Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. “We will strive to see the number of French students studying in China exceed 10,000 in the next three years and double the scale of youth exchanges between Europe and China.” Over the past year and more, the important initiative to see the number of French students studying in China exceed 10,000 in the next three years and to double the scale of youth exchanges between Europe and China has facilitated approximately 32,000 European students to conduct exchange and study activities in China, elevating Sino-French educational cooperation to a new height. Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University (H3I) has responded proactively to the initiative. In 2025, in addition to the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES), which attracted more than 60 young French students to the institute for exchanges, seven French language assistants have successively joined the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University.
Coming from France, they have found a new identity here in Zhejiang. In class, they act as cordial language guides; outside class, they are warm companions on the journey of students' growth. They not only teach French, but also build a bridge for cross-cultural communication. Exchanges thrive naturally in real scenarios, and mutual understanding takes root quietly in sincere interactions. This is more than an encounter of languages—it is a “two-way effort” of youth and cultures that helps each other succeed.
Who Are the French Language Assistants?
Since 2014, the China Education Association for International Exchange has collaborated with France Education International (FEI) and the French Embassy in China to launch the Sino-French Language Assistant Exchange Program, which has achieved successful practice for 11 years to date. To boost students' enthusiasm for language learning, H3I has recruited two batches of a total of seven French language assistants through this program. With the joint support of the International Cooperation Office, the Department of Academic Affairs, and the Fundamental Pedagogy Center, they provide professional language teaching support for the French teaching team and further promote cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding between Chinese and French youth.
Mentor and Friend: Supportive Companions along the Way
Since September 2024, the French language assistant team has actively integrated into classroom teaching, assisting Chinese and foreign teachers in carrying out teaching activities in diverse forms and bringing vivid and interactive classroom experiences to students. Under the guidance of French teachers, they not only participate in daily teaching links such as in-class interaction, after-class Q&A, and homework grading, but also actively assist in the development of “Culture+” extended courses and participate in the promotion of the “Academic Grocery Store” tutoring program for review and exam preparation. From in-class to after-class, the assistants have always provided timely and practical academic support for every student in need with warm and professional companionship.
In their spare time after class and on weekends, the assistants have organized multiple “Ça Papote” (Coffee Chat) exchange activities. Transforming into peer mentors, they sit around with students, talking face-to-face in a relaxed and casual atmosphere—no rigid formality between teachers and students. They either sort out unsolved grammar problems in class or polish their oral expression in an immersive way. This exchange with language as the link not only builds an immersive French application scenario for students, but also makes the sparks of knowledge, culture, and thinking burst forth quietly in every conversation.
In November this year, a “Rose Campaign” added a gentle but bright color to the autumn campus. Before the event, students reserved roses online and wrote exclusive blessings; after receiving the “rose orders”, the assistants and volunteers carefully trimmed the flower branches, tied delicate ribbons, and even wrote romantic French messages on the cards by hand. “Une rose est une rose, et ton sourire est mon printemps.” (A rose is a rose after all, and your smile is my spring.) These roses bloomed quietly on the desks of classrooms and the doors of dormitories, and also flooded the students' social media feeds. “Received a rose on campus today”, “Truly moved”—sincere feelings flow in these simple words. Taking flowers as a medium and treating each other as friends, the assistants built a bridge for conveying love and warmth with such a little act of romance.
With support from the Fundamental Pedagogy Center, the assistants have also created a series of distinctive events combining linguistic fun, cultural depth, and artistic atmosphere. Crêpe‑making workshops, themed picnics, West Lake walks, and French choral performances at the New Year's Gala — these diverse activities integrate language learning into daily life, allowing cultural exchange and understanding to flourish amid laughter and joy. The assistants have evolved from classroom guides into the most cordial companions and most understanding cross‑cultural partners in students' campus life.
Meeting and Becoming: Youthful Ambassadors Linking China and France
At Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University, French language assistants are far more than teaching collaborators. They are youthful bridges connecting Sino‑French education, culture, and youth exchanges. They make French break away from the rigid entries in textbooks and turn it into a natural carrier for sharing ideas and conveying warmth both in and out of class. In the joint participation in various cultural activities and the lively discussion of life topics time and again, young people from the two countries forge trust and friendship through sincere interactions, making internationalization no longer an abstract concept, but a tangible personal experience immersed in daily campus life.
For the assistants, their stay in China is both a fulfilling journey of personal growth and a mutually enriching cultural endeavour. When they return to France with abundant gains, their luggage is filled not only with a precious professional resume but also with the most vivid cognition and deep affection for Beihang University, Hangzhou, and China. In the future, they may also become narrators of Chinese stories and communicators of the image of Beihang University, making the cognitive resonance and emotional bonds between Chinese and French youth continue to heat up and echo for a long time in the narration across mountains and seas.
“When I first came to China, I only had the idea of ‘seeing it for myself,' but I never expected to fall in love with this place so soon. People here are warm and friendly, food is delicious and affordable, and the campus environment is modern and vibrant. My year at the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University has been one of the most fulfilling stages in my life for professional development and personal growth. I still remember giving a lecture in front of more than 30 military training students for the first time, my palms sweating nervously. And it was these students who gave me sincere warmth and encouragement with their applause and songs. In my spare time, I kept walking and traveled to more than ten cities, including Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Beijing. Now back in France, I have naturally become a ‘storyteller', telling my family and friends the bits and pieces of Beihang University and the lingering charm of Hangzhou over and over again. Those vivid details hidden in my experiences have also sparked their strong curiosity and yearning for China.”
——Marie DULIEU
“I never thought I would embark on a career in teaching, but this year as a French language assistant at the Hangzhou International Campus of Beihang University has made me truly understand the meaning of education for the first time. I cherish the time spent participating in cultural activities with students very much—those exchanges are simple but extremely precious. After returning to France, I will talk enthusiastically about the interesting things in class, recount the bits and pieces of getting along with students, and depict the daily life in Hangzhou. My friends even joke with me that I ‘talk about it too many times'! But it is this uncontrollable desire to share that makes me suddenly realize: I have long since become a passionate narrator of Chinese stories, and this period of time has long been deeply engraved in my life and become an inseparable part of it.”
——Rachel DOUIS
French language assistants are writing a vivid footnote to Sino-French cultural exchanges in the name of youth. H3I will join hands with Chinese and European youth across mountains and seas to keep the dialogue of civilizations alive and make the youthful bonds last for the years to come!
Approved by Dong Zhuoning, Zhang Wei, Xu Ran
Edited by Yuan Xiaohui
