General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities that it is necessary to attach importance to and strengthen the construction of the second classroom. "To the ruler of the world in the talent, the talent in the world in the education", the second classroom has become the main carrier of the implementation of quality education in colleges and universities, is an important part of the higher education model. At Dalian University of Technology, international students from all over the world have a variety of second classroom activities with rich content in the professional curriculum system and teaching plan, which provides opportunities and platforms for them to understand China, identify with China, serve the society and look to the world.
The main line is prominent, leading international students to immerse themselves in China
Since 2022, Dalian University of Technology has planned and implemented the second classroom work plan for international students with "one main line, four combinations, and five integrations": "one main line" is committed to cultivating outstanding international students who "know China, friend China, and help China", and the "four combinations" means that the student training method focuses on the combination of online and offline, the combination of academic and non-academic students, the combination of long-term and short-term projects, and the combination of the first and second classrooms. The training of international students is integrated with the faculties, in-class and extra-curricular, and enrollment is integrated with alumni.
In the second class of the Chinese culture course, the "Chinese solar terms on the tip of the tongue" were widely welcomed by international students. Students from all over the world not only experienced the "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" closest to the daily life of Chinese, but also mobilized all the senses of cognitive culture through the form of "culture + practice". When the students tasted the "sweet potato" made by themselves, their joy was overflowing, and some students said that learning to cook authentic Chinese food is also a wish to come to China, and they will cook themselves after returning to China, so that their relatives can also taste the taste of China.
As an important window to the people, the community is one of the ideal places for international students to get in touch with and learn about Chinese society. The China National Conditions Investigation Course of Dalian University of Technology leads international students into LVGEM Community, guides young people from all over the world to experience community governance methods and concepts such as Chinese community legal publicity, environmental protection, and public space construction in the new era, and cultivates international students' ability to observe Chinese society and solve practical problems.
In the vivid classroom of the community, the teacher's teaching and explanation are no longer just flat pictures and words, and the Chinese stories in the community are three-dimensional and detailed; It is not only the teachers who answer the students' questions, but also the grassroots people and cadres who meet them face-to-face. Experiencing the most real life of the people makes the imagination of China alive for international students, and the story of the supremacy of the people is told in the second class of the national situation study course.
It is one of the important purposes of the school to provide a second classroom platform for international students to tell Chinese stories well and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture throughout the education process of the second classroom, so that cultural immersion and edification can have a subtle effect on the growth of young people from all over the world. Through extensive participation in various forms of Chinese cultural experience activities, international students can absorb the spiritual nourishment and historical wisdom of Chinese culture, gain an in-depth understanding of comprehensive and authentic China, and promote Chinese culture and advanced socialist culture to the world.
"Five educations at the same time" to help international students develop in an all-round way
The experience of studying abroad is often accompanied by all kinds of ups and downs of study and life, the disturbances of the outside world, and the confusion of growth, which are the practical problems faced by international students in China. Considering the development needs of international students, combined with the professional advantages of the Mental Health Education and Counseling Center of Dalian University of Technology, the second class of mental health has played a positive role in helping international students relieve daily stress and improve their self-awareness.
Through group psychological counseling, on the one hand, international students are trained to try to meet their own inner needs in an effective and reasonable way, examine themselves and others, learn to deal with academic setbacks, cultural conflicts, psychological pressure, anxiety and other possible psychological distress independently, and maintain a normal life and study state; On the other hand, it assists international students to establish valuable study abroad goals, recognize their own development potential, take more active life responsibilities, and spend a healthy and happy study abroad life. International students expressed their feelings and experiences in group counseling with words such as "relaxed", "happy", "awesome", "decompressed" and "relaxed and happy". MUHAMMAD ALTAF FROM PAKISTAN SAID THAT THE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING HAS MADE HIM MUCH MORE RELAXED AND HAS ALSO LEARNED A LOT OF PRACTICAL DECOMPRESSION TIPS TO HELP HIM FACE LIFE AND UPCOMING EXAMS WITH A MORE BALANCED MINDSET.
One of the missions of higher education is to enable students to have a sound personality and good character, and the second class of mental health enriches the inner world and spiritual life of international students, promotes the development of students' potential, and the formation and all-round development of correct values.
International students in China are still in an important period of forming the three views, and how to guide them to become responsible global citizens is the direction worth exploring in the second classroom for international students. In the civic literacy course, the cultivation of traditional virtues provides a feasible solution for the all-round development of international students.
At the Zhongshan Guilin Nursing Home (Second Hospital) in Dalian, the students saw the beautiful sunset life of the elderly in China for the first time. Before entering the nursing home, the life scene of the elderly in China was something they had never imagined. The students said that although they had heard about China as a country that respects the elderly, they had never heard the life stories of the elderly, let alone experienced the daily life of the elderly in China. The international students brought happiness to the elderly in the nursing home by singing and dancing choreographed by themselves, and the students said that this small sense of accomplishment was enough for them to cherish for a long time.
The second classroom experience in the nursing home deeply touched the international students, not only giving them a deeper understanding of the virtues of respecting and caring for the elderly in China, but also triggering their thinking about how to closely integrate personal development with social progress. Liu Caiyan, a student from Korea, said that the elderly care industry also has a very important position in her own country, before studying in China, although there are relatives and friends engaged in elderly care related work, but she is somewhat resistant, the practice of the second class gave her the opportunity to re-examine the meaning and value of this industry, which is a rare experience.
The combination of learning and application strengthens the ideals and beliefs of international students
"The more you know, the more you do; The more you do, the better you know. "In the context of new engineering, the requirements for talents include not only a solid professional foundation, but also an understanding of economic, social and managerial knowledge, as well as good humanistic qualities. International students also need to have the ability to integrate multiple disciplines, a broad global perspective, and leadership and practical skills. The second class provides an ideal opportunity for international students to set academic goals and pursue careers.
Leaving the campus, international students came to Neusoft Group, an IT technology company headquartered in Dalian, and witnessed China's informatization, digitalization and intelligent development from the perspective of a promoter of industrial innovation and change. In the first class, the students' understanding of the future of science and technology may be much more dependent on imagination. In the second class, smart healthcare, big data and intelligent technology, Internet of Things and 5G, cloud hospital platform, etc., let the students intuitively see the value and potential of science and technology. Walking on the road of the high-tech zone, students can often see driverless buses passing by; Walking into the enterprise practice classroom, the new generation of automotive basic software platform, intelligent cockpit, autonomous driving, EV power system, vehicle-cloud integration and other key areas of products and overall solutions have been presented in front of everyone, the students exchanged with great interest how Chinese enterprises develop in their own countries, and looked forward to their future career development possibilities with great interest.
"If you want to know the road, you must first go to history." The historical transformation, development and innovation of Chinese society not only condenses rich historical knowledge and great historical wisdom, but also contains successful historical experience and profound historical laws, which is a valuable resource for telling China's story well. As the first campus landmark approved as the "Liaoning Provincial Patriotism Education Demonstration Base", the History Museum of Dalian University of Technology is the second class check-in choice for international students.
It is not easy for international students who come from thousands of miles to study at the university, and it is not easy to establish an emotional connection with the Chinese university they are studying, and integrating the school's development history and scientific research spirit into the teaching practice of the second classroom has effectively enhanced the self-confidence and pride of the "post-00" students. The notes, diaries, letters, inscriptions and other handwritings, medals, seals and other commemorative objects, essays, memoirs, news reports and other documents, photos, audio and video recordings and other audio-visual materials displayed in the history hall lead international students back to the historical scene and witness the important historical moments along the way. In this way, it stimulates international students' sense of identity with the school and China, and condenses into a force to support them to pursue their dreams.
In the future, Dalian University of Technology will continue to expand and extend the connotation of the second classroom for international students, create a more complete curriculum closed loop, implement the fundamental task of cultivating morality and cultivating people, and cultivate more young people studying in China on the world stage with the silent second classroom. (The authors, Zhang Tianhao, Director of the Student Affairs Office of the School of International Education, Dalian University of Technology, Zhang Yan, Assistant Dean of the College, Liu Xin, Fu Chongbin, and Zhao Yuting are International Student Counselors of the College)
Author: Zhang Tianhao, Zhang Yan, Liu Xin, Fu Chongbin, Zhao Yuting
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