On October 10th, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology (CIIT) held the 2025 Opening Ceremony and First Lesson of the New Semester for International Students. President Yang Jinsong and Vice President Jiang Zhengyan attended the event, which was hosted by Fei Jianming, Dean of the School of Overseas Education.
On behalf of all CIIT faculty and students, Yang Jinsong extended a warm welcome to 47 new international students from 6 countries,including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Myanmar, and Laos, and delivered the First Lesson of the New Semester to the cohort. He outlined four core guidelines for their growth during their time in China:Take openness as the foundation to co-create a vibrant and diverse journey; Take learning as the core to solidify the foundation for personal and academic growth;Take communication as a bridge to tell authentic Chinese stories to the world;Take striving as a tool to write a brilliant chapter of youth at CIIT.He encouraged the students to cherish their study and life experience in China, master the Chinese language and professional skills, deepen their understanding of Chinese culture, and grow into young envoys who promote cross-cultural communication and friendship.
Jiang Zhengyan presented the college-developed textbook Chinese Skilled Worker Deng Jianjun to student representatives, urging them to learn from the Chinese craftsman spirit and constantly surpass themselves in academic learning and practical training. Xing Kailing, Director of the Student Affairs Office, awarded the New Student Scholarship to representatives, hoping they would set lofty aspirations, study diligently and practice earnestly, and achieve new milestones in their lives at CIIT.
Gao Lingjun, the faculty representative, offered sincere blessings for the new semester and encouraged students to overcome language and cultural barriers, pursue their dreams bravely, and accumulate knowledge and experience to lay a solid foundation for future success. Zahkung Hkawng Je, a new student representative from Myanmar, stated that he would value the opportunity to study at CIIT, strive to enhance his professional competence and cross-cultural communication abilities, and grow into an international youth who knows China, befriends China, and loves China.
Chinese and international students performed together on stage, fully demonstrating CIIT’s open, inclusive, integrated, and progressive international campus culture. Highlights of the performances included: A dynamic lion dance by CIIT’s Huangsha Lion Club, with vivid movements and high spirits, symbolizing auspiciousness and progress; A heartfelt rendition of I Love You, China by international student Chang Yaw, expressing deep affection and attachment to China; A poetry recitation of The Chinese Language by international student C C Htoi Pan, who interpreted the beauty of the Chinese language and the resonance between different cultures with full emotion; A lively and enthusiastic dance Lao Rhythms on the Silk Road performed by new student representatives, which integrated the cultural rhythms and friendship melodies of Belt and Road countries and won bursts of warm applause from the audience.
The 2025 Opening Ceremony and First Lesson of the New Semester for International Students is not only a warm welcome ceremony for the new cohort, but also a vivid lesson on cultural exchange and a crucial starting point for their growth at CIIT. CIIT will continue to advance the construction of the Study in CIIT brand, deepen international educational exchange and cooperation, continuously improve the quality of international student cultivation, and contribute to nurturing a new generation of young people with international perspectives who understand China and love China.
Leaders from CIIT’s International and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs Office, Academic Affairs Office, Student Affairs Office, School of Digital Business, School of Information Engineering, and School of Overseas Education, together with counselors and class teachers from the Overseas Education College, as well as all international students of the 2024 and 2025 cohorts, participated in this event.