From July 11th to 13th, SWUFE organized international students from Romania, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and other countries to go to Xinjin County to participate in the summer social practice activities of "Countryside Experience". In three days, the international students have studied and researched in Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park, Donghua Village, and the characteristic agricultural base of fishing and farming fields, adding a bright international color to SWUFE’s "Countryside Experience" activity of this year.
Feeling the achievements of building
a new socialist countryside
This year, SWUFE is the first university in Sichuan Province to organize international students to participate in the "Countryside Experience" practical activities. At the starting ceremony, SWUFE leaders placed high hopes on this team, and hoped that the international students would go to the root level in the rural areas and experience the achievements of the construction of a new socialist countryside in the fields, and contribute to the local development and improve personal practical ability.
The international student practice team chose the first stop of the activity in Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park. Located in the hinterland of DujiangyanIrrigation District, Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park covers an area of nearly 130 square kilometers. The core area is located in Xingyi Town, Xinjin County. As the permanent venue of the Sichuan Agricultural Expo, Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park is a "Demonstrative Project for Rural Revitalization in Sichuan." Since its establishment in Xinjin in August 2017, Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park has been centered on the overall development positioning of "a Chinese model of rural revitalization and an oriental brand of the world agricultural expo", and has gradually built itself into an important platform for centrally displaying the achievements of the province's "three rural" work. It is also an important carrier for the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.
During the visits and investigations, the leaders and staff of Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park introduced the park’s features, planning concepts and development status to the international students in detail, and used vivid examples and fresh data to outline a beautiful picture of a new rural construction for international students. The international students took notes carefully and asked related questions based on their own professional direction. They showed expressions of wonder from time to time and expressed their great appreciation for the development of Tianfu Agricultural Expo Park.
The "Belt and Road" connecting rural revitalization
When inspecting Sichuan, Chairman Xi Jinping pointed out: “Sichuan is the land of abundance, and it must not forget its golden icon of a major agricultural province. Sichuan will have to polish up this golden icon." During the next few days of the trip, SWUFE’s international "Countryside Experience" team went to Donghua Village in Xinjin County, Xinjin County’s Fishing and Farmland Characteristic Agricultural Base and other places, and measured the vigorous momentum of rural revitalization in Sichuan Province with the steps of study and research.
After Chengdu plans to add the Tianfu New Area (Xinjin) railway port, Xinjin County as an important station of the Chengdu-Europe Railway, has further highlighted its position as a node in the construction of the "Belt and Road". Coincidentally, many of the international studentsin the "Going to the Countryside" team are from the "Belt and Road" countries. These international students are studying agricultural economy, public economic systems and policies, and international trade. They combined their own learning and research directions to conduct field investigations, and offered suggestions for local development, and presented unique and innovative ideas from the perspective of international students. In the discussion held by the Donghua Village Committee, everyone put forward ideas around the theme of "Building a Modern Garden Village in an International Perspective", and conducted field demonstrations on some feasible ideas based on theory and practice. Both parties said it has benefited a lot. From the perspective of foreign tourists, the international students put forward suggestions on road signs, public facilities, and village experience projects in Donghua Village, and assisted in translating some promotional materials. These international students ate and worked together with the villagers, sweating in the fields, leaving bursts of laughter. PARICHAT ASSAVAPONGPAIBOON, an international student from Thailand, said: "This practice activity enriches my values and world outlook, and I also experienced the achievements of rural revitalization and development in Chengdu. I learned in detail about the villagers’ income structure, social security and medical insurance, children’s education and other information. I hope to bring these experiences back to my country and help Thailand play a more active role in the construction of the ‘Belt and Road’."
Telling the Chinese story and spreading
the voice of China
Over the years,SWUFEhas actively organized international students to participate in all levels and types of activities, taking our social service responsibilities and functions. The innovative form of the "CountrysideExperience" practical activities for international students is a vivid practical teaching coursewith richconnotation.
In the process of educating foreign students, going into the countryside is an essential step. Only in the rural areas can international students truly feel the life and thoughts of the contemporary Chinese people. In recent years, the country has invested a large amount of human, financial and material resources in the construction of a new socialist countryside, and has achieved remarkable results. It has also further pushed rural areas to the forefront, to show the picture of our rural revitalization to the world.
"Telling the story of China and spreading the voice of China", this saying is the philosophy of our education for international students. Education always needs a concrete display, and this kind of activity could help international students better understand the profound connotation of rural revitalization. Also this activity is an opportunity to show the world our unique system and theory at close range,which is corresponding tothe "Belt and Road" initiative.
