On August 11, 2024, the 2024 Future Star Apprenticeship Completion Ceremony & International Symposium took place at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). The event gathered professors from prestigious universities such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Duke University, New York University (NYU), University College London (UCL), University of Southern California, Boston College, Imperial College London (IC), and the London School of Economics (LSE), as well as doctoral students from around the world. Participants shared the academic knowledge and research methods they had acquired over the past two weeks and showcased their research and artistic achievements.

During the 14-day programme, students received instruction in various disciplines, including Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Physics, Neurobiology, Marketing, Education, Intercultural Communication, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering, and Data Science. These courses, taught entirely in English, enhanced students' research abilities and innovative thinking. UNNC's Centre for English Language Education (CELE) provided English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses, guiding students in presenting their research through academic papers and oral presentations. 

Students engaged in academic discussions with teaching assistants and professors, gaining insights from different cultural perspectives. They also experienced a fully English-speaking environment, which improved their language skills and helped them adapt to academic life. The internationalized campus and diverse learning atmosphere at UNNC left a strong impression, with many students feeling well-prepared for future studies abroad. 

Effira, an applicant for a Master's programme at the University of Glasgow who hails from Xinjiang, chose the Marketing course for this 14-day on-campus programme. She not only experienced full English-language immersion but also gained early exposure to British university life. "This programme offered me more than just a preview of overseas study – it allowed me to tune my ear to English under native-speaker guidance, rapidly improving my listening and speaking skills," she explained. The teachers' student-centred approach significantly eased participants' academic burden, helping them establish optimal learning strategies.

Ding Yiming, a Year 10 student from Suzhou Industrial Park LingKe Academy, also highlighted the immense value of the English-immersion environment: "Whilst the sudden transition to full English instruction felt a bit of a struggle initially, lecturers took care to ensure every student could follow. Being in this unfamiliar linguistic environment actually heightened our concentration during classes."

The internationally blended campus environment and academic life at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China have profoundly impressed its students. Feng Lida, a second-year student at Boston University, felt instantly at home on the UNNC campus: "The campus gives me a real sense of familiarity and warmth. Aside from some Chinese signage, the experience feels almost identical to studying abroad. The gym and library facilities are excellent, and the campus itself is beautiful."

Beyond their studies, students participate in diverse activities like movie nights, sports evenings, and specialist lectures to unwind and relieve academic pressure.

Over the past 20 years, UNNC has been committed to promoting the globalization of higher education, providing students with an authentic English-speaking learning environment, bringing in world-class faculty, and sharing resources across its campuses in the UK, China, and Malaysia. This ensures that students at UNNC experience genuine British education. UNNC also welcomes scholars from around the world to exchange knowledge and culture, allowing outstanding students at UNNC to broaden their horizons. This project was a new attempt at a summer research program by UNNC, linking international resources from Chinese-foreign cooperative universities and top domestic research companies to jointly develop research experience programs for students at different stages. By introducing world-class professor resources, combining UNNC's specialized English teaching model, and supporting doctoral students and UNNC student companions, the program helped more students achieve research results and experience the charm of British education. In the future, UNNC will continue to adhere to its global development strategy, providing students with more opportunities to interact and learn from world-class masters.