The flagship course "Silk Road Weft and Warp: Exploring Chinese Textile Science, Technology and Culture", part of the UK–China Study Tour Programme, was recently held at Donghua University (DHU). Faculty members and students from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom visited the DHU campus, experiencing the university's distinctive disciplines and open atmosphere through textile science and technology, traditional crafts, cultural activities and youth exchange.
The course is one of DHU's concrete initiatives to build on the "Study in China" brand, expand international education and strengthen its portfolio of curricula for international students. Led by Associate Professor Xiaoxia Sun of the College of Textiles and supported by the DHU International Education Center, it draws on the university's strength in textile disciplines to turn academic expertise, research facilities and cultural resources into a distinctive learning experience, combining classroom teaching, laboratory sessions, traditional craft practice, city visits and exchanges between Chinese and international students.
Through hands-on sessions on traditional textile crafts such as bead embroidery, Songjiang cloth weaving and hand jacquard weaving, participants discovered the materials, structures and craftsmanship of Chinese textiles. Thematic sessions on smart textiles, medical textiles and textile materials for aerospace applications showed how modern textile technology is applied in healthcare, high-end equipment and emerging industries. For UK students from backgrounds as varied as the humanities, arts and economics, textiles became not just a technical subject but an accessible gateway to China's cultural heritage, technological innovation and industrial development.
The programme extended beyond the campus into real-life settings, linking university classrooms and laboratories with intangible cultural heritage spaces in the Songjiang area and the Shanghai Museum of Textile and Clothing. This combination of academic strength, cultural resources, city experience and youth exchange gave the short-term course a rich, hands-on character and reflected the university's open and collaborative approach.
Youth exchange brought extra energy to the programme. DHU student volunteers supported the UK visitors throughout the week, assisting with campus tours, classroom sessions, route guidance, interpretation and daily logistics, and building friendships with their UK peers through shared study and visits. At the end of the course, the UK students spoke highly of the content, organization and volunteer support, saying the week had introduced them to Chinese textile technology and traditional culture as well as the warmth and friendliness of the DHU community. Many have stayed in touch with the volunteers and look forward to further exchanges.
"Silk Road Weft and Warp: Exploring Chinese Textile Science, Technology and Culture" is one of the flagship courses of the UK–China Study Tour Programme. DHU will continue to build on its disciplinary strengths and international outlook to develop more courses for international students, giving more young people around the world the opportunity to learn about China through Donghua.
