International Students Share Cultural Heritage at Shanghai University Festival
SHANGHAI, China — Students from 75 countries showcased their cultural traditions Saturday at East China Normal University's 18th International Cultural Festival, offering a global mini-expo that transformed the Shanghai campus into a multicultural marketplace, writes Richard Kayenda.
The $14,000 event featured traditional foods, clothing and performances from nations spanning Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia.
"You might think that everybody eats the same basic food, but it's different," said Annabel Potani, a Malawian student pursuing a master's in education management.
"There are some countries that you don't know exist. Like I've seen one country, Laos: I didn't know it existed."
The festival, held annually since 2007, aims to promote cultural exchange among the university's diverse student body, which includes students from more than 130 countries.
"We would love to let our Chinese students see more cultures in the world," said Sun Xiao Qian, director of general affairs in the international students department.
"Our university is international, so internationalisation is one of our objectives."
For many participants, the event offered rare insights into unfamiliar cultures. Charles Todd Dickey, an American exchange student studying biology, praised the opportunity to experience different cultural traditions firsthand.
Eugiania Yada Danso, a Ghanaian PhD in geographical sciences, described the festival as "a breathtaking experience."
"We have over 70 countries representing different continents... all displaying their beautiful culture, rich heritage, and rich food so that people of China could experience because not everyone can travel to all these countries," Danso said.
East China Normal University, founded in 1951, is designated as a Category A institution in China's Double First-Class University Programme, which aims to develop elite Chinese universities into world-class institutions by 2050.
The festival featured pavilions from nations including the United States, France, Australia, Poland, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, and Malawi.