On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Shanghai and Osaka becoming sister cities and the 45th anniversary of the opening of the Shanghai-Nagasaki flight route, the Osaka University & Nagasaki University Faculty and Students Visiting China Program, sponsored by Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and organized by Center for Japanese Studies(“the Center”) and School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University(SJTU), officially started on September 23, 2024. This program aimed to strengthen Sino-Japanese exchanges and mutual learning by leading Japanese teachers and students to experience Chinese culture and life, enhance mutual understanding between young people of the two countries, develop long-lasting friendship, and make positive contributions to creating a better tomorrow for bilateral relations.
Departure: A Journey of Exchange between China and Japan
In the afternoon of September 23rd, faculties and students of Osaka University and Nagasaki University arrived at Shanghai Pudong Airport in batches and were warmly welcomed by our school’s faculty and students. At 17:00, the delegation arrived at the banquet hall of Academic Activity Center of Minhang Campus and attended the welcome dinner of the delegation of Osaka University and Nagasaki University. Ji Weidong, University Professor of Humanity and Social Sciences and Director of the Center, Ding Jian, Deputy Director of the Center and Secretary of the Party Committee of School of Foreign Languages, SJTU, Zhu Yifan, Deputy Director of Division of Global Cooperation and Exchange, SJTU, Tao Qing, Associate Dean of School of Foreign Languages and Head of Department of Translation of SJTU, Cai Yuping, Deputy Director of the Center, Jin Wenfeng, Head of the Department of Japanese of School of Foreign Languages, SJTU, and many other guests attended the dinner. Li Siqi, lecturer of Japanese Department of School of Foreign Languages ,SJTU, hosted the dinner.
Ji Weidong, University
Professor of Humanity and Social Sciences and Director of the Center ,
delivered the opening speech. He began by warmly welcoming the visit of 47
faculty members and students from Osaka University and Nagasaki University. Ji
Weidong stated that Shanghai, as an open and inclusive city, occupied an
important position in global cultural exchanges. He reviewed the long history
of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, pointing out the affinity and deep friendship
with Osaka University and Nagasaki University, and shared many successful cases
of academic cooperation. Prof. Ji Weidong's speech was enthusiastic and witty,
sharing interesting stories about his study-abroad experience. He called on
Chinese and Japanese faculties and students to work together to deepen mutual
understanding and friendship, and to promote further exchanges and cooperation
between the two countries.
Zhu Yifan, Deputy Director of Division of Global Cooperation and Exchange, SJTU , welcomed the faculties and students of the two universities to the Minhang Campus of SJTU as their first stop, and expressed a warm welcome on behalf of the university to the visiting delegation. In her speech, she emphasized that exchanges between Chinese and Japanese youths required both academic exchanges and cooperation as well as cultural exchanges. Facing most of the Japanese students and teachers who came to China for the first time, Zhu Yifan mentioned, “Shanghai is a city where tradition and modernization are combined. This city is willing to share her story with all the visiting guests.” Deputy Director Zhu Yifan encouraged the Japanese teachers and students to embrace cultural exchanges between the two countries with an open mind and put forward expections for the construction of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Bridge.
The opening speeches were delivered by Komizo Yuichi, Director of East Asian Center for Academic Initiatives, Osaka University, and Kiyota Tomoko, Associate Professor of the Nagasaki University International Educational Cooperation Organization, on behalf of their respective schools. Prof. Komizo Yuichi started his speech with a self-introduction delivered in mandarin, followed by an appreciation of SJTU for the warm reception. In their speeches, the two Japanese guests recalled the past history of interactions between Osaka, Nagasaki and Shanghai, and emphasized that today's young generation lived in a fast-developing modern society, and has more chances to come into contact with foreign cultures than ever before. Thus, it has become more important to deal with all aspects of exchanges between countries with an inclusive attitude. The two guests expressed their sincere hopes for the friendly relations between China and Japan and the synergistic development between the cities of China and Japan, and wished for the success of the upcoming exchange activities.
Following the opening speech is the welcome dinner. Chinese and Japanese faculties and students tasted Chinese cuisines and chatted about the similarities and differences in the everyday lives of Chinese and Japanese youths, which enhanced mutual understanding and brought them closer to each other. Teachers and students from China and Japan exchanged gifts, and discussed and looked forward to the upcoming schedule. They looked forward to strengthening the exchange and mutual understanding of each other’s culture through this program.
At the end of the dinner, Ding Jian, Deputy Director of the Center and Secretary of the Party Committee of School of Foreign Languages , SJTU, delivered a concluding speech. Ding Jian once again expressed his warm welcome to the teachers and students of Osaka and Nagasaki Universities for their visit to China and to SJTU. He recalled his 13 years of study and work experience in Kyushu, Japan, and emphasized the importance of deepening friendly relations between China and Japan. He encouraged the Japanese students and faculty to experience the developments in Chinese society and the friendliness of the Chinese people through personal experience in the coming days, and hoped to gather feedbacks from the Japanese youths about China at the end of the program.
The welcome dinner came to a successful conclusion amidst enthusiastic applause from the audience. The 5-day visit program officially started.
Study Tour: Shanghai's Past, Present and Future
From September 24th to 26th, the delegation conducted an exchange visit in Shanghai and visited the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
On the morning of September 24, the delegation visited Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center to explore the history of urban development and future planning of this cosmopolitan city. Focusing on the themes of “City of Humanities”, “City of Innovation” and “City of Ecology”, the students and teachers of the delegation had an in-depth understanding of the history of Shanghai's urban planning. In the exhibition area, teachers and students had a lively discussion on the concept of “ people's city built by people, people's city for the people”. The exhibition inspired the students to imagine the future of urban life.
In the afternoon of September 24th, the visiting delegation arrived at Shanghai Jiao Tong University History Museum on Minhang Campus, where they gained a deeper understanding of the history of the founding of SJTU. From the great aspirations of Nanyang College at the beginning of its establishment, to the prosperity of the Republic of China period after the 1911 Revolution, to the difficult development during the war period, and to the major breakthroughs achieved after the founding of New China, the visiting teachers and students enhanced their understanding of the history of the development of SJTU, its founding philosophy, and various great achievements during the visit. The delegation also visited the experimental field of School of Agriculture and Biology and the Tsung Dao (T. D.) Lee Library. Strolling along the shore of Siyuan Lake, the visiting teachers and students personally experienced the rich historical heritage and academic atmosphere of SJTU.
On the morning of September 25, the delegation went to the demonstration site of new rural construction in Qingpu District to experience the new development of agricultural technology in China. Through the visit, the delegation learned about the new vision of entirely automated farms brought by the continuous innovation of technology, and experienced the beautiful views of rural areas in the new era of China.
In the afternoon of September 25, the delegation went to the Soong Ching Ling Memorial Residence in Shanghai to learn about the history of friendly exchanges between Ms. Soong Ching Ling and Japan. The collections of the former residence of Ms. Soong Ching Ling were like slow-motion film, recreating the touching story of Ms. Song's promotion of international friendship. Through the visit, the delegation learned about the efforts and contributions made by Ms. Soong Ching Ling to China's diplomatic cause and gained a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of Sino-Japanese friendship.
The delegation also visited the Shanghai World Expo Museum to learn about the whole process of Shanghai hosting the World Expo in 2010. The museum displayed the grand scene of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, showing the new face of China's economic takeoff after the reform and opening up, and China's great power and cultural “soft power”. In the evening, the delegation of teachers and students took a boat tour to explore the night scenery on both sides of Huangpu River and appreciate the beautiful vitality of Shanghai at night.
On the morning of September 26, the delegation visited Shanghai Pudong Urban Planning and Public Art Center and Tsung-Dao Lee Institute in Zhangjiang to experience the scientific and technological achievements of Shanghai and China. The Pudong Urban Planning and Public Art Center showcased the development history, construction achievements and future blueprint of Pudong New Area. At the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, the researchers gave a lively and interesting introduction to the research and experiments currently conducted at the institute, and answered questions of the visiting students.
Harvest: A Poem of Friendship between China and Japan
On the afternoon of September 26th, a presentation of the achievements of the delegation from Osaka University and Nagasaki University was held at School of Foreign Languages on the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Fu Jihong, Vice President of Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Wang Houji, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Head of the United Front Work Department of SJTU, Yamada Masayoshi, Director of Osaka Prefecture Shanghai Economic Office, and Onoue Takayoshi, Deputy Director of Nagasaki Prefecture Shanghai Economic Office, attended the presentation and delivered opening speeches. Ding Jian, Deputy Director of the Center and Secretary of the Party Committee of School of Foreign Languages of SJTU, delivered the closing speech. At the meeting, representatives of the visiting students shared the achievements of their visit to China.
Before the report began, students from School of Foreign Languages of SJTU performed musical instruments. Wang Yiyun played the Erhu solo, performing songs of “Orchid Pavilion Preface” and “Blue and White Porcelain”. Wu Han played a Chinese Rutan solo, performing “Camel Bells on the Silk Road”. Wu Yinghao and Cao Yichang performed the bamboo flute ensemble with the song “The Battle of the Crown”. The music is melodious and sincere, expressing the unique rhythm of Chinese classical instruments, expressing the sincere enthusiasm of SJTU students towards their neighbors, and showcasing the versatility of students of SJTU, which won warm applause from all the people present.
During his speech, Fu Jihong, Vice President of Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, once again welcomed the visit of the delegation from Osaka University and Nagasaki University. Fu Jihong pointed out that over the past year, Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries had welcomed more than 500 Japanese youths. The people was key to the friendship between China and Japan, and the future of friendship between the two peoples lied in young students. He hoped that young friends from China and Japan can feel each other’s openness and sincerity and make unremitting efforts for the friendship between China and Japan.
Wang Houji, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of SJTU, said that SJTU had close cooperation with academic and industrial circles in Japan for a long time. Although the visiting delegation did not stay in China for a long time, he hoped that they can visit SJTU again in the future through studying abroad, to further explore the charm of Shanghai and build a bridge of friendship between China and Japan.
Yamada Masayoshi, Director of Osaka Prefecture Shanghai Economic Office, conducted an on-site survey of Japanese students' impressions of China. All the students had greatly improved their friendly impression of China. Yamada said that although he had only been in China for more than 90 days, his impression of China had greatly improved and he now had a very good impression of China. Yamada said that through the exchanges in the past few days, the Japanese teachers and students once again understood what “seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving” meant. He hoped that everyone would actually experience China and convey their own experiences to their families and friends. He also expressed his hope that the members of Osaka University would leave a friendly impression on the Chinese friends who would attend the World Expo in Osaka next year, and that they would broaden their horizons by communicating with Chinese friends more often.
Onoue Takayoshi, Deputy Director of Nagasaki Prefecture Shanghai Economic Office, said that he believed that the members of the visiting delegation would have a lot of gains and feelings through the exchanges in these few days, and he hoped that they would expand the depth of their lives through the valuable experience. Nagasaki Prefecture had cultural exchanges with Shanghai for a long time, and looked forward to active exchanges and deepening cooperation in the future, learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses. Onoue welcomed more Shanghai citizens to visit Nagasaki and hoped that the visiting students from Nagasaki would continue the tradition of Sino-Japanese friendship and make more Chinese friends.
The student representatives of the visiting delegation shared their experiences and insights of the visit in groups,using PTT in English. Suehiro Kazuha from Nagasaki University expressed his thoughts on the urban planning of Pudong New Area, praising Shanghai's integration of city and nature to create an environment that is suitable for both work and life. The design was very exquisite, and it was the urban environment that he aspired to live in. Miura Jumpei of Nagasaki University shared his experience of exploring Shanghai and showed the rich and colorful life of Shanghai citizens that impressed him. Kusumi Karin from Osaka University shared her experience of visiting Shanghai World Expo Museum and she was impressed by the beautiful contents of the exhibitions and marveled at the level of dedication and sophistication of the construction of Shanghai's public venues, as represented by World Expo Museum. Oketani Sayo and Tsuji Kiho from Osaka University learned Chinese expressions and introduced themselves in Chinese. They wrote in Chinese in the PPT , “The students of Shanghai Jiao Tong University are very smart, kind and hardworking people, they love Japanese comics, and we are very happy. They have unity so they can share difficulties.” And at the end, they expressed their love for China and gratitude for this trip to China in Chinese, which gained rounds of applause from the audience.
Kiyota Tomoko, Associate Professor of Nagasaki University's International Education Cooperation Organization, said that the spirit of Sino-Japanese friendship was condensed in the trip even though it was only a few days long. It was a very happy and dreamy time, and communicating with Chinese friends made people feel happy. Kiyota said that during this time the Japanese students were immersed in the beautiful scenery and cuisine of China. The students who were selected for the tour were lucky to experience such beautiful scenery and taste such delicious food. She mentioned that although many of the students were a bit uneasy about their future development, they were all very lucky to actively sign up for the program, be invited to visit Shanghai, and be able to go smoothly. She hoped that everyone would be more confident and determined about the future. “If there are still moments of confusion, let’s go to Shanghai again.” Kiyota Tomoko's speech gained a heartfelt smile and applause from the audience.
Shinohara Saori, a teacher at Osaka University, felt honored to have the opportunity to participate in the Shanghai exchange program as a university faculty. She said that her visit to Shanghai had broadened her horizons and enabled her to discover a richer world. She hoped that the students of the delegation would also be able to put aside the limitations of their horizons and see the world with their own eyes, so that they could continue to enrich their lives.
When the presentation came to an end, Ding Jian, Deputy Director of the Center and Secretary of the Party Committee of School of Foreign Languages of SJTU, once again expressed his sincere welcome to the students of Osaka and Nagasaki Universities and his gratitude to the members of the delegation who had traveled a long way to China. Ding Jian pointed out that, through this period of learning about Shanghai’s culture and urban landscape, he believed that the Japanese friends had a better understanding of the history of Sino-Japanese friendship and the spirit of Sino-Japanese friendship. He hoped that in the future, everyone can continue to inherit and carry forward the tradition of Sino-Japanese friendship and compose a poem of friendship together.
On September 27, 2024, the students and teachers of the delegation left Shanghai by plane. The 5-day Osaka University-Nagasaki University exchange visit to China came to a successful conclusion. Cai Yuping, Deputy Director of the Center, accompanied the delegation throughout the visit. And the 47 Japanese teachers and students expressed their gratitude for the warm and thoughtful arrangements made by SJTU.
