“Last summer, I had the privilege of participating in a 15-day summer school program hosted by South China University of Technology (SCUT) in Guangzhou through the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) Program. Before arriving, China felt like a distant country to me — a place I knew only through books and media reports. But the moment I set foot there, everything became real and alive...”

On May 7, at the opening ceremony of the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue and Mutual Learning among Civilizations marking the 20th Anniversary of the China–Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, themed “The Beauty of Harmony: Coexistence through Integration,” held in Athens, Greece, Christos Kadas, a student from the Technical University of Crete, spoke enthusiastically about his summer school experience at SCUT last year.

“China’s culture, education, and technological development left a profound impression on me,” he said.

At this high-profile event, jointly hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Embassy in Greece, and the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, the Greek student shared how his experience in SCUT’s summer school program sparked a strong personal connection with China. His story was widely covered by Xinhua News Agency and several other media outlets.

Opening Ceremony of SCUT Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering

The Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering mentioned by Christos Kadas was held at SCUT last July.At the time, 120 international students and 16 faculty members from 25 overseas partner universities — including the university of Cambridge, Imperial College London, Ghent University, Université Paris Cité, the National Technical University of Athens, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Politecnico di Torino, Moscow Aviation Institute, the university of California, Irvine, Rutgers University, the university of Southern California, Stevens Institute of Technology, Western University, the university of New South Wales, the university of Queensland, and Nanyang Technological University — gathered at SCUT’s Guangzhou International Campus for a two-week program featuring academic study, campus life, and cultural immersion.

Students of the Global Summer School Explore SCUT’s Guangzhou International Campus

Christos Kadas was among the participants. Before arriving at SCUT, the Greek student, who majors in electrical and computer engineering, had already been studying Chinese and even chosen a poetic Chinese name for himself: “Shan Feng” (“Mountain Peak”).

Recalling his experience, he said one of the most exciting moments of the trip was visiting SCUT’s laboratories and getting a close-up look at cutting-edge research in electronics, automation, and artificial intelligence. “This is exactly the future we are studying for and striving to build,” he said.

Badge Conferring Ceremony of the Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering (Christos Kadas: back row, second from right)

Beyond the cutting-edge technology, he was equally impressed by the academic and cultural atmosphere on campus. At the Guangzhou International Campus, the spirit of the Chinese students — their self-discipline, focus, and passion for innovation — deeply moved him.

Corporate Visit at the Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering (Christos Kadas: front row, center)

Beyond the campus, Guangzhou’s advanced transportation system, vibrant urban energy, and rich historical and cultural heritage gave him a genuine sense of connection with this thousand-year-old city.

Of course, no study tour in China would be complete without its cuisine. During the summer school, he enjoyed a wide variety of Chinese dishes together with friends from around the world, experiencing firsthand the history and traditions embedded in Chinese culinary culture.

This immersive journey at SCUT led him to a deep realization: although Greece and China are geographically distant, both are ancient civilizations with long histories, sharing many cultural affinities and common values.

“As young students, we play a special role in the development of China–Greece relations. In the future, we will become engineers, scientists, and builders and leaders across various fields, and we will continue to serve as bridges for cooperation between our two countries.”

At the forum, as he wrapped up his sharing and concluded with a fluent “Thank you, everyone” in Chinese, the entire room erupted in warm applause.

Openness is a defining feature of Chinese modernization, with high-level openness in education serving as a crucial component. As one of the “Eight Major Breakthrough Initiatives” deployed by the university, SCUT is vigorously advancing its “Openness and Cooperation” action plan to expand its global perspective. By driving high-quality “inbound” initiatives, SCUT is strengthening its distinctive model of “internationalization at home”. Meanwhile, through high-level “outbound” engagement, the university is accelerating its “global outreach” and pioneering “new breakthroughs in international collaboration”.

By hosting the Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering year after year, SCUT has opened a vital gateway for mutual understanding and shared learning, attracting an increasing number of global youth to participate in structured and sizable cohorts. From this very campus, the ethos of China, the dynamic allure of the Greater Bay Area, and the excellence of SCUT are radiating out to the world.

·Preview: 2026 Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering to Launch in July

Supported by the China Exchange Program for Young International (CEP) and the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES), the 2026 Global Summer School of Emerging Engineering at SCUT will be held from July 12 to 25. It is expected to bring together around 150 international students and 17 international faculty members. Centered on five core areas — artificial intelligence, soft matter materials, biomedicine, chemical engineering, and electric power technology — the program is structured into three components: academic courses, cultural courses and excursions, and on-site corporate workshops.

Specifically, the academic courses will be jointly delivered by top-tier Chinese and international faculty. The cultural courses and excursions will immerse students in the time-honored brilliance of traditional Chinese culture and the unique heritage of the Lingnan region. Meanwhile, the on-site corporate workshops will take students to industry-leading Chinese enterprises, showing international students an authentic, dynamic, and technologically advancing modern China.