International Women’s Day (IWD), observed annually on 8 March, is a global celebration of women’s achievements and a call to foster a spirit of generosity and collaboration. This year, we will warmly invite the entire UNNC community to join us in recognising women’s contributions and reaffirming our shared commitment to building an equitable and inclusive environment.
Join us for exciting interactive sessions tailored for staff and students through Staff Portal or Student Portal.
Activities Introduction
Date and Time: 6:15-8:15pm, 6 March (Friday)
Venue: IAMET-121+
This film screening introduces students to Hidden Letters, a documentary chronicling Nüshu and its contemporary transmission. Nüshu is a secret writing system created exclusively by and for women under patriarchal restriction in China. Through exchanges between young practitioner Hu Xin and traditional inheritor He Yanxin, the documentary bridges generations of women's experience, revealing how this hidden script served as a private medium for expressing repressed feelings among "sworn sisters." The documentary also exposes ongoing gender disparities, including son preference and forced pregnancy termination in rural China.
This screening uses the film to explore how Chinese feminist cinema navigates a series of productive tensions, visibility and invisibility, compliance and resistance, integration and separation, demonstrating that these oscillations constitute strategic praxis rather than compromise. This is a survival strategy that sustains feminist cinema's transformative potential in contemporary China.
Facilitator: Dr. Thomas William Whyke, Assistant Professor in International Communications; Director of Teaching.
About the Facilitator
Dr. Thomas William Whyke - Assistant Professor in International Communications and Director of Teaching in the School of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Dr. Whyke was recognized with two Lord Dearing Awards for outstanding contribution to the development of teaching and student learning and enhancement of the student experience for his work on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) in 2024 (both Individual and Team categories). Thomas was also recognised with a '20 Years 20 Alumni' Award in 2025 for his work on cultural exchange at UNNC, contributing to Nottingham's outstanding alumni community.
In addition to his teaching, Dr. Whyke serves in several leadership roles, including Faculty Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Officer (2022-2025), Dignity Advisor at Ningbo Nottingham (DANN) (2024-), Co-Lead for the IAPS Gender Studies Research Priority Area (2025-) and Quality and Standards Commitee (QSC) UNNC Representative (2025-).
In terms of research, Dr. Whyke brings expertise at the intersection of international communications, animation studies, gender, and cultural analysis. His recent work has been published in internationally recognised top-tier journals in these fields, including Feminist Media Studies, Journal of Homosexuality, Asian Studies Review and Animation. Most recently Thomas was interviewed by some of China's most high profile media outlets, including multiple interviews with China Daily analysing the international success of the Chinese blockbuster animation Nezha 2, exploring themes of cultural exchange, universal storytelling elements, and the global reach of Chinese animation.
His scholarly contributions extend to editorial positions with several academic journals and bodies, including Sexuality and Culture, the Association of Chinese Animation Studies (ACAS), Animation: An Interdisciplinary Journal, and as Associate Editor for Society and Animals, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to media studies.
Date and Time: 8:30am, 7 March (Saturday)
Venue: Start at the back of Innovation and Enterprise Building (IEB)
Campus Run with HER is part of the 2026 International Women’s Day Campaign, inspired by this year’s theme, #Give to Gain.
Taking place on campus on Saturday, the run invites our campus community to come together and move forward in solidarity. The run will start and finish at the back of the IEB building. After completing the route, participants will gather outside Trio, a calm and scenic spot by the lake, where we will enjoy cake, refreshments, and some relaxed social time. A water station will also be available at the gathering point. This is a non-competitive, inclusive event — whether you’re an experienced runner or simply enjoy a gentle jog or walk, everyone is welcome.
By running with HER, participants are invited to give a step of support, time, and allyship — and in return, gain connection, energy, and a shared sense of purpose. Everyone is warmly encouraged to participate — this event is open to all, and we welcome people of all genders to join us in celebrating and advancing equity together. All participants will receive a custom-designed IWD badge as a symbol of their participation and support, as well as a free refreshment after the run.
Date and Time: Throughout the week
Venue: Sports Centre
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Sports participation team has expanded its previous one-day “Girls’ Night In” event on 8 March into Empower Week (2–8 March), creating a more sustained and wide-ranging activities that fosters empowerment, connection, and wellbeing across campus, and bringing these values to life for the UNNC community in a more engaging and extended format.
Empower Week offers a diverse range of activities designed to inspire action, connection, and self-discovery. It includes climbing, yoga, parent-child climbing and yoga sessions, Pilates, strength training, archery, core workouts, and targeted glute and leg training. With a varied and dynamic lineup, the week provides students and staff with daily opportunities to challenge themselves, recharge, and build connections with others. The celebration will culminate in a vibrant Dance Party on Sunday evening, serving as an energetic and joyful finale that celebrates collective strength and campus community spirit.
Date and Time:Throughout the week
Venue:Exhibition Room, 1F Library
Among the Forest is an art exhibition presented as part of the International Women’s Day (IWD) Campaign, featuring the ceramic works of a talented young female artist, A-Ning.
Drawing inspiration from the idea that no single path reveals the whole landscape, the exhibition presents works that explore women’s independence, inner strength, and the richness and complexity of the inner world. Each piece captures a moment along the artist’s journey — shaped by clarity, hesitation, resilience, and transformation.
While these works originate from a single creative path, they echo the experience of many: like paths emerging from the same forest, they reflect shared conditions, growth, and possibilities. In this sense, Among the Forest speaks to inclusivity and solidarity — different perspectives and experiences coexisting within a shared space.
Rather than offering a single narrative or destination, the exhibition invites viewers to walk alongside these artistic paths, embracing uncertainty, reflection, and transformation — and to recognise strength not as a fixed state, but as something cultivated through persistence, exploration, and choice.
Everyone is warmly welcome to visit the exhibition in Library to experience the works in person. The exhibition opens on 6 March and runs for one month. An artist-led tour will take place on the opening day, with workshops for hands-on experience to follow. For details, please follow the Library’s official WeChat account.
Artist: A-Ning
About the Artist
A-Ning has worked with ceramics for more than ten years, with experience spanning sculpture, ceramic art, ceramic painting, and ceramic product design and production. She is now an independent ceramic artist, continuing to explore the connection between clay and emotional expression.
Most of her works are inspired by real life—people and moments she encounters in everyday life—which she captures through ceramics in her “little figures.” For her, the creative process is not only about shaping forms, but also about expressing and releasing emotion. As she creates, she pours her inner feelings into each piece, giving every work a distinct sense of sincerity and personal warmth.
Curator: Xinyu Cao
About the Curator
Xinyu Cao is a visual art designer, illustration artist, and curator. His visual works were selected for the Annual Recommendation section of the 19th Asia–Pacific Design Yearbook, and his illustration works were featured in Hiii Illustration 2024, the 2023 Andersen International Art Exhibition, and the 8th and 9th CIB National Illustration Biennales. Multiple illustration works by Xinyu have been published in the U.S.-based art and design journal Creative Quarterly, while his installation work Poem · I Am Calm was also featured in the renowned magazine MODERN WEEKLY.
In addition, Xinyu has participated in numerous group exhibitions and held solo exhibitions in cities including New York, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Suzhou, and Ningbo. He has also been invited to collaborate on lectures and teaching projects with East China University of Science and Technology, Duke Kunshan University, and The University of Nottingham Ningbo China.
As part of the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) campaign, this initiative aims to recognise t contributions of female colleagues and allies who actively support gender equity, while providing an accessible way for the UNNC community to engage in the celebration.
The activity will run at TRIO Coffee (Residential Area) from 2 to 22 March 2026. During this period, participants will be offered a complimentary coffee (with alternative drink options available) and light snacks. A message board will also be placed outside TRIO Coffee, inviting staff and students to leave an IWD note, such as a reflection, message of support, or hope for women’s progress.
The initiative also supports the University’s sustainability goals by encouraging the use of reusable cups, and it extends campaign visibility by inviting participants to share related activities and reflections on social media using #GiveToGain and #IWD2026.