The China Education Expo 2024 (CEE) wrapped up in Beijing on Saturday, offering international education providers a platform to connect with Chinese students and institutions.
The two-day event attracted more than 380 colleges and institutions from 38 countries and regions, including France, Finland, and the United States.
As a guest country, France introduced 35 institutions of higher learning to the expo, including comprehensive universities, engineering colleges, business schools and institutes of technology, many of which are world-renowned.
"We are the top business school in Europe. Our strengths lie in finance, consulting and interdisciplinary expertise," said Han Xiaotong, an admissions officer for HEC Paris in the Asia Pacific region.
Beginning on October 26, the expo was held in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu and saw a steady increase in the number of participating institutions. In Beijing alone, the number of participating institutions went up 25 percent compared with last year.
Portugal and Serbia were the first-time exhibitors this year. They hoped to enhance cooperation in education between their respective countries and China.
"By the numbers, the trend in the [number]of students from China going to Portugal is increasing along the years. We have been working with Chinese universities, and in the same way, we are promoting that Chinese students can go to Portugal. We welcome very much the offer that the Chinese authorities can do to increase the number of Portuguese students being send to China. That's the aim of people-to-people exchanges," said Paulo Nascimento, Portuguese ambassador to China.
"A very limited number of Chinese students are currently studying in Serbia, less than 1,000. We are here for the first time with cooperation between China and Serbia. And we think that we should promote more cooperation between the Chinese and Serbian higher education institutions, [because] there is room for improvement in this cooperation," said Maria, an exhibitor from Serbia.
The China Education Expo is a show tour organized by the China Education Association for International Exchange and held every October in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities since 2000. It is the largest student recruitment and B2B networking event in China, also an important part of the China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education.
Last year, 374 overseas schools, colleges, universities, governmental organizations, embassies and consulates from 34 countries and regions attended the CEE tour, which attracted around 30,000 visitors in four cities from all over the country.
China Education Expo concludes in Beijing
Director and screenwriter Shao Yihui Monday shared experiences behind the scenes and sincerely appreciated the audience's encouragement and recognition for Her Story, the new Chinese comedy film which earned rave reviews by telling authentic stories from a largely female perspective.
Her Story unfolds around the life and growth of the fiercely independent single mom Wang Tiemei and her new neighbor Xiao Ye, the "romantic fool". They are completely different in personality yet accompany each other through various relationship challenges. The movie breaks away from the conventional romance or self-help narration and stands out from the rest of the genre by bringing out exquisite, multidimensional portrayal of women via sharp, humorous lines.
Its broad and thrilling resonance partly attributes to location shooting. Shao made big efforts in finding and negotiating for perfect real-life sites.
"I think the architectural style of Shanghai decides the unique lifestyle there. Like many modern tenants in those old villas, they share some activity space and have close ties with their neighbors," Shao said.
Shao devoted the same strictness and responsibility to the casting process. Wang Tiemei is designed to be a warm, positive and chill single mom. And Chinese actress Song Jia popped up into her mind when she was still writing the script.
"She's a perfect match. She is refreshing and elegant in daily life. Although she later told me that she was a bit worried during acting because she was used to portraying roles that are quite different from her own. When the role is very similar to herself, she felt unsure," said Shao.
And she chose Chinese actress Elaine Zhong Chuxi to be the moon-struck but rational Xiao Ye because she saw their similarities.
"I did not know her very well at the beginning. Her past TV shows gave me an independent and mature impression. And she has a bright and beautiful face. But after chatting with her, I found that she's kind and delicate, considerate to the mood of others, bearing some resemblance to Xiao Ye. So I hope to dig out and display that part of her, in contrast to her past," Shao said.
So far, Her Story is rated at 9.1 out of 10 points on Douban, China's leading film-rating platform. Over 140,000 audience have commented on the movie.
While some have compared Her Story to a Chinese counterpart to Barbie, a 2023 global hit from Warner Bros., for its whimsical yet incisive tone, many argue that it presents a distinctly Chinese perspective on gender issues.
Shao remains modest about her great success.
"I know there is still room for improvement, but the audience have been tolerant to us. I think it's because my movie delivers something different from others, showing some novelty, so people like it. That makes up for our shortcomings. I think there's also good luck in the movie's success," Shao said.
Her Story is set to hit the big screens in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries and regions on Wednesday.
Director shares behind-the-scenes stories of hot film Her Story
