To cultivate a sense of nation for students, UM’ Cheng Yu Tung College continues to enrich and develop new forms of whole-person education, striving to integrate civic values with peer education.
On June 7th of 2021, Associate Master Dr. Gong Yingxue led eight students from the college on a weeklong exchange visit to Yuanpei College of Peking University. The theme of the visit was “A Journey through History”, with the aim of integrating peer education with the study of Chinese history. Yuanpei College of Peking University selected eight students of their own to form a peer group to welcome the eight visiting UM students.
The visit combined classroom learning with hands on experiences. To enhance the students’ understanding of Beijing’s history, Assistant Professor Zhang Jianwei from the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University gave an overview of Beijing’s historical and cultural heritage in a thorough lecture. Yuanpei College then arranged a workshop on the history of seal carving and the carving of rubber stamps for the students, who were fascinated by this ancient and abstract traditional Chinese art form. In the following field trip, the students visited the Palace Museum, the National Museum, the Summer Palace, the Jingshan Park, the South Luogu Lane, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Liulichang, and the campus of Peking University. Through academic lectures and field experiences, the students gained a deep understanding of the rich cultural heritage of Beijing, and a strong sense of national identity was aroused.
In addition to learning about history, the students went into the classroom with their peers to experience being a Peking University student for a day. They joined lectures on “Space Exploration”, “Criminal Procedure Law”, “History of the Rule of Law in China” and “General History of China”. Finally, students from both colleges shared their thoughts on this exchange trip and compared the similarities and differences between the Macau and Beijing in terms of educational models, architectural styles, and cultural traditions.
The eight students from Yuanpei College of Peking University are expected to visit UM’s Cheng Yu Tung College from September 12th to 18th, 2021. Professor Li Meng, Dean of Yuanpei College, said that whole-person education is the goal of higher education in the future and looked forward to more academic exchanges between the two schools. Dr. Gong Yingxue, Associate Master of Cheng Yu Tung College, said that UM is committed to the four-in-one whole-person education and this visit has broadened the horizons of the students, which will further develop them into good citizens with a strong sense of national identity.
