In order to continue the traditional friendship between China and the Philippines, promote educational and cultural exchanges between the two sides, strengthen the cooperation in humanities and education between Shandong Province and Ilocos Norte Province, and tell the Shandong chapter of China's story well, from November 10th to 15th, our school held the China-Philippines Youth Friendship Exchange Week activity of "Approaching Qilu Culture and Feeling Rural Revitalization".
On the morning of November 11th, at the opening ceremony of the "2024 Yellow River-Mekong River Exchange Week", Liu Yinfang, vice president of the university, Maria Mayi Fabros, Third Secretary and Vice Consul of the Philippine Embassy in China, Professor Wu Jiewei, vice dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University, Professor Maria Victoria Raquiza of the University of the Philippines, and Professor Melvin A. Bagot of Mariano Marcos State University in the Philippines jointly launched the China-Philippines Youth Friendship Exchange Week activity of "Approaching Qilu Culture and Feeling Rural Revitalization"
On November 12th, the symposium of the Youth Friendship Exchange Group from Mariano Marcos State University of the Philippines was held in the lecture hall on the second floor of the Houde Building. Liu Yinfang delivered a speech. He pointed out that last year, we successfully held the first Philippine Youth Friendship Exchange Visit activity. Through a series of colorful cultural experiences and exchange seminars, we enhanced the mutual understanding and friendship between the young people of the two countries and built a good exchange platform. This year, the participants in the activity are more diverse. Besides the representatives of postgraduate students, young teachers and researchers from Mariano Marcos State University also participated. The activity content is more focused on scientific research cooperation, especially in the field of smart agriculture. Melvin A. Bagot, the representative of the teachers from Mariano Marcos State University, expressed his gratitude to Dezhou University for its warm reception and help. He said that Mariano Marcos State University will cooperate closely with Dezhou University, and the two universities will move forward hand in hand to achieve deeper cooperation and development.
During the exchange week, China and the Philippines carried out exchanges at multiple levels and in a wide range of fields. Eleven teachers from Mariano Marcos State University respectively went deep into the School of Literature, History and Culture, the School of Business, the School of Physics and Electronic Information, the School of Ecology, Resources and Environment, the School of Computer and Information, the Belgorod Institute of Food Science, the Biophysics Research Institute and the Rural Revitalization Research Institute to conduct teaching, academic seminars, classroom observations, enterprise matchmaking and so on, which broadened the academic vision and knowledge reserves of teachers and students.
Apart from academic exchanges, Philippine students actively participated in a number of traditional Chinese culture courses, including the chanting class in the School of Literature, History and Culture, the calligraphy class in the School of Fine Arts, the traditional Chinese dance class in the School of Music, and the martial arts class in the School of Physical Education. These activities enabled Philippine youths to deeply experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture and enhanced their understanding of Qilu culture. During this period, Liu Yinfang accompanied Maria Mayi Fabros to the School of Fine Arts and the School of Literature, History and Culture to observe and experience traditional Chinese culture courses, and to experience the Chinese ritual and music culture as well as the charm of calligraphy and literature together with Philippine students.
On November 13th, the art performance of the China-Philippines Youth Friendship Exchange Week was held. Liu Yinfang, vice president of our university, Zhang Fangrui, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Dezhou Municipal People's Government, An Jing, Director of the Publicity and Education Department of the Sulu King's Tomb Museum in Dezhou, as well as relevant functional departments and colleges of our university participated in the event. The song "Iingatan kita" sung by the Philippine teacher Maria Cristina Pammit was warm and touching, and the dance "Pamulinawen" was full of vitality, adding an exotic flavor to the performance. The ensemble of the xun and zither, the solo performance of the erhu, the solo performance of folk songs, the performance of Peking Opera and the performance of Taijiquan by the teachers and students of our university demonstrated the confidence and unique charm of Chinese culture. The programs presented by Chinese and Philippine teachers and students were wonderful, and the whole venue showed a beautiful scene of the integration of Chinese and Philippine cultures.
During the event, Chinese and Philippine teachers and students visited the Dezhou Museum, the Sulu King's Tomb Museum, the Shandong Museum and other places to explore the historical culture of the Qilu region and the profound origin of friendly exchanges between China and the Philippines. The teachers and students also visited two enterprises, namely the Bestar·Landmark Capital Industrial Park and Dezhou Caijin Smart Agriculture Technology Co., Ltd., to gain an in-depth understanding of the latest achievements in China's modern industrial development and agricultural science and technology, and to enhance the cooperation and exchanges between the two sides in education and practice.
