The 2023 Shanghai Summer School (BRICS Program) kicked off on Fudan campus on July 10, marking its 10th anniversary. Nearly 30 students from over 20 universities from BRICS countries have joined this year’s program.
Set up by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and hosted by the Center for BRICS Studies, Fudan Development Institute(FDDI), the BRICS Summer Program provides a platform for youth from BRICS countries to foster friendship, consensus and understanding of Chinese society, cultural, political, economic development, as well as BRICS cooperation and global governance reforms. It also serves to promote cross-cultural exchange among participants, laying a solid foundation for BRICS cooperation.
At the opening ceremony of this year’s program, Chen Zhimin, vice president of Fudan University, delivered a welcome speech. He said the BRICS Summer Pprogram has provided the young generation of BRICS countries with a chance to further understand China’s development and BRICS cooperation. He hopes the young generations can work with each other to address hand-in-hand the great challenges facing us, creating a better world ahead and building the intellectual bridges of cooperation and understanding.
Pedro Steenhagen, an alumnus of the BRICS Summer Program, said at the opening ceremony that participating in the BRICS Summer Program was an essential decision in his career, as it has opened for him and participants a world of possibilities. Because of the experience he had in the program, he made up his mind to pursue his doctoral degree in China, and he’s now a PhD candidate for the Doctoral Program in International Politics (DPIP) at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University.
Since its initiation in 2014, the BRICS Summer Program has become a hallmark activity of the BRICS Universities League. Young students and researchers from BRICS countries have been invited to study and live in Shanghai for one month.
The curriculum of the BRICS Summer Program revolves around two major themes: “Global Governance and Cooperation among BRICS” and “China’s Politics and Diplomacy”. Additionally, the program incorporates field trips and cultural activities that align with the BRICS agenda.
Participants not only gain valuable BRICS friendships but also deepen their understanding and interest in BRICS cooperation and global governance reforms while broadening their knowledge of Chinese culture and society. Many program alumni have gone on to dedicate themselves to the development of BRICS countries in their future studies and careers. Some have even returned to Fudan University to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees or to settle and work in China.
Laura Torres participated in the BRICS Summer Program in 2016 and later returned to Fudan University in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in International Public Policy. In her senior year, she learned about and applied to Fudan’s BRICS Summer Program through the. BRICS Universities League “The program was quite challenging for me at the time, but the knowledge I gained was invaluable,” she recalled.
The BRICS Summer Program, open to young students from BRICS countries, provided Laura with an opportunity to make friends with peers from different countries. “We still write emails to each other, and many of my former classmates are now working in government sectors or NGOs.” After obtaining her master’s degree, Laura joined the Fudan University’s Center for BRICS Studies as a research assistant.
“My experience of studying and working at Fudan greatly enhanced my research and writing skills,” said Laura, who’s now working for the Mexican health authority State Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk of Baja California, dedicating herself to public health collaboration among South-South countries. The State of Baja California hosts a large Chinese community. Due to Laura’s ties with China she deepened the Commissions relation with the General Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Tijuana, Mexico fostering a better understanding of local health policy and regulation amongst Chinese businesses established in Baja California.
The BRICS Summer Program continues to empower young minds like Laura, fostering cross-cultural connections and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experiences among BRICS countries’ youth. As BRICS cooperation continues to deepen, the BRICS Summer Program will play a pivotal role in nurturing future leaders and advocates for BRICS countries’ development.
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Presented by Fudan University Media Center
Writer: Chen Shuyang, Wang Mengqi
Editor: Li Yijie
Designer: Jia Yingyue
