This summer, more than 30 students and faculty members from Beijing University of Agriculture (BUA) travelled abroad to participate in a range of exchange and experiential learning programs, gaining new perspectives through academic study, field visits, community engagement and everyday life in other countries. The programs form part of BUA's efforts to fulfill its fundamental mission of fostering virtue through education, advance the BUA Global Strategic Partnership Program, and nurture a new generation of young people with a strong sense of responsibility and global competence. More than 10 programs were offered during the 2026 summer break, including the Youth Ambassadors Program in the United States, an exchange program at Riverside City College in the United States, a summer study program at The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, a summer school at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, and a study program at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT).
Photo 1 and Photo 2: BUA faculty members and students participate in the Youth Ambassadors Program in the United States.
During the Youth Ambassadors Program, students travelled to Southern California for an immersive intercultural learning experience. The program combined thematic seminars, visits to leading universities and public institutions, English-language debates on contemporary issues, community service and homestay experiences. Students visited the University of California, Los Angeles and Pepperdine University, gaining firsthand insight into American higher education. They also visited local police and fire departments to learn more about community-level public services and local governance. The program encouraged students to engage directly with contemporary social issues through English-language debates. They also took part in volunteer activities at local nonprofit organizations and lived with host families, allowing them to experience everyday life and local culture at close range.
Photo 3: Six BUA students participating in the exchange program at Riverside City College pose for a group photo with students from the college.
The exchange program at Riverside City College focused on immersive learning and campus life. Students participated actively in classes, interacted with faculty members and fellow students, and gained firsthand insight into local society, culture and everyday life through their homestay experiences.
Photo 4: BUA students participating in The University of Cambridge summer study program attend the closing ceremony.
At The University of Cambridge, the summer study program focused on academic immersion. Students attended classes at one of the world's leading universities, took part in academic discussions on topics including entrepreneurship and international issues, and visited historic buildings across the University. Through the exchange of ideas and exposure to new perspectives, they were encouraged to reflect on their own knowledge, abilities and future aspirations.
Photo 5: BUA students participating in the Wageningen University & Research summer school on campus
At Wageningen University & Research, the summer school built on BUA's strengths in agriculture and forestry. Delivered entirely in English, the program combined classroom learning, workshop discussions and field visits, allowing students to explore emerging technologies in smart agriculture and learn more about developments at the forefront of international agricultural innovation.
Photo 6: BUA students participating in the RMUTT study program attend the closing ceremony.
In Thailand, students participating in the RMUTT study program explored the culture and society of a country along the Belt and Road. Their experience included language study, traditional handicrafts and local culinary activities, as well as visits to historical sites. Through group discussions and hands-on activities, students strengthened their intercultural communication skills and their ability to live and learn independently.
Each overseas programme was designed to connect knowledge with practice. For BUA students, international exchange was more than an opportunity to see the world; it also became a classroom beyond the campus, fostering personal growth and a deeper sense of responsibility. By engaging with different cultures and civilizations, students deepened their understanding of China, strengthened their cultural confidence and developed a greater sense of responsibility for sharing China's stories with the world. Moreover, they gained valuable experience in foreign-language communication, teamwork, independent problem-solving and responding to unexpected situations.
Looking ahead, BUA will continue to expand channels for international exchange and develop more high-quality overseas learning and practical experience opportunities. The University will encourage students to remain rooted in China while engaging confidently with the wider world and strive to cultivate a new generation of agriculture and forestry professionals with a strong sense of responsibility and an international outlook.
Reflections from Faculty and Students:
Yin Yi, Office of Student Affairs
"Through this overseas experience, the students and I gradually overcame the initial sense of reserve that can come with arriving in a new country. Through sincere interactions with others, the students learned to take the initiative in sharing China's stories. The unexpected situations we encountered along the way also strengthened their ability to deal independently with real-world challenges. I could see genuine progress in their intercultural communication and interpersonal skills. For me, the experience also offered a deeper understanding of what lies at the heart of intercultural exchange: despite differences in geography and culture, people can still recognize and respond to one another's sincerity and goodwill."
Shi Ruizhu, College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
"Looking back on this exchange experience, I have seen firsthand the value of these programs in strengthening students' global competence. Through homestays and field visits, students quickly overcame psychological barriers to intercultural communication, while their language skills and logical and critical thinking improved significantly. As accompanying faculty members, our role is not only to ensure students' safety and coordinate program activities, but also to help them approach cultural differences and culture shock with a rational and open mind. I look forward to seeing students continue to grow in an American academic environment and gain a meaningful and rewarding study experience."
Photo 7: Shi Ruizhu (left) and Yin Yi (right)
Yang Yihan, a 2025-entry student majoring in Social Work, College of Humanities and Urban-Rural Development
"During the program, I gradually adapted to life with a host family and to the pace of studying abroad. I also came to understand how strongly one's social environment can shape the experience of living in another country. I took the initiative to get to know other members of the group and local residents, and through these interactions, I learned to approach cultural differences with greater understanding and perspective. Studying abroad is not about passively waiting for experiences to be arranged for you. It is about taking the initiative to explore, build connections and engage with the world. The environment may not always be exactly what we expect, but we can choose to step beyond our familiar social boundaries and discover new insights and personal growth through encounters with different cultures."
Photo 8: Yang Yihan from the College of Humanities and Urban-Rural Development
Xia Ziqi, a 2025-entry student majoring in International Economics and Trade, College of International Education
"By combining academic discussion with field-based learning, the program encouraged me to move beyond my familiar perspectives. Visits to leading universities, debates, volunteer service and homestay experiences taught me to approach a range of social issues in a more balanced and objective way while continually strengthening my intercultural communication skills."
Photo 9: Xia Ziqi from the College of International Education
Gong Ziyu, a 2024-entry student majoring in Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of International Education
"The exchange program between BUA and Riverside City College gave me firsthand insight into differences between Chinese and American ways of thinking and approaches to life. Living with a host family also allowed me to experience the diversity and inclusiveness of local society. I will carry what I learned from this experience into my future studies and strive to serve as a bridge for cultural exchange between young people in China and other countries."
Photo 10: Gong Ziyu (left) from the College of International Education
Halizat Timulati, a 2024-entry student majoring in Plant Protection, College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
"My exchange experience at Riverside City College was a rare and valuable opportunity. During the program, I gained firsthand insight into the American community college system and the cultural differences between China and the United States. In the classroom, I found that great importance was placed on student participation and independent thinking. We were encouraged to express our views openly, which helped me realize that learning is not simply about acquiring knowledge; it also requires active thinking and communication. Outside class, I actively spoke with American students and learned more about their studies and daily lives. Living with a host family also gave me a deeper understanding of everyday local life. The experience strengthened my English communication skills and ability to adapt to new environments, broadened my international perspective, and encouraged me to think more deeply about my future studies and life. It was a truly meaningful experience of personal growth."
Photo 11: Halizat Timulati (left) from the College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
Chen Jiadi, a 2024-entry student majoring in Rural Regional Development, College of Humanities and Urban-Rural Development
"This summer, I travelled from Beijing to Cambridge and truly realized that the world is far broader than I had imagined. In Cambridge classrooms, I encountered a wide range of academic topics, including entrepreneurship and international issues. Through the exchange of ideas, I began to reassess the depth of my own knowledge and the limits of my abilities. Walking along the River Cam and through Cambridge's historic colleges, I gradually came to understand that the ultimate purpose of seeing the world is to see oneself more clearly."
Photo 12: Chen Jiadi from the College of Humanities and Urban-Rural Development
Feng Ziye, a 2024-entry student majoring in Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
"Taking part in the Food Systems and Ecology Summer School at Wageningen University & Research gave me a multidimensional and practical understanding of sustainable food systems. Expert lectures and hands-on workshops, including the installation of insect traps, helped me move beyond a single-discipline perspective and understand the importance of balancing food security and ecological conservation through interdisciplinary thinking. We also visited Giethoorn, a circular agriculture enterprise, dairy facilities and family farms, where I saw firsthand how Dutch agriculture seeks to balance productivity, environmental protection and biodiversity. During group challenges, I worked with students from different countries to explore possible solutions to food-system challenges. The summer school not only expanded my professional knowledge but also broadened my international perspective. I came to understand that there is no single standard answer to sustainable agriculture In the future, I hope to apply what I have learned and explore practical ways of balancing agricultural development with ecological conservation."
Photo 13: Feng Ziye (second from left) from the College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
Maidinai, a 2024-entry student majoring in Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
"This study program in Thailand brought together language learning and cultural experience. In our language classes, Thai instructors provided systematic instruction in pronunciation, everyday communication and cultural etiquette. Through immersive activities based on real-life scenarios and practical dialogues, we strengthened our foundation in Thai and improved our spoken communication skills. Our cultural activities took us into traditional craft workshops, where we experienced a Thai intangible cultural heritage technique involving botanical tie-dyeing. We learned how to extract dyes, bind fabric and create layered dyeing effects, eventually completing our own tie-dyed pieces. Chinese and Thai students and faculty members shared their work and learned from one another while discussing cultural differences between traditional dyeing techniques in the two countries. The experience taught me to approach different civilizations with respect and openness and deepened my understanding of people-to-people and cultural exchange under the Belt and Road Initiative."
Photo 14: Maidinai (center) from the College of Bioscience and Resources and Environment
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