Campus Life

NJU International Students Explore Literature Through Cross-Cultural Exchange

On April 25, Nanjing University's Graduate Student Union organized an international book-themed event titled "Reading Across the World" at the Jingwen Student Activity Center on its Xianlin Campus. The event gathered students from China, Russia, Australia and Armenia, providing a platform for cross-cultural exchange through literature.

The event kicked off with an ice-breaking session, where participants introduced themselves and shared books that had left a profound impression on them—an activity that helped attendees quickly build rapport. The atmosphere turned lively afterward as the host launched an emoji-based book title guessing game, with students actively identifying famous works based on pictorial clues.

Following the interactive game, students were invited to reflect on and discuss the question: "What do you think is the best quality of humanity?" Drawing on their diverse cultural backgrounds, participants shared their perspectives freely, engaging in an open and in-depth dialogue.

A poetry collage workshop served as the creative highlight of the event. Participants used printed excerpts from classic Chinese and international literary works to create original poems. By cutting, arranging and pasting words and short phrases, they crafted new meanings, enabling cross-linguistic idea sharing in a simple yet innovative way.

The event wrapped up with a book swap. Each participant brought a book accompanied by a handwritten note explaining their affection for it and a message for the next reader. All attendees then took a group photo and received small potted plants as souvenirs.

Through interactive conversations and the poetry collage workshop, the event fostered meaningful connections among students from different cultural backgrounds, turning shared literary stories into a bridge for mutual understanding and friendship.