Somang Park, a South Korean postgraduate in accounting at the university's Antal College of Economics and Management, is impressed by the various lectures held on campus.

For instance, she attended a lecture on Kunqu, a form of Chinese opera with hundreds of years of history.

"I knew nothing about the art form before the lecture, but now I can distinguish between the roles of qingyi and huadan in Kunqu.

"The former refers to a virtuous and elite female, while the latter is a younger woman with a more lively personality," says Park.

"It's the lecture that provides the platform for me to appreciate Chinese culture," she adds.

In addition, academic activities can also work as a bridge between students of various cultures.

Doctoral student Samakova Ainura from Kyrgyzstan is doing a course in foreign affairs at Shanghai International Studies University and has attended several academic seminars.

She acquired professional knowledge and a familiarity with Chinese culture through the interpersonal communication during these activities.

In February, Samakova's paper on the achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics was published in Russian journal Modern Science.

"I wrote the paper in Russian, as people in Central Asian countries use the language, and I want more people to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics and learn from the experience," she says.

Tang Xiaofan contributed to the story.