club and young guzheng artist Ms. Su Xiaoyan presented a tea art performance and a guzheng performance, respectively. Patrick Derham highly praised our students' tea art performance, stating that "the entire appreciation process was very comfortable."

After appreciating the elegant tea ceremony and the captivating Guzheng music, the guests together savored mooncakes and continued an in-depth discussion on the topic of international education. This event further strengthened the collaboration between our school and the Guangzhou International Exchange and Cooperation Center, laying the foundation for students to broaden their international perspectives and participate more in international exchange activities.

Written by: Qu Feng

Photos: IECC