Shanxi University's School of International Education and Exchanges, in the city of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, held a convocation ceremony for a new wave of foreign students, as the semester began, on Sept 5, where the dean of the school, Yan Weiping, gave them a warm welcome on behalf of all the faculty and described the history and culture of the province and development of the school, and its academic achievements.

Yan said he hopes all the students will work hard to improve their language skills and learn more about traditional Chinese culture and promote cultural exchanges with their respective countries.

Kumar Anant, an Indian who has been studying in Shanxi for some time, shared his experiences with all newcomers, while a Japanese student, Akamatsu Saki, told the gathering about his confidence and resolve in dealing with the Chinese language.

This semester sees the school with several dozen foreign students from 38 countries, 19 of them working on a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree in Finance, Sociology, International Politics, Economic Law, Accounting, and other fields.