The closing ceremony of the 2026 NAHSS "Discover China" program was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) on Aug 7.

The closing ceremony of the 2026 NAHSS "Discover China" program is held at BFSU. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Organized by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), hosted by BFSU, and co-organized with the Netherlands-Asia Honors Summer School (NAHSS), the program brought 64 Dutch students and faculty on an 11-day journey across China to read, reflect, and connect.

Speaking at the ceremony, Zhao Gang, BFSU’s vice-president, congratulated the Dutch participants on completing the program. He noted that over the 11 days, the 64 participants explored China with curiosity and a spirit of discovery — reading the country through travel, deepening understanding through dialogue, and forging friendships through collaboration.

Zhao encouraged both Chinese and Dutch youth to become inheritors of bilateral friendship, creators of a shared future, and advocates for mutual learning between civilizations. He urged the participants to carry forward the perspectives gained from this journey — to keep following China and China-Europe relations, and to serve as bridges between East and West.

Dhoya Snijders, education and science counselor at the Netherlands Embassy in Beijing, congratulated the participants on their outstanding performance and praised the organizers for their excellent work. In his remarks, he reflected on the longstanding partnership and signature activities shared between the embassy and BFSU.

Snijders emphasized that two-way youth dialogue is a core vehicle for bridging cognitive gaps and building civilizational bridges. He expressed hope that the Dutch students would sustain the insights gained from this exchange, maintain their curiosity and spirit of exploration, and serve as cultural envoys between China and the Netherlands.

Liu Yibo, director of the Higher Education Cooperation Department at CEAIE, expressed gratitude to BFSU for its meticulous organization and strong support. The program's harvest, she said, went far beyond cultural and academic exchange or firsthand exposure to cutting-edge developments in technology and society — it was, above all, the mutual trust, understanding, and genuine friendships forged between Chinese and Dutch youth.

CEAIE will continue to support and facilitate China-Netherlands educational exchange and youth mobility, Liu said, welcoming participants to return to China through various short- and long-term study and exchange programs in the future.

Student representatives Keara Bardhan and Fenneke Gabreels, together with Chinese volunteer representative Zhou Xuanlei, took the stage to share their reflections — looking back on an extraordinary journey of mutual discovery and companionship.

The closing ceremony of the 2026 NAHSS "Discover China" program is held at BFSU. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Certificates were subsequently presented to all participants by Zhao Gang, Dhoya Snijders, Liu Yibo, and Ke Jing, dean of BFSU's School of European Languages and Cultures.

Throughout the program running from July 29 to Aug 8, Dutch participants stepped beyond the pages of textbooks to walk the land of China in person — experiencing Beijing's dynamic development firsthand, building consensus through cross-cultural interaction, and forging lasting friendships.

Looking forward, BFSU will continue to deepen long-term cooperation with Chinese and international partners, regularly organizing two-way youth study programs, academic exchanges, and language and cultural activities.