WHAT WE DO
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NINA
Taking part in IYLP gave me an unforgettable three weeks. From the 4th of the July barbeque complete with Chinese burgers to the Egyptianthemed water park we visited, every day was a fascinating cultural whirlwind. The British and American students came to China with the understanding that we were there to teach students about communication and leadership – but in fact we learnt a huge amount ourselves. Living on campus gave us a real insight into Chinese university life, whether through attending very early morning lectures or sampling the enticing array of dishes on offer in the canteen. The BNU and BNUZ students and staff were a pleasure to work with; they went out of their way to make us feel welcome from start to finish. Nothing was too much to make us feel welcome and we all really appreciated their hospitality. They were incredibly generous , enthusiastic and hard-working.The presentations which took place over the three weeks showed what a range of topics had been taken on by the students; the ten different groups had researched everything from the social lives of BNUZ students to the water quality in the city. One of the best things about the programme for me was meeting such a diverse and interesting range of people. Participants came from all over China, and indeed from all over the world; the UK and USA students travelled from Brunei, Sweden and Australia to name just a few places! The absolute highlight for me was the trip to Beijing in the last week. Taking the overnight train was a great experience in itself and the week of freedom to explore the many charms of Beijing was greatly appreciated by everyone. We learnt a lot, made new friends, ate extremely well and saw a fascinating side of China.
Astrid
I sincerely appreciate the 3 weeks staying in IYLP.I cooperate with my 10 team members to set out to find ways of increasing the tourism sector in Huitong Village, a rural village not far from the university. Our work was challenging and we encountered several difficulties. The biggest challenge was when we discovered that there already was a tourism company in the village. After thinking long and hard we came up with the idea of establishing private clubs instead of trying to promote mass tourism. The private clubs would attract a select group of highly educated tourists, without violating the tourism company's contract. Hopefully this solution would also increase public awareness of Huitong Village's rich cultural heritage and the importance of its preservation. I think the solution was a brilliant idea and am very happy with how the project turned out.
Natasha
I think IYLP is an amazing cross-cultural communication summer program.In the program I am allocated into a team where I can fully understand Chinese culture while share with them about our western culture. Our group set about to understand changing attitudes to the danjia tradition of water marriage in the Doumen district. Our research uncovered that the custom has been dying out, and that government attempts to protect it haven't been working. Our conclusions therefore suggest ways in which the custom can be preserved and encouraged for the younger generation, through education and promoting the custom as a tourist attraction.
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WARDAH
IYLP gave me an golden opportunity to share cultures with people from different cultural background which I really appreciate and cherish .In our Inter cultural communication workshop, we presented the importance of verbal communication, body language and learning from others. We started with the value of spoken language through the silent Date of Birth game and then moved on to some activities related to body language. . Learning from others was also introduced as a tool to for effective communication, and we explored the cultural iceberg model to demonstrate that multiple layers of experiences and different aspects of a person's life can shape their way of thinking and their actions. After various activities, including a fun round of wink murder, we tied in the workshop with a reminder to focus and nurture the strengths of a person instead of criticising flaws as they can be either fade or improve.
