On August 7 at 9:00 a.m., the closing ceremony of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST)–University of Oxford Summer Camp was held in Conference Room N309 of the Clean Energy Building. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Zou Mingqing, Vice dean of ICARE; Prof. Luo Cong, Chinese supervisor of ICARE; Ms.Tan Yaling, Assistant to the Director of the Academic Affairs Office; and all the Oxford students. Mr. Zhang Tongle, a ICARE class 2024 postgraduate student, presided over the closing ceremony.
After screening a video retrospective of the academic and cultural exchanges during the camp, the ceremony commenced with Dr. Zou Mingqing’s opening address. He reflected on the six-week journey: from initial unfamiliarity with the campus environment to becoming accustomed to life and dining in China. Participants had not only gained professional knowledge but also forged sincere friendships, broadened their cultural horizons, and enhanced mutual understanding and solidarity. Citing the Chinese poem “A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near,” he hoped that upon returning home, the students would often recall this memorable experience at HUST. He concluded by wishing them good health, happiness, and academic success, and expressed the hope that their time at HUST would inspire them, foster deep friendships, and strengthen their commitment to building a sustainable future.
Subsequently, the Oxford students took turns to present the academic progress and achievements they had made under the guidance of Chinese supervisors during the summer camp.
After all the students had completed their presentations, Prof. Luo Cong summarized the summer camp. He expressed his satisfaction, stating that throughout the six-week program, the students had demonstrated excellent research skills and learning abilities. Through collaborative research with Chinese students, they had achieved fruitful results, and he fully recognized their efforts in their studies. Prof. Luo Cong noted that it was no easy feat for the students, who had come from a foreign country, to quickly adapt to life in China and conduct research. He added that their visits to other Chinese cities and experiences of the splendid Chinese culture outside of their studies would become precious memories for them.
Finally, the camp participants received their certificates of completion.
Lasting six weeks, the summer camp offered participants more than just research internships with supervisors in laboratories. They also gained an in-depth experience of traditional Chinese culture, including traditional Chinese opera, martial arts practice, dumpling making, and tea ceremony appreciation. Additionally, visits to the Hubei Provincial Museum, as well as leading enterprises such as State Grid NARI Group and Dongfeng M-Hero, allowed them to experience the strength of China’s technology and the unique charm of Chinese culture from a comprehensive, multi-dimensional perspective. For years, relying on the advantages of its Sino-foreign cooperative education platform, ICARE has actively adopted a model of “scientific research exchanges + immersive thematic cultural experiences” for the campers from University of Oxford. This model helps broaden their international perspective in the field of new energy and builds a bridge for multi-cultural communication.
Addressing global energy challenges requires cross-border cooperation, interdisciplinary innovation, and cultural understanding. This summer camp represents a steady step forward in pursuit of this vision. In the future,ICARE will continue to innovate its approaches, promote the convergence of ideas and actions, and invite more friends from home and abroad to visit, understand, and grow to love Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
