On the afternoon of December 1, an online exchange meeting between Chinese and Japanese students entitled “A New Chapter of Heart to Heart Exchange” was successfully held by our university and Matsuyama Shinonome College with the attendance of Fang Wenkai, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies, Zhang Peng, Head of the Japanese Department, and some teachers and students from the Japanese Department.

First, the president and vice president of Matsuyama Shinonome College, Keizo Takahashi and Hideki Mori, gave speeches reviewing the history of the origin and international exchange between the two universities and spoke highly of the meeting. Fang Wenkai’s speech pointed out that the meeting provided a new platform for student exchange and had great significance for international exchange during the epidemic.

Under the guidance of Prof. Zhang Peng and faculty representatives, our students divided into four groups to deliver group presentations on the cultural traits of China, study life during the epidemic, university courses in China, and the after-school life of college students, which were highly evaluated by the Japanese teachers and students.

In the free exchange session, there were discussions on cultural differences between China and Japan, language learning in China and Japan, local specialties in China and Japan, traditional Chinese and Japanese festivals and extracurricular activities in school. After the meeting, they all expressed that this activity enriched their study life during the epidemic, expanded their international vision, created opportunities for them to understand the daily study and life of university students in both countries, and brought them closer to each other.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. The Japanese Department has already provided students with opportunities to learn about Japanese national conditions and culture in all aspects and to promote cultural exchanges through various forms, after which students will better understand the close ties between China and Japan, and consciously contribute to the friendly relations between the two countries.