On the morning of May 30, the opening ceremony for the 2026 Student Language and Culture Program for the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, was held at Zhejiang Shuren University. A delegation comprising 49 students and faculty members from Sri Lanka, together with 19 representatives from our university, officially embarked on a 12-day immersive journey to study and experience the Chinese language and culture. Co-organized by the Office of International Affairs, the School of Economics and Management, the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, and the School of International Education, this event marked the largest student exchange program to date between the two universities. It aimed to actively implement the people-to-people exchanges under the “Belt and Road” Initiative and further deepen international educational cooperation.

Scheduled from May 29 to June 9, the program encompassed Chinese language courses, campus cultural experiences, corporate visits, city cultural tours, traditional cultural practice, and practical training in cross-border e-commerce and new media skills. These activities were designed to provide the Sri Lankan faculty and students with an immersive experience of Chinese cultural charm.

During the opening ceremony, Wan Guowei, Director of the Office of International Affairs, delivered a welcoming address. Reflecting on the profound friendship built over more than a decade of faculty exchanges, research collaboration, and student mobility between the two universities, he expressed his hope that the Sri Lankan delegates would achieve fruitful learning outcomes and serve as ambassadors of Sino-Sri Lankan friendship. Hu Jianwei, Dean of the School of International Education; Dean Yan Hong and Vice Dean Huang Qiubo of the School of Economics and Management; and Sun Yanyan, Vice Dean of the School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, subsequently delivered speeches. They introduced the curriculum and practical arrangements, encouraging international students to actively engage in exchanges and fully experience the program.

Representing the Sri Lankan delegation, Dr. Lukma Weerasinghe expressed his sincere gratitude for the meticulous organization by our university and highly commended the strong partnership between the two universities. Student representative Esala Bandara delivered a speech in Chinese, articulating his high expectations for the upcoming language and cultural program. Following the ceremony, Chinese and Sri Lankan students engaged in vibrant interactions centered around academic pursuits, cultural interests, and hobbies. The Sri Lankan delegates also toured the campus, offering high praise for the university’s environment and its international atmosphere.

Throughout the program, the Sri Lankan students participated in activities including Chinese language classes, corporate visits, a cultural tour of West Lake, hands-on experiences with tea culture and Yue Opera, market research in Yiwu, cross-border e-commerce live-streaming practice, new media training, and cultural activities celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival.

The opening ceremony of this program has further consolidated the friendly cooperation between the two universities and advanced cultural exchanges between Chinese and Sri Lankan young people in a deeper and more substantial way. Moving forward, our university will remain committed to its philosophy of being open to international education, promoting mutual learning among civilizations, and fostering closer people-to-people bonds, thereby contributing positively to the people-to-people exchanges under the “Belt and Road” Initiative.