In the midsummer season, when all things flourish, guests from all over the world gathered at the foot of Luojia Mountain to discuss the path to sustainable development. On June 24, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Luojia Global Summer School was held in the lecture hall of Wuhan University Library, marking the start of the summer school.
Yuan Yufeng, Vice President of Wuhan University, together with representatives from relevant functional departments and faculties, attended the event. More than 220 students and teachers from over 30 countries and regions, including the United States, France, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Singapore and Uzbekistan, witnessed the opening ceremony of the 2024 Luojia Global Summer School.
Remarks by Prof. Yuan Yufeng, WHU vice president
In the opening speech, Yuan noted that Wuhan University initiated the ‘Luojia International Summer Camp’ in 2006 to boost international exchange. With an unprecedented scale, the 2024 Luojia Global Summer School is themed around ‘sustainable development’ and will last for two weeks. During this period, participants will engage in a range of program activities, including academic discussions, field trips, and cultural experiences. He hoped the summer school would further promote mutual understanding and respect between different cultures, strengthening ties between China and other countries in the fields of education and scientific research. In addition, the participants would not only gain knowledge and skills but also forge deep friendships with other participants and volunteers, together contributing to the sustainable development of the world. He wished all guests a wonderful time at Wuhan University.
Speech by Samir Belabbes,Chief Scientist of Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Resilience at the United Nations Satellite Center
As part of the faculty representatives’ speeches, Samir Belabbes, chief scientist of Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Resilience of the United Nations Satellite Center and instructor of the course ‘Geoinformatics’, said that the Luojia Global Summer School provided an excellent platform for academic and cultural exchange. In addition, he admired the long-term cooperation between Wuhan University and the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Branch of the United Nations Satellite Center.
Speech by Rowan Flad, Harward University
Rowan Flad, professor of Harvard University, who is also the instructor of ‘Panlongcheng archaeology’, looked back on the long history of the Panlongcheng Archaeology Project of Wuhan University and congratulated the international students on their participation in this program, where they will engage in both theoretical and practical learning of Panlongcheng archaeology alongside students from Wuhan University.
Speech by Prof. Misir Mustafa, Duke Kunshan University
Professor Misir Mustafa, the instructor of the ‘Asian Architectural Culture and Heritage’ from Duke Kunshan University, said that Duke Kunshan University is a Sino-foreign cooperative university jointly established by Wuhan University and Duke University. This is his first time teaching at Wuhan University, and he found the teaching exchange at Wuhan University to be very meaningful. Moreover, he welcomed the international students participating in this event and thanked all the organizers and volunteers for their efforts to ensure the smooth running of the event.
Speech by Zhou Lihong, Associate Dean of the School of Information Management
Zhou Lihong, Associate Dean of Wuhan University’s School of Information Management and the instructor of the ‘Future Information Leaders Summer School’, summarized his experience at Wuhan University, believing that the university was inclusive, inspiring, and international. He expressed his hope that participants in the summer school would gain insights into China's solutions to sustainable development and cutting-edge global achievements through this event.
Speech by Schrag-Toso Aaron Kyle, student of the University of Arizona
After the instructors’ speeches, Aaron Kyle Schrag-Toso, a participant in ‘Global Communication and Sustainable Development’ from the University of Arizona in the United States, said that this was his first time to come to China. He hopes to seize the opportunity provided by the Luojia Global Summer School to understand China’s history and society, explore the dissemination and mutual learning of cultures, and at the same time make new friends.
Speech by Zhou Wenlin, student volunteer from the School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Wuhan University
Student volunteer Zhou Wenlin from the School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering at Wuhan University, on behalf of all volunteers at this summer school, pledged to provide all participants and guests with an unforgettable and enlightening experience. He expressed his hope that the friendships forged among the students would transcend geographical boundaries and transform into the power of youth contributing to the world’s sustainable development goals.
Launch Luojia Global Summer School Opening Ceremony
After all the speeches, Yuan Yufeng, Vice President of Wuhan University, Liu Xiaoli, deputy director of the Office of International Affairs, and other leaders of relevant departments and offices, along with international faculty and student representatives, stepped onto the stage to jointly push a horizontal pole, which slowly unrolled the main scroll, symbolizing the official launch of the 2024 Luojia Global Summer School. This Chinese-style presentation inspired ovations from all participants present.
All teachers and participants of the summer school
This summer school was organized by the Office of International Affairs, which integrated existing summer exchange programs within the university and guided colleges to cultivate new curricular projects. A total of ten curricular modules are on offer, providing more than 220 participants from over 30 countries and regions with ten thematic learning projects, including ‘Asian Architecture Culture and Heritage’, ‘Global Communication and Sustainable Development’ ‘Remote Sensing Geographic Information and Urban Environment’ ‘GeoInformatics’ ‘Panlongcheng archaeology’ etc. A number of schools, including the School of History, School of Information Management, the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, School of Journalism and Communication, School of Urban Design, School of Chinese Language and Literature, School of Foreign Languages and Literature, School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering and School of Marxism are involved in the activity. The summer school aims to provide an international academic exchange platform for participants to understand sustainable development from different perspectives through academic courses, group discussions, field trips, and other activities. It is committed to enabling participants to deepen their understanding of modern China while gaining academic knowledge, and fostering the power of youth to promote sustainable development of the world.
