On July 20th, the 2024 AFS Global STEM Academies: Ningbo (AFS STEM) officially concluded at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. The 9-day academic camp provided a rich array of academic courses and cultural exchange events for 60 students from 14 countries and regions. The Faulty of Science and Engineering (FoSE), UNNC, as the organizer, built a platform for cultural and academic exchanges and provided comprehensive support for the event.
On July 12th, the opening ceremony of the AFS Global STEM Academies: Ningbo was held, marking the beginning of a 9-day academic journey. Thirty high school students from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, India, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the USA gathered at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, joining forces with 30 local high school students from Ningbo as academic partners.
Lectures and laboratory visits
During the two-day STEM related courses programme, the academic staff from FoSE delivered a compact but enriching experience for the camp, which included lectures and laboratory visits.
Students attended Dr. Jing Xie's lecture on Digital Heritage: a VR tour of historic architecture and city of Ningbo to appreciate the city's rich history and unique styles.
Professor Bo Li's engaging lesson on building tower structures using spaghetti and cotton candy to understand how to improve the stability of building with the knowledge of structure.
Caption hereDr. Zheng Lu's lecture on Introduction to Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning to learn the most advanced theory of computer theory and its applications.
When it comes to the lab tour, Dr. Adam Rushworth and Dr. Donglei Sun guided students in experiencing 3D printing and visiting the simulation flight laboratory, showcasing the school's teaching strength and advanced equipment.
Experience programmes
Apart from STEM related courses, a series of experience programs had been arranged, which were offered by the local high schools and college, industry visits, library exploration embedded Ningbo's cultural, education and technology. In the programs offered by local high schools and college, students had deeply participated in Tie-Dye and Characters and Dramatic Facial Makeup offered by Xiaoshi High School. Moreover, with China's rapid development in e-commerce, students had visited Zhejiang Fashion Institute of Technology to learn the e-commerce operation knowledge and experience live streaming in practice. At Ningbo No.2 High School, students crafted their unique rocket models and conducted exciting launch experiments. In the part of industry visit, students visited Zeekr New Energy Automobile Company to know the automobile manufacturing line and exquisite models, delving into the manufacturing and research process of China's new energy vehicles.
AFS was not only an exciting academic exchange but also a cross-cultural experience and friendship-building opportunity, aiming to promote dialogue among diverse students, enhance global perspectives, and stimulate creativity. On the first day, 30 foreign students, accompanied by local partners, visited Ningbo's cultural attractions, immersing themselves in the city's charm and cultural splendor. Visits to Ningbo Library and City Exhibition Hall provided insights into the city's history and culture. The two-night International Night featured students from 14 countries showcasing their national cultures through talent performances, while the Sports Night offered an exhilarating sports experience.
Closing ceremony speeches
On the morning of the 20th, students presented their achievements in ten groups, sharing their harvest and reluctance to leave. The former Board Chair of AFS China Meng Yang and Professor Bo Li provided professional comments. Deputy Director General of Ningbo Education Bureau Jinhui Chen had attended the closing ceremony to sincerely express to the local students for their kind hospitality and warmly invited international students to visit Ningbo again in the future. Ms. Lingyan Jiang, National Director of AFS STEM China, thanked the Education Bureau and UNNC for their support. Professor Weiqi Shen, Party Secretary of UNNC and Ms. Fan Yuan, represented from the university and education bureau, also attended. As the host of the event, UNNC, along with the Ningbo Institute of Technology, not only demonstrated our school's research strength and teaching capabilities but also set a benchmark for international exchange as the first Sino-foreign university in China. UNNC will continue to uphold the concept of internationalized education, strengthen Sino-foreign exchanges, and let more people hear China's stories and voices.