Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU) held the opening ceremony of the second Shanghai Summer School RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Marine Culture International Program and the fourth SHOU Global Summer School on June 27.

The ceremony was held online and the summer school will be held online as well due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual summer school program is mainly open to students from RCEP member countries. It offers international students the opportunity to learn about Chinese marine culture, language and traditional culture, as well as serves as a platform for international cooperation and exchanges.

More than 100 students from 29 countries are participating in this year's summer school program and will start a one-month online course study to gain cultural experience.

Jiang Min, vice president of SHOU, welcomed students during her speech at the ceremony. She said that she hopes students will gain fruitful experiences from the summer school, learn about Chinese marine culture, and make friends on the platform.

Lai Yuwen from Foon Yew High School in Malaysia spoke on behalf of all the students at the ceremony. He said that he was looking forward to taking various courses during summer school. In addition to improving his language skills, he said he also hopes to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture and communicate with friends from different countries. He also looks forward to meeting all of his classmates in China and at SHOU after the pandemic.

It is the second time for SHOU to organize the summer school program which is approved and hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. In this year's program, apart from the Chinese courses, SHOU also arranged marine culture lectures, cultural experience classes, and online tours of Shanghai and SHOU. The program enables overseas students to learn Chinese language while also experiencing Chinese society and learning more about SHOU and Shanghai from a variety of perspectives.

More than 100 students from 29 countries attend the online opening ceremony of the second Shanghai Summer School RCEP Marine Culture International Program and the fourth SHOU Global Summer School on June 27. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_adc8b026d7be]