20 | Wednesday, October 30, 2019 CHINA DAILY YOUTH Chinese language study on the rise in Japan TOKYO — “I started learning more and more interested in the Chinese in my freshman year and country and increasingly active in then I had the opportunity to learning Chinese. study in Beijing as an exchange Currently, about 400 universi­ student in my sophomore year. I ties in Japan offer Chinese lan­ made a lot of Chinese friends,” guage courses, according to Hu Yudai Maekawa, a junior student Zhiping, minister counselor for in Teikyo University, said while education of the Chinese embassy attending an event held in Tokyo in Japan. Some universities have to promote studying and job set up Confucius Institutes, which opportunities in China. not only provide a better platform “China’s economy is developing for the Japanese to learn Chinese, rapidly,” Maekawa said. “I want to but also make great contributions find a job related to China.” to training Japanese teachers, At the event, about 1,500 stu­ developing Chinese teaching dents took the HSK Chinese profi­ materials and promoting cultural ciency test and several hundred exchanges between the two coun­ other students participated in a tries. promotion activity pertaining to Apart from university educa­ studying in China and a job fair. tion, many Japanese are partici­ “There were 34,018 applicants pating in activities such as Chinese for the HSK in Japan last year, and Corner. based on this year’s registration Every Sunday afternoon since Lu Gaoqing, president of the University of Surrey in Britain, presents a student her degree at a special graduation ceremony held in Shang­ momentum, there are likely to be Aug 5, 2007, dozens to hundreds of hai for Chinese students. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY more than 40,000 applicants this Japanese and Chinese people year,” said Munashi Masuzawa, gather in Tokyo’s Nishiikebukuro president of the Japan Youth Park to talk in Chinese and Japa­ Development Association. nese. In 2010, only around 200 people “I like this Chinese corner very took the HSK, but the number of much. I come here to chat as long those taking the HSK exam in as I have time. It’s more about the Japan has been increasing year by latest Chinese news, culture and Setting a president year. making Chinese friends than it is Liu Yong, the Chinese director of about learning the language,” said the Confucius Institute at Musash­ 67­year­old Biju Nedzu. Lu Gaoqing, the China­born head of the University of Surrey, is working to forge ino University, said several hun­ Duan Yaozhong, founder of the dred students at the university Chinese corner agrees: “It is free tighter bonds between the institution and its mainland alumni, Xing Wen reports. have chosen Chinese as a required and has no threshold; people can course. come and go as they like. That’s special graduation cere­ The university currently has over Many students initially learned why many Japanese people, mony took place in Shang­ 900 students from the Chinese Chinese language just to broaden many of whom have to work, hai on Oct 19. A delegation mainland. Hospitality and tourism, their career horizons, but through come to the corner all the year from the University of business, computer science and the process, they not only learned round. It has become a platform Surrey made a trip all the way from A electrical and electronic engineer­ Chinese, but also learned about for sincere communication Guildford in the United Kingdom to ing, are the most popular courses Chinese culture, Liu said. between Japanese and Chinese Shanghai to host the event for its according to Dave Ferguson, head of By participating in such pro­ friends.” Chinese students and their families. Communications and Public Rela­ grams as tourism and study trips It’s compensation for those new tions at the university. to China, the students became XINHUA graduates who were unable to Lu says more interdisciplinary attend the graduation ceremony studies related to artificial intelli­ held in the UK, because their stu­ gence, data science and other cut­ dent visas expired before the event ting­edge technologies have been was scheduled. conducted, which may also be Vexing problems better “The ceremony here in Shanghai attractive to digital savvy students follows the same process as that in who are willing to make a difference. the UK, while also being open to our Moreover, the university has set a solved by ‘sleeping on it’ alumni and their friends and families. professional training year for jun­ We came to forge deeper university iors which ensures them access to CHICAGO — People actually decisions, it’s better to sleep on it ties with our Chinese graduates,” says Graduates of the University of Surrey attend the special graduation work placements in charity organi­ might be better placed to solve cer­ rather than stay up all night Lu Gaoqing, or Max Lu, president of ceremony for its Chinese graduates in Shanghai on Oct 19. zations, government bodies or relat­ tain problems if they are left to thinking about it.” the Guildford­based university. ed enterprises before graduation. “sleep on it”, a study by Northwest­ The research is the first to show Since Lu’s appointment as the pres­ That is the university’s “unique sell­ ern University showed. that problem­solving can actually ident and vice­chancellor of the uni­ ing point” when enrolling students The study posted on the NU be improved by targeting memo­ versity in 2016 — the first time that a who want to tap into their profes­ website offered an important ries of unresolved problems for China­born and educated scientist Growing up in multiple cultures sional, academic and personal insight into how people process extra processing during sleep. It has been given such a high­ranking potential while in college, Lu says. information and generate ideas strengthens research that personal position at a top­rated British univer­ equips me with a strong international outlook, He also holds that he himself, as for problem­solving during sleep memories are reorganized during sity — he has made continuous efforts useful communication skills and the only China­born president of a — going some way to explaining sleep, and suggests that problem­ to network with Chinese graduates UK university at present, could why we are often able to solve a solving can be enhanced by sleep and establish quality partnerships problem­solving abilities.” increase Chinese students’ sense of problem better after a break. through the rehearsal and consoli­ with universities, institutions and Lu Gaoqing, president of the University of Surrey recognition at the university. In the study, people attempted dation of perplexing issues. corporations in his homeland. “We have many alumni and part­ several puzzles in the evening while However, the research may only For instance, Lu has invited the ners in China; this is one of our trea­ listening to specific sound cues. apply to situations where people Chinese telecom company Huawei to expert believes that, to make a sus­ of friends around the globe,” says Lu, sures. They can be united to help While they slept, a program pre­ have the background information invest in, and co­found, a new 5G tained contribution to society, it is adding that he hopes that more each other, while boosting the devel­ sented the sounds associated with they need to solve the problem but innovation center there, a platform best to do so jointly, utilizing talent young Chinese people will embrace opment of their alma mater.” half the puzzles they had failed in haven’t yet worked it out. which aims to carry out research in from different countries. the international­study experience Wu Ning, president of the institu­ the evening. “For example, no matter how fields like virtual reality and digital As a multinational scholar who and become globally minded. tion’s alumni association in China, The following morning, the par­ much sleep I get, I’m not going to healthcare. pursued his undergraduate and post­ Lu also points out that it’s a favora­ says: “After Lu’s appointment as the ticipants were better able to solve suddenly figure out black holes At a time when Huawei became a graduate studies at China’s North­ ble time for Chinese students to pur­ head of the University of Surrey, the puzzles that had the associat­ or find a cure for a rare disease, target of the United States in trade eastern University, completed his sue higher education in the UK, tighter bonds have been formed ed sound cues played overnight, as I don’t have the necessary disputes, being banned by the US on PhD at the University of Queensland considering that its government among the university’s alumni compared to the puzzles without background knowledge,” Bee­ espionage accusations, some UK uni­ and lectured at Singapore’s Nanyang announced a new post­study work through frequent networking cues. man says. versities severed links with Huawei. Technological University, the visa in September, which allows eligi­ events. I feel that we are a big fami­ “This study provides yet more If you have studied a problem But Lu still pressed forward with this 56­year­old knows how important it ble international students to stay in ly.” Wu adds that there are over evidence that brain processing thoroughly and are still stuck, how­ research agenda, arguing that if uni­ is to be exposed to cultural diversity. the country and build a career for two 8,000 former attendees of the uni­ during sleep is helpful to daytime ever, thinking about it during sleep versities want to maintain their neu­ “Growing up in multiple cultures years after completing their studies.