On June 29^th, altogether 22 BNUZ students arrived at London Heathrow Airport for 4-week “English and UK Culture” program held at the University of Oxford. This program, co-hosted by BNUZ and Hertford College, is dedicated to providing a platform for students to attend classes of world famous university, experience local life and learn about UK society and culture.

Hertford College, the most ancient one of the 39 colleges at the University of Oxford, is founded in 1282 and enjoys high prestige in the field of liberal arts. Since its establishments, it produced hundreds of famous writers, including Jonathan Swift, writer of Gulliver’s Travels.

Specially for the program, Hertford College welcomed the arrival of BNUZ students with English traditional yet grand Welcoming Tea Party, where Ms. Caroline, director of international programs, expressed her welcome to BNUZ students and extended her sincere thanks to the teaching faculty and administrative staff of this program.

During the program, students will spend each morning learning English courses, including reading, listening, speaking and writing; and each afternoon studying UK culture, including UK’s history, laws, society and culture, etc. And each day after 4:00pm it’s students’ free time, where RAs will take students to further explore Oxford and UK culture. They either take a tourist bus or visit covered market, oxford shopping street, and even play cricket, etc.

Apart from the daily teaching, Herdfort College makes each Friday as the field study time. Students can take the chance to visit all the museums and galleries in London. Some students even watched the Admonitions of the Court Instructress to Palace Ladies by Gu Kai. And in the national gallery, students have seen masterpieces like Sunflower from Vincent Van Gogh and Japanese Bridge by Monnai. Chen Jiayi, student from School of Real Estate, said excitedly “I’m very impressed and shocked by the masterpieces which I can only see on the textbook before.”

After 1-week study, students are adapted to the teaching style of the teacher, get familiar of Oxford and also experience the differences between Chinese culture and western culture. Alice, student from the University of Oxford, was very surprised when she saw Chinese students boil the water before drinking it, because in their eyes, boiling water is just for making tea.

“Just because of these differences, international communication shows its significance. To strengthen communication, exchange experience and thought and improve selves are the main purpose of this program.” Said Ms. Ganxing, instructor of this program.