Int’l students share “Hangzhou Stories” at HZICC open day

When the July breeze sweeps along the banks of the Qiantang River, a grand event themed "Windows and Bridges" kicks off in Hangzhou. Eleven universities in Hangzhou and over a hundred international students gather at the Open Day of the Hangzhou International Communication Center - a place where the echoes of five thousand years of civilization resonate, where the fresh ideas of Gen Z are devoted to international communication, and where the universities and the local government join hands to shout out to the world with great ambition.

"Carrying the 5,000-year-old genes of Chinese civilization, Hangzhou has always been an important window for telling China's story to the world. International communication is the key bridge for the world to understand Hangzhou and China," said Xiang Hui, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Hangzhou Daily Press Group and Secretary of the Party Committee of the City Express. In Xiang Hui's eyes, Hangzhou flows with the ancient blood of the Liangzhu civilization and beats with the modern pulse of the "Six Little Dragons". The Open Day of Hangzhou International Communication Center on July 10 was like a spark, igniting the enthusiasm for communication among international youth.
The team of Hangzhou International Communication Center (HZICC) opened their hearts to international students. In his speech, Jiang Xianzheng, Head of Hangzhou International Communication Center, said that  “Hi World” in the center’s slogan expresses their relaxed attitude towards greeting the world, while “Hi Story” is the secret of communication - storytelling is always the most powerful tool. Hangzhou International Communication Center hopes to “let the world fall in love with Hangzhou”, and thus requires everyone to innovate content and deepen emotions together.
“Our uniqueness lies in building an emotional bond between international friends and local residents,”said Zhou Ji, director of Hangzhou International Communication Center, explaining the special attribute of the center as a media. Ji Tao, the operation director, turned her attention to the representatives of the universities present: "Next, it's up to us to see how we can create more sparks through more innovations and breakthroughs in the collision between international communication and the advantages of universities." Focusing on global sustainable issues, Li Yechi, the creative director of the center, threw out the keyword “ESG”. “This is a global common language. Telling the ESG story of Hangzhou can help the world understand us faster,” she said. She revealed that Hangzhou International Communication Center is striving to “convert industrial advantages into international communication advantages”, and to achieve this, it very much needs the intellectual support of universities. Daria, a foreign anchor of the center, as a front-line creator, sincerely shared her practical experience: “To be in the media, one must always be imaginative, making the content deep and interesting, so that the world can discover and appreciate Hangzhou.”

New Models and New Paths: The Deans of International Education

Analyze the Road to Co-creation

During the sharing session of university representatives, Wan Duo, the vice dean of the International Education College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, chose Solar Terms and the Universe as the opening remarks. This is the title of the series of 24 solar terms videos jointly launched by Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and Hangzhou International Communication Center in the past year. Since the first video was released on Grain Buds in 2024, the series has accumulated over 2 million clicks on overseas social media, quickly becoming the first popular IP created by the university and Hangzhou International Communication Center. Wan Duo revealed the secret behind the success of the series - team, fun, platform, and thinking, “missing any one of them would make the mission impossible!” The professional team provided full support from creative conception to editing, highlighting fun in communication, choosing typical Hangzhou landmarks as shooting locations, and transforming traditional Chinese medicine theories into modern lifestyles, among other practices, which are very worthy of summary and reference.
Regarding the joint promotion of international communication by universities and the Hangzhou International Communication Center, Pei Bei, the dean of the International Education College of Zhejiang Gongshang University, proposed a "three-dimensional empowerment" practical plan: in terms of top-level design, incorporate international communication into the school's planning and explore a new model of "theme guidance - professional support - creative transformation"; in terms of resource sharing, establish a Future Communication College and build internship bases to allow teachers and students to "practice in real combat"; in terms of communication channels, plan to create the "Zhejiang Business Starfire" IP and tell the stories of Zhejiang business people through compliant cross-border platforms. "International communication does not only rely on the 'national team', but also on the power of the people," Pei Bei quoted Professor Wu Fei of Zhejiang University as emphasizing that international students should be transformed from "those being communicated to" to "the main communicators".

Round table Forum: Universities Jointly Draw a New Picture of International

Communication

"How can universities leverage their advantages to assist Hangzhou in enhancing its international communication?" Facing the question raised by Ji Tao, the operation director of the Hangzhou International Communication Center, the "heads" of the international education colleges of universities in Hangzhou engaged in a brainstorming session during the roundtable forum, depicting a vivid picture and insightful ideas of "one university, one brand".
Wu Hongkuan, the dean of the School of International Education, China Jiliang University, introduced that since the university's cooperation with the Hangzhou International Communication Center, it has sent international students to report on events such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Marco Polo Statue Festival for Italian students. In the future, the university plans to create international education products with a Jiliang theme and strengthen the international dissemination of the "Jiliang" IP. Wei Jianhua,  acting deputy dean of School of International Education at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, revealed that the university is planning to combine the resources of the Anji campus to create a science and technology-themed IP to showcase the achievements of the integration of universities and cities in science and technology to the world and attract more international friends to love Hangzhou. Yu Wenxian, the vice dean of the college of International at Zhejiang University of Technology summarized three key words: "deep experience, empowerment and co-creation, and breakthrough communication". She said that the university has organized international students to participate in events such as the "Black Myth: Wukong" exhibition and the Zhejiang Business Going Global series of matchmaking meetings, enabling students to transform from cultural observers to communicators. Huang Zhixiong, the vice dean of the International College of Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, stated that the college is focusing on the cultivation of "internal drive", such as setting up official accounts on overseas social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook and attempting to cultivate international student influencers. Jin Xiannv, the deputy secretary of the CPC general branch committee,  School of International Education at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, shared the school's "silk characteristic" communication path, stating that the school is building the "Silk Road Youth Talk" platform and plans to cooperate with the Hangzhou International Communication Center to report on "Silk Road Youth Stories", and further deepen the brand co-construction of "Silk Road Youth" in the future. Yang Quanquan, the director of the Student Affairs Office of the School of International Education at Hangzhou Dianzi University, emphasized from a grassroots perspective that communication practice should be closely combined with the career development of international students.

In the Gen Z Youth Lightning Share Session, representatives of international students from six universities shared their experiences and insights from their exchanges and studies, telling the stories of China and the picture of Hangzhou in their eyes. They demonstrated their responsibility and enthusiasm through their actions - the way of connecting new generation cultures is quietly changing, gathering warmth in communication and stimulating power in co-creation.
When the dazzling and diverse drumming techniques of the 24 Solar Terms Drum and the lively and engaging performances of African drums were presented one after another, the cheers from the audience below made me understand that true cultural exchange is about each participant becoming both a narrator of their own culture and a listener to that of others. Zhejiang University's Malaysian student CHUA CHENG FEI, who once served as the coordinator of the school's carnival, witnessed the flow and transmission of culture through resonance. USMANOVA AMINA, a girl from Tajikistan studying at Zhejiang University of Technology, has now deeply fallen in love with Hangzhou: "The pickled persimmons in Jiangcun are sweet and sour, the stories of the Qianhe Women's Village are heartwarming, and the forums at the Liangzhu Museum have made me understand the profound influence of Chinese civilization on the world." MONG MONG SHO, a well-known painter from Bangladesh, is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the China Academy of Art. Using watercolor as a medium and a paintbrush as a bridge, he depicts the colorful China in his eyes. He is especially grateful for Hangzhou's friendly and inclusive attitude towards foreign students and wants to meticulously depict the streets, scenery, and charm of Hangzhou to convey them to the world. "I hope to keep learning for a lifetime and paint the Hangzhou feel in my heart."

As Xiang Hui, deputy editor-in-chief of Hangzhou Daily Press Group, said, "Hangzhou is a window to the Chinese story, and international communication is the bridge to understanding China." And this bridge is being built wider and more stable bit by bit with the wisdom of universities in Hangzhou and the enthusiasm of the youth. At the end of the Open Day event, the Hangzhou International Communication Center presented the title of "Hangzhou Overseas Communicator" to outstanding Gen Z international students and signed an agreement with eleven universities to establish the "International Communication Collaboration Body of Universities in Hangzhou".
In the future, as the international visibility of the core co-cultivation brand continues to rise through resource integration, and as the communication potential of Hangzhou feel and the service efficiency for foreigners in Hangzhou form a "big picture", the "university-city symbiosis" path of Hangzhou's international communication will surely become wider and wider.
This practice, with universities as its wings and communication as its bridge, will eventually enable the story of Hangzhou, carrying the grace of silk, the sharpness of technology and the vitality of Gen Z, to cross mountains and seas and reach the world, opening a new chapter of the international version of the "Hangzhou Story" written jointly by the city and universities.
Source:Hangzhoufeel