Tianjin University volunteers teach for a week in Tibet

"Teachers from Tianjin University taught us about electricity, space exploration and photography. (They were) enlightening lessons... Among them all, I enjoyed the photography class they gave us the most," said Karma Dechen, a fourth-year student at the No 1 Primary School in Samdrubze district, Shigatse, Tibet autonomous region.

She was talking about a class given by seven students and two teachers from Tianjin University's School of Electrical and Information Engineering. The volunteer group taught support classes at multiple primary and secondary schools in the district for a week early this month.

They included classes about cultural exchange between the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups, reading, handicrafts, and art.

The group included one teacher, Chen Xiaolong, a professor at the school, who had won first prize in the National College Young Teachers Teaching Competition. Chen delivered a lecture titled "Three Questions about Electrical Energy" to students at the No 1 primary school.

He explained batteries, power plants, and electrical systems, giving the students a clear understanding of where the electricity that powers their homes comes from. "I hoped to raise their awareness of electricity from a safety perspective," Chen said.

At the Qingdao Elementary School in Shigatse, postgraduate student Ding Lin, shared the inspiring story of Gui Haichao, the first payload expert with the Chinese space station.

"I try to give children a general view of a person's brave inquiry of unknown space, and with Gui's story, I was encouraging them to dream big and study hard," Ding said.

Apart from teaching, the team also ran a "Rural Revitalization Program through Language Promotion" program. They combined Chinese-language training with vocational skills related to agriculture and animal husbandry, e-commerce, handicrafts, tourism and wellness, cultural creativity, as well as healthcare and legal literacy, in the form of lectures to residents.

The combination of skills is designed to explore available resources and create tangible benefits for the community, the local television station said.

"We hope to make this voluntary teaching exercise a long-term commitment, and use our educational resources to help the development of Tibet," said He Liqian, head of the volunteer group, and vice-Party chief of the school.

During the program's inauguration ceremony in early July, Tianjin University announced that it would be setting up student practice centers at three primary schools, one youth training academy, and one high school in the city.

It will send students and teachers to teach voluntarily during vacations each year.