Students from Cowley International College had a special opportunity to share their experiences of China when the British Ambassador to China, Peter Wilson, visited the school on 23rd September.
The Ambassador met students and teachers who travelled to Shanghai in July as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) Intensive Learning Course to China.
Fourteen Cowley students, accompanied by three teachers, spent 10 days at Shanghai International Studies University, where they took part in intensive Mandarin lessons, worked with Chinese students, and experienced a wide range of Chinese cultural activities and excursions. The trip provided an opportunity to put the students Mandarin skills into practice in a real-life Chinese environment and to experience the country and its culture first-hand.
The students had the chance to talk to the Ambassador about their time in Shanghai, including their experiences of studying at a Chinese university, meeting Chinese peers and exploring the city.
Cowley International College has been part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme since 2017. The Programme, funded by the Department for Education and delivered by UCL Institute of Education in partnership with the British Council, began in 2016 with the aim of increasing the number of UK students studying Mandarin Chinese, with an original target of producing at least 5,000 new UK speakers of Mandarin with a high level of fluency. Since the programme began, approximately 20,000 students have benefited.
The July trip was an important part of the students’ Mandarin learning journey, giving them the opportunity to use the language they have been developing at Cowley while building friendships, improving Mandarin fluency, and gaining a greater understanding of life in China.
Russell Cormack, Principal at Cowley International College, said “The Mandarin Excellence Programme has provided Cowley students with exceptional opportunities that few young people get the chance to experience. From visiting China and immersing themselves in its rich culture and learning another language, to meeting the British Ambassador to China. These opportunities reflect everything we do at Cowley by helping our young people grow in confidence, expand their ambitions and develop a truly global outlook.”