A bridge for cross-cultural dialogue and business collaboration

Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI), also known as the Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute, held its first Cross-Cultural Carnival for international students on the evening of June 17. With the Dragon Boat Festival just around the corner, students from 19 countries gathered on campus alongside Chinese faculty and staff, corporate representatives, and international students from Fudan University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University. Through food, music, and conversation, the event brought together diverse cultures in a shared celebration.

The carnival marked the first such event since the institute was founded. It was also an experiment in bringing together three goals that SNAI has long pursued: training international finance professionals, introducing them to Chinese culture, and connecting them with Chinese companies looking to expand overseas.

Bai Xiaohong, a vice president of SNAI, said the carnival was themed "Gathering Over Zongzi, Worlds Meet." She described it as a platform for cultural exchange — a place where Chinese and international students could connect through food, music, dance, and genuine conversation.

The carnival opened with a parade led by drummers. International students in traditional attire marched to the beat, waving their national flags and performing folk dances from their home countries. The atmosphere was lively from the start.

The food tasting session was the highlight of the evening. Six regional booths were set up at the venue — East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China. Students served up traditional dishes from their home countries: injera, a fermented sourdough flatbread, from East Africa; jollof rice, a West African tomato rice dish, from West Africa; sadza, a staple maize porridge, from Southern Africa; om ali, an Egyptian bread pudding, and hibiscus juice, a tart flower tea, from North Africa and the Middle East; and herb sour soup and tea-leaf salad, a tangy Burmese salad of fermented tea leaves, from Southeast Asia. The China booth offered date-filled zongzi, in keeping with the Dragon Boat Festival tradition. Faculty and students sampled their way through the booths, comparing flavors and customs along the way.

Beyond the food and performances, organizers also set aside time for networking. A cultural guidebook titled "A Panoramic View of the World" was released alongside the carnival, offering an overview of the 19 countries' cultural profiles, industries, and regional characteristics. It served as a reference point for conversations between Chinese faculty and staff, corporate representatives, and international students. Discussions centered on each region's key industries, business environment, and practical considerations for Chinese companies looking to operate overseas.

Since launching its Master of Professional Accounting program for developing countries in 2015, SNAI has trained 277 students from 36 countries. The carnival put that pool of international talent to work — helping Chinese companies better understand the markets they are looking to enter.

"This kind of exchange gave me a much clearer picture of what Chinese companies are looking for overseas," said a student from Botswana. "It also opened my eyes to the possibilities for cooperation between my country and China."

Looking ahead, SNAI says it plans to keep building connections between its international students and alumni-affiliated companies, turning the Cross-Cultural Carnival into a lasting bridge for trade and people-to-people ties between China and the rest of the world.

Source: Shanghai Observer