Oxford-Lingnan Exchange Programme 2019

Thanks to Annabel Elleray, one of the undergraduates taking part in this year’s exchange, for the following article.

This year’s Lingnan Exchange Programme began last month, when on Wednesday 23 January, St Edmund Hall welcomed nine students from Lingnan University, in Guangzhou, China. They arrived, very excited, because of the snow – most of them had never seen snow before, and were eager to see it again before they left!

The group had arrived in the UK on the previous Sunday, and had visited London and Cambridge. But now that they were in Oxford, our part in their visit was able to begin.

The main component of their visit was a series of talks, focusing on the relationship between sustainability and business, which were presented by speakers from the Saïd Business School. The talks were concluded by Principal Kathy Willis giving a fascinating talk on the economics of biodiversity.

On Friday, we began the day with a trip to the MINI plant in Cowley – my personal favourite part of the programme! Taking a tour through the factory, it was clear that something like this would be very different in China; I’m excited to see this for myself on our return visit.

The programme culminated in presentations. Each pair of St Edmund Hall students has formed a group with three Lingnan students, and is investigating an issue or problem regarding sustainability. My group’s topic is to provide new solutions to reduce the consumption of manta ray gills in Guangzhou, which poses a serious threat to the future of the manta ray. Each of the groups presented their topic, and received feedback on their presentation skills and research so far.

Of course, there were social and cultural activities as well as work during the week. On Wednesday, on a short walk around Oxford, our visitors found it hilarious that our most famous buildings are libraries! After talks on Thursday, a visit to the Turf Tavern was in order, to give the students a feel for a quintessential British pub; and Thursday finished with a visit to My Sichuan, a Chinese restaurant in Gloucester Green, to have a confirmed authentic Chinese meal. Friday ended with a Formal Hall dinner, followed by a visit to the College bar, which all the Lingnan students enjoyed.

What’s next in store? Five other St Edmund Hall students and I will visit Lingnan University in March. There will be company visits, a day trip to Shenzhen, and our final presentations to do, competing against Yale – I’m very excited!

Any student who is considering taking part in next year’s programme – I’d definitely recommend it! It has been a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and sustainability, and most of all, a lot of fun.