Ningbo holds annual festival for intl students

The 7th Ningbo International University Students Festival opens on July 2. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

A festival for international university students who study in Ningbo, Zhejiang province kicked off on July 2.

Organized by the city's departments of foreign affairs and education, the 7th Ningbo International University Students Festival invited more than 100 foreign students from over 20 countries and regions to join in a series of celebration activities.

Over the course of four days, the group of students will be taken around Ningbo and be presented some of the cultural sights and elements of the city, including Chinese calligraphy, traditional snacks and ancient towns. The organizers hope that through these experiences, students can gain a better understanding of Ningbo.

The festival has attracted the participation of over 1,500 international students from more than 30 countries and regions worldwide since it was inaugurated in 2007. It is aimed at building a platform for the promotion of Chinese culture among foreign students.

The official data shows that currently, over 5,000 international students and 1,300 foreign teachers and experts are studying and working at universities in Ningbo.

In recent years, Ningbo has been making efforts to attract students from other countries. In 2011, the city's government initiated a scholarship plan which grants 6,000 yuan ($895.84) to 30,000 yuan to well-performing international students studying at Ningbo universities. Over the past seven years, 1,657 students have benefitted from the scholarship plan.

Moreover, with the increasingly strengthened ties between Ningbo and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), a government-funded scholarship totaling 1 million yuan has been awarded to 72 students from CEEC since 2014.