Join us from Dec 1–6, 2025 for a week of inspiring events under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges” to promote inclusion, accessibility, and understanding across campus and beyond. Here is the complete lineup:

Campaign Events and Activities:

For previous campaigns, please click here.

1. Exhibition: Inclusive Art of Co-creative Tactile Book Exhibition

Date: 1- 15 December

Venue: Public Area on the 1^st Floor in the Library

The exhibition showcases the "Art Without Barriers" creative tactile book project, an art therapy initiative led by Hangzhou Normal University in collaboration with Huamao Education Foundation and XU Wanmao Meiyu Public Welfare Foundation. Based on drafts by children with disabilities, secondary and UNNC students contribute through co-creation, embodying the concept of "reverse inclusion". This practice promotes empathy and social integration, reflecting the power of art education in fostering inclusion.

2. FHSS Podcast program: The Strange Gift: How Dyslexia Inspires Growth and Confidence

Date: 1-6 December

In this podcast, we will decode dyslexia together. We are delighted to have two distinguished guests with us: One is Janine Liu, an alumna of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China's Education and English Language and Literature department, who is currently pursuing her doctoral studies on the mechanisms of and interventions for dyslexia. She will take us on a scientific journey to uncover the unique ways the brain processes written language and how to identify dyslexia. The other guest is Joy Edmonson, an EAP tutor from the English Language Teaching Centre. She compares dyslexia to being "nearsighted," emphasizing that it is not a deficit but rather a unique cognitive style. She will also share her personal journey and effective support strategies.

3. Let’s Weave - the Time Gate to Inclusion

Date: 1-6 December

Venue: Public Area on the 1st Floor in the Library

It is a weaving work that has to be completed together. The upper half of the Time Gate is hand-woven by partners with disabilities, while the lower half will be woven by our students and staff.

Everyone can participate in weaving small knots here, and ultimately a long woven curtain will be completed together, like a Time Gate.

The different colors of paper vines also symbolize the inclusiveness and collaboration among diverse groups.

4. Ceremony– Inauguration of the Inclusive Art of Co-creative Tactile Book Exhibition (in Chinese with Translation)

Date: 9:30 – 10:00, 1 December

Venue: Multifunction Room 01 in the Library

The inauguration will feature key creators introducing the "Inclusive Art of Co-creative Tactile Book Exhibition." Guests from organizing foundations and universities will also communicate with the participants which helps to fully understand the exhibition.

5. Lecture: Art Therapy Based on Chinese Cultural Tradition (in Chinese with Translation)

Date: 10:00 – 11:30, 1 December

Venue: Multifunction Room 01 in the Library

This lecture is not merely an academic sharing, but an aesthetic healing experience. You will witness how China's artistic healing offers a profound and heartwarming Eastern answer, through its unique philosophical, aesthetic, and psychological dimensions.

Lecturer: Dr. Jun Hu.

• Former Asia President of the International Society for Education Through Art
• Doctoral Supervisor (joint appointment) at Monash University, Australia, and the University of North Texas, USA
• Drafter of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) certification standards for "Artistic Healing Practitioners"; Co-founder of the National Alliance for Artistic Healing Discipline and Program Development
• Asia Council Member of the International Association for Creative Arts in Therapy and Education
• Director of the Institute of Artful Learning, Hangzhou Normal University
• Founder of Art Links Charity Program

6. Group Art Therapy – Make Creative Tactile Books with People with Disabilities (for students only)

Date: 14:00 – 17:00, 3 December

Venue: IAMET 405

Through this workshop, we will set aside our reliance on sight and use touch as our shared language. Together with individuals who are visually and hearing impaired, volunteers from Hangzhou Normal University’s Art Accessibility Team, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Huamao Education Foundation, and the Lions Club Ningbo Service Team will step into a “touchable” kingdom of stories. We are not merely creating a book — we are weaving a shared memory and conveying boundless warmth.

7. Symposium: The Inclusive Way Forward for Institutes of Higher Learning in China

Date: 9:30 – 17:00 2 December, 9:30 – 12:30 3 December

Venue: Multi-function room 01

This symposium addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in China in building inclusive campuses. This event will provide academics, administrators, and support staff with both theoretical insights and practical strategies to embed inclusive practices guided by the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Opening Speaker: Umesh Sharma

Day 1

Time: 2 December

Morning Session (9:30 – 12:00)
Topic: Understanding Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Higher Education

Afternoon Session (13:45 – 15:45)
Topic: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles in Practice

Q&A and Discussion Panel (16:00 – 17:00)
Moderator: Umesh Sharma (TBC)& June Siew
Discussion Topics:

• Inclusive practices in universities.
• Supporting neurodivergent students in higher education.

Day 2

Time: 3 December

Morning Session (9:30 – 12:30)
Topic: From Principles to Practice: Embedding Inclusion Across the Campus

Keynote Speakers:

• Dr June Siew: Head of DAS Academy, Singapore - RETA Fellow
• Dr Priscillia Shen: Assistant Head of DAS Academy

Panel guests:

• Simon Tat Ming NG: Assistant Professor, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education.
• Stephen Goulding: Assistant Professor in International Communications, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Faculty DLO.
• Charlotte Round: Head of Service (Faculty Liaison) in Disability Support Services, University of Nottingham, UK
• Ching Ling Hooi: Disability Officer, University of Nottingham Malaysia
• Jiang Tian: Student representative from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
• Jinfeng Sun: Assistant Director for Intercultural Education and Belonging，Duke Kunshan University

8. Workshop: Supporting Students' Mental Health: Practical Skills and Scenarios for University Staff (for staff only)

Date and Time: 14:00 – 17:00, 3 December

Venue: Multi-function Room 01, Library

The training equips university staff with vital skills to debunk myths, set boundaries, and support students' mental health through real-life scenarios.

Trainer: Richard Wise, Director of Wellbeing Services, Health and Wellbeing Centre, UNNC.

He is a registered clinical psychologist who provides psychological assessment and treatment for individuals experiencing mental health conditions and general psychological distress. He has treated clients who have experienced depression, anxiety, stress and burnout, post-traumatic stress, substance use issues, panic, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and personality disorders.

9. Workshop: Disability and Inclusion Support in CELE - Lessons Learned (for staff only)

Date: 13:00 – 13:45, 4 December

Venue: Trent 452

Over recent years, we have collectively navigated the important challenge and opportunity of providing effective, inclusive, and equitable support for students with disabilities. We've celebrated successes, but we have also encountered obstacles and learned invaluable lessons about what works, what doesn't, and—most importantly—how we can improve. The session is provided by CELE staff who support students with disabilities, and it is designed as a reflective and forward-looking conversation for colleagues to learn and communicate with each other.

Speaker: Andrew CRAGG, Course Tutor in English for Academic Purposes, CELE. Faculty DLO.

10. Online training: Creating and Enhancing an Inclusive Learning Environment (for staff only)

Date: 14:00 – 15:30 5 December

Venue: Teams

Speaker: Dr. Simon T M Ng. He is an interdisciplinary legal scholar with over 25 years of experience working in the higher education as a teacher, researcher, programme leader, and academic head. He is currently Principal Head of General Education and Research at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He also serves as an Honorary Research Associate with the Faculty of Education (since 2020) and as a Visiting Fellow with the Centre for Comparative and Public Law (since 2024) at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Ng is a founding Executive Editor (Book Reviews) of the International Journal of Disability and Social Justice (since 2021). He is a passionate advocate for disability equality and inclusion, actively advancing the cause through education, community engagement, social services, and arts and culture. From 2014 to 2016, he was an international trainer for the Harvard Law School Project on Disability (Harvard Shanghai Center). He worked on an HKU-funded project on supporting blind students in teaching and learning in universities. One of the outcomes/ deliverables is a set of guidelines: Guideline on fostering inclusive practices at higher education institutions

Contents: Drawing on practical experience at the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, this session outlines how universities can build sustainable disability inclusive learning environment. It covers shifting mindsets, crafting policy, and establishing clear implementation structures with defined roles and responsibilities. Practical guidance on creating accessible physical and digital campuses, student and staff support systems, and strategies for embedding an inclusive ethos will be provided. Participants will leave with actionable steps and design principles for policy development, implementation, and campus culture change tailored to academic settings, enabling long-term inclusion for students and staff with disabilities.

11. Activity – Touch the light - Inclusive Climbing for the Visually Impaired

Date and Time: 14:00 – 16:00, 5 December

Venue: Climbing Wall in the Sports Centre

The inclusive climbing is designed to promote accessibility and awareness through a hands-on climbing workshop where visually impaired participants and sighted students collaborate as climbing partners.

We will invite visually impaired guests from outside campus to experience climbing together with student volunteers. Each pair will consist of a visually impaired climber and a sighted “caller,” who will guide the climber using voice directions based on the DDS system (Direction, Distance, Shape). The activity aims to foster mutual trust, communication, and understanding through shared physical challenge and teamwork.

12. Activity– Running in the Dark

Date and Time: 7:00 – 9:30, 6 December

Venue: Yinzhou Park

Volunteers from UNNC are recruited to guide people with visual impairment for running in the Yinzhou Park.

Running in the Dark is non-profit social project initiated by “Dialogue in the Dark (China) Social enterprise” in March 2016. The mission for “Running in the Dark” is “Accessible Course, Accessible Minds”: To change the society’s discrimination and stereotypes against marginalized groups through inspiring visually impaired people participating in sports events to raise self-esteem, encouraging them to merge into mainstream society and partnering sighted runners and visually impaired runners to improve mutual understanding through close contact. “Running in the dark” has groups running regular events in 5 different cities in China: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Yantai. It has organised over 200 “Dark run” events inspiring over 900 visually impaired people into running and over 6000 people participated guides training.

13. Activity: Joy Calculus Talk Show (in Chinese)

Date and Time: 13:30 – 15:30 6 December

Venue: Multifunction Room 01 in the Library

Joy Calculus Comedy Group was established in Beijing in October 2024, formed by diverse beings existing in the universe. Every "life anecdote" comes from the real-life experiences of the group members. Through both the format of sharing and the content itself, the members hope to encourage more people to understand the relationship between "disability" and "the self," and to appreciate the diversity beyond their own experiences. There are many "let it be" moments on life's journey but never forget to find joy.

14. Activity – Let’s Play Goalball

Date and Time: 13:00 – 14:30, 6 December

Venue: Basketball Court in the Sport Centre

Goalball is a unique and thrilling team sport designed specifically for athletes with visual impairments. Played competitively in the Paralympic Games, it is a game of intense concentration, spatial awareness, and physical prowess.

The Core Objective:
Two teams of three players face each other on a court with tactile markings. The goal is to roll a basketball-sized ball with embedded bells into the opponent's goal while the defending team uses their entire bodies to block the ball from crossing their goal line.

For staff, please click here or scan the QR code below to register:

For students who require SPDPO credits, please register via SPDPO system. For other students, please scan the QR code below to register:

For external participants wishing to register for the symposium, please scan the QR code below:

Let's collaborate to break barriers and build bridges for an inclusive future!