UTAR and HXU organise cultural exchange programme

The Virtual Mobility Programme: Cultural Exchange Learning was organised by UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC) of Sungai Long Campus in collaboration with Qingdao Hengxing University of Science and Technology, China (HXU) on 13 and 14 August 2022.

A presentation titled The Introduction of the Great Wall was conducted by Zhang Nan from HXU on the first day of the programme. She began by elaborating on the history of the Great Wall and explaining how long it took to construct it. She also explained why it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The next presentation was conducted by Sungai Long Campus DSSC academic Nur Farahin binti Bahari who introduced participants to Malaysian food and languages as well as tourism. She also took the opportunity to teach the participants some simple greetings in Bahasa Melayu.

In the following session, five representatives from UTAR, namely Liew Son Jiin, Rao Bing, Sam Yuk Siong, Siow Shaw Xyuan and Aqila Alya binti Syamrin introduced UTAR and shared their life experiences studying as students at UTAR. They also shared about their clubs and societies, their daily life routines and famous places to visit at both campuses.

Zhang explaining the history and the scenery of The Great Wall

Farahin teaching participants some simple greetings in Bahasa Melayu

UTAR representatives sharing their life routines at UTAR

The second day of the programme began with a presentation on Explore Malaysia’s Traditional Music and Culture by UTAR Faculty of Creative Industries academic Maxwell Sim Yik Seng. In the presentation, Maxwell Sim explained the different ethnicities found in Malaysia and showed a snapshot of famous foods found in east and west Malaysia. He also introduced ‘dikir barat’ and some musical instruments used in Malaysian traditional music.

Next, Cao Qizhen from HXU shared his presentation topic titled Exploring the Gems of Qingdao: Food, Culture, Language and Products. He shared the general situation in Qingdao, the history of Qingdao, and some historical stories. During the session, participants were seen actively discussing the food and drinks found in Qingdao. The last session was conducted by Zhang Jiangyun from HXU. She spoke about the history of Chinese costumes which dates back 5,000 years. The session saw participants learning the different costumes worn during the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

The programme ended with group photography and a video to recap the two-day programme.

Maxwell Sim introducing Malaysian food and music

Cao Qizhen demonstrating the Qingdao dialect