The Department of Foreign Languages at Fuzhou University’s Zhicheng College hosted the first Fujian Youth Empowerment Summer Camp for Intercultural Communication between the 4th and 7th of July. The Summer Camp helps prepare students for the prestigious Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press (SFLEP) Cup National College Students’ Intercultural Competence Contest.

Organised by Juan Chen (Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Languages) and led by Dimitrinka Atanasova, the Summer Camp brought together 42 students from 22 universities in China pursuing BA degrees in different subjects.

Dimitrinka’s sessions focused on the role of culture in communication in educational contexts and in mediated communication. She introduced students to research trends in these areas, shared her own research, and facilitated teamwork discussions.

In addition to the sessions on intercultural communication, the Summer Camp offered a vibrant programme of cultural activities including an introduction to making smokeless incense led by inheritor Weiping Chen. Smokeless incense is part of China’s intangible cultural heritage.

The Summer Camp concluded with a visit to Kuliang – an area of natural beauty and a testament to Fuzhou’s long history of intercultural communication.

The event attracted attention from China Central Television (CCTV) and other media organisations in China.