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More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photo provided to China Daily)

More than 150 international students are attending the recent PLACE (Playshop for Language and Cultural Exchange) Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) in Guangzhou's Nansha district to expand communication and enhance friendship.

The camp opened in the Guangdong provincial capital on August 10 and will last until August 23.

More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photo provided to China Daily)

The international students come from 31 nations and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Brazil, and Switzerland. As part of the camp, they are participating in exchange activities with about 400 of the university's Chinese undergraduate freshmen from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

The university is organizing the camp for the second time. The international students were admitted by HKUST(GZ) after a rigorous registration and selection process earlier this year.

More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photo provided to China Daily)

During the camp, participants primarily communicate in English during immersive learning and hands-on activities around topics such as science, culture, language, international exchange, and sports.

In addition, the summer camp leads the international students and local new undergraduates on a guided tour of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so they can experience the technological charm of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, explore Lingnan (South China) history and culture, and visit Hong Kong for cultural immersion experiences.

More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photo provided to China Daily)

Lionel M. Ni, president of HKUST(GZ), described the camp as an immersive cross-cultural platform for the university's new undergraduates and international youths.

Last year, students forged friendships spanning continents and oceans and gained profound cross-cultural experiences. This year, with a more diverse cohort of international participants and more engaging activities, the two-week camp promises to become an unforgettable initiation into campus life for the new students, he said.

More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology(Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photo provided to China Daily)

Frankie Watson-Brown, who comes from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK, noted the importance of continuing cultural exchange on a global level, which, to him, sits at the very heart of the camp.

"It's difficult to stress the nature of physical interpersonal speaking with one another, and, while studying politics, it becomes clear to see the necessity of communication as a tool for avoiding conflict, both in the present and in the future," he said.

More than 150 international students attend the PLACE Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), which opened in Guangzhou on August 10. (Photos provided to China Daily)