Recently, the China Open International Volunteer Team Chinese Culture Training Session was held at the International Media Education Institute (International Student Affairs Center) of Communication University of China. The event was jointly organized by Communication University of China and the University of Missouri, with faculty and student representatives from both universities and all volunteers participating together, marking the official launch of offline training for the 2026 China Open International Volunteer Program.
▲Tang Nina delivers a speech
▲Zhang Yuyan delivers a speech
▲Chinese and American volunteers take a group photo with faculty and students from both sides
Tang Nina, Vice Dean of the International Media Education Institute at Communication University of China, Bryan Allen, foreign faculty member of the institute and scholar of Chinese-English cultural exchange, faculty advisor Cai Jing, member of the Beijing Calligraphy and Painting Association and 2025 master's student in Cultural Heritage and Museum Management Cao Qingyue, as well as 10 volunteer students from the institute attended the event. The US delegation was composed of Zhang Yuyan, Director of the China Cooperation Department of the Global Exchange Program Center at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, faculty advisor Nicholas Emanuel Mathews, team leader Yang Li, and 10 volunteer students from the University of Missouri.
▲Bryan Allen explains Chinese tones and Chinese character writing examples
During the cultural lecture session, Bryan Allen started from daily life, shared his experience of living in China, and discussed the significance of cross-cultural communication around Chinese society and culture. The lecture also used Chinese phonetic learning as an example to lead volunteers to understand the pronunciation and usage characteristics of Chinese, bringing each other closer through relaxed interaction.
▲Chinese and American volunteers experience traditional Chinese calligraphy
In the cultural ice-breaking session, Cao Qingyue led Chinese and American volunteers to experience traditional Chinese calligraphy. Everyone held brushes and dipped them in ink, experiencing the brush-and-ink charm and Eastern aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy through every stroke.
▲Online training for Chinese and American volunteers
To further consolidate volunteers' service capabilities and cross-cultural adaptability, before meeting offline, Chinese and American volunteers also participated in online training. The series of training not only covered language, rules, and professional skills, but also focused on shaping cultural cognition and teamwork capabilities, providing systematic support for Chinese and American volunteers to smoothly integrate into event services.
The China Open International Volunteer Program has been carried out for three consecutive years. The program will continue to use sports as a medium and culture as a bridge, promote international communication practice and cross-cultural talent cultivation, further enhance the level of cooperation and social influence between our university and the University of Missouri, and contribute to promoting cultural exchange between Chinese and American youth.
This article was translated with AI assistance.
Editor: Fang Yiran
