On May 16, 2026, Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) successfully held "The Global Village: A Multicultural Learning Experience," the latest signature session of the 5th BUCT Global Youth Dialogue, organized by the School of International Education. The event brought together 35 students from 20 countries from countries including China, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Peru, Chile, Yemen, Ethiopia, Uganda, Pakistan, Venezuela, Palestine, Afghanistan, Chad, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, for an interactive morning of cross-cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and friendship-building, held at Changping Campus of BUCT.
The session created a meaningful platform where international and Chinese students engaged as co-learners, building the kind of two-way intercultural understanding that strengthens daily life in dorms, classrooms, and research laboratories. Using the internationally recognized Head–Heart–Hand (3H) educational model, the activity encouraged participants to develop multicultural knowledge, strengthen empathy, and practice practical communication and collaboration skills.
"What made this session special was that it wasn't only for our international students — it was a true meeting point," said Zain Ul Abideen, a PhD student and one of the event facilitators. "When Chinese and international students learn side by side, everyone grows. That is what real cross-cultural exchange looks like," added fellow facilitators Viktoriia Strugina, an undergraduate student, and Ahmad Hussain, a PhD student.
Setting the Tone: Shared Values for Shared Learning
The activity opened with a warm welcome from Claire Jiang, Vice Director of the Division of International Student Affairs at the School of International Education. She welcomed Dr. Liu Hongxia from the School of Humanities and Law and all BUCT students, noting that the activity is designed to bring together students from different countries and backgrounds. "Our goal is simple: to create a respectful space where you can communicate, cooperate, and learn from one another." She then introduced participant norms — respect, responsibility, empathy, and compliance with laws, BUCT regulations, and university policies with values — setting a safe and welcoming tone for the activities ahead.
3H Head: Building a Shared Vocabulary of Multicultural Learning
In the “Head” phase, students explored key ideas of cultural diversity, multicultural awareness, global citizenship, and the cultural dimensions that shape everyday interactions. The phase opened with a lively Cultural Fingerprint icebreaker, in which each participant exchanged three short cultural reflections with rotating partners.
"My favorite part was filling out the Cultural Fingerprint card," shared participant Aliia Garapshina, from Russia). "I shared the specific word from my language, and it was cool to hear others' special words. So many different worlds in one room."
A concise visual presentation introduced the workshop's core concepts, followed by an interactive Culture Check quiz that filled the room with energy and friendly competition while consolidating the day's vocabulary.
3H Heart: Walking in Each Other's Shoes
In the Heart phase, students entered the "Walk in My Shoes" Storytelling Circle, using Cultural Profile Cards to take on the perspectives of fictional international students from a wide range of backgrounds. Speaking from these personas, participants explored unfamiliar challenges —Latin American student learning to read silent communication cues, a returning student weighing personal ambition against family duty.
Small-group discussions on moral dilemma scenarios followed, with each group reflecting on assumptions, empathy, and respectful decision-making in multicultural situations. Reflections were collected on a shared "Shifting Perspectives" wall.
"In the past, I mostly perceived different cultures only through literary works and written materials," reflected Julia Zhao (赵嘉怡), a Chinese participant. "This event enabled me to directly and personally experience cultural diversity. I have gained a deeper understanding of tolerance, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence between different cultures."
3H Hand: Connection Beyond Words
In the Hand phase, participants applied what they had learned and felt through hands-on group challenges that demanded communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. The centerpiece was a collaborative painting activity in which mixed teams of international and Chinese students worked together to create a shared artwork expressing their collective hopes for the future.
The activity introduced one striking constraint: for part of the challenge, participants were not allowed to speak. They had to rely entirely on gestures, drawings, and silent observation to coordinate, decide, and create together.
"At first, it was difficult to communicate without words," shared international participant Sifa Pene Kapakalagracia, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo "But it helped me understand the importance of body language and patience. My favorite part was choosing the symbol together — it was a fun and creative way to learn about multicultural unity."
Several teams wrote their best wishes for the future directly onto their paintings, transforming the collaborative artwork into a shared declaration of community. As Chinese participant Taotao（陶李奇芳）described, "Everyone provided their own ideas, and then we combined them. We wrote our best wishes for the future on the project. This made me feel warm. We are all like a family, and people all over the world are one big family."
Closing: The Web of Reflection
The session concluded with the Web of Reflection, a symbolic closing activity in which participants stood in a large circle and passed a ball of colored yarn from hand to hand. Each person, before passing the yarn on, held a piece of the thread and shared a brief reflection — a takeaway, a feeling, or a personal commitment to action.
By the end, the entire group was connected by a single, intricate web of yarn — a tangible, visible symbol of the connections built among students and the shared responsibility of creating an inclusive campus community. A gentle tug on one strand was felt by everyone in the circle, illustrating powerfully how each person's actions ripple outward in a diverse community.
One participant, AHMAD AYESHA(何小溪), captured the spirit of the afternoon in just two lines: "Yesterday I knew your name. Today I understand you a little better."
Looking Ahead
The success of this inaugural workshop has demonstrated that experiential multicultural learning can be delivered with measurable impact on student well-being, integration, and global competence. The School of International Education plans to expand the program in coming semesters, integrating it into orientation week and offering regular sessions throughout the academic year. Continued participation from Chinese student volunteers will remain a defining feature of the program.
The event reflects BUCT's ongoing efforts to build an inclusive, respectful, and globally connected campus environment — nurturing graduates who possess both technical expertise and cross-cultural understanding as they step into their future careers. This activity fully demonstrates BUCT's firm commitment to cultivating globally competent graduates — engineers, scientists, and leaders ready to take on international careers and global responsibilities.
About the BUCT Global Youth Dialogue
The BUCT Global Youth Dialogue is a flagship cross-cultural program organized by the School of International Education, now in its fifth successful edition. Looking ahead, the program will deeply integrate the three concepts of "Stories of China Retold in English" "Academic Exploration," and "Innovation and Entrepreneurship," striving to become a bridge for cultural and academic exchange between Chinese and international students, as well as an incubator for innovation competitions, encouraging cross-national teams to transform their creative ideas into tangible research outcomes and entrepreneurial projects.
