Foreign professor inspires rural students

TIANJIN－It's been over a month since Lorenzo Pecoraro returned to Tianjin after visiting an impoverished county in northwestern China, yet the memories are unforgettable.

Every time Pecoraro, who hails from Rome, talks about his indelible experiences, a visible delight adorns his face.

As part of efforts to introduce higher education resources in remote and poor areas of rural China, Tianjin University has been working with Tanchang county, Gansu province, to help drive local education development since 2019.

Twelve classrooms have been set up in schools across the county, and teachers from Tianjin University volunteer to support teaching in those schools.

As a teacher who has been working in the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology in Tianjin University for over two years, Pecoraro applied to join the project.

"One could do many interesting activities with the children, such as drawing, collecting and observing elements of nature, like leaves, insects and bird feathers, and building nests for birds," Pecoraro said. He has rich experience in teaching biology to children in Italy.

"I would like to use my experience to teach children from poor, rural areas of China," he added. "I believe that even attending a single event could be an inspiration for the child's future."

Pecoraro said he has always been interested in China and had read many books about Chinese history when he was in Europe, but knew very little about rural China.

In 2013, he met a Chinese professor at an international scientific meeting in Estonia and was later invited to work in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Pecoraro has been living in China since 2014 and has visited many places, including modern cities and small villages.

"I am glad to say that now I know more about China," he said.

Pecoraro learned that Tanchang is rich in medicinal mushrooms, so he tailored a lecture for the students to discuss the nutritional value of fungi and shed light on the scientific research of medicinal mushrooms, ecological conservation and environmental protection. He aimed to spark the students' interest in biology.

At the very beginning, students were shy and did not dare answer Pecoraro's questions. However, his sense of humor and unique teaching methods won their hearts, and they began bravely raising their hands and interacting with him.

"Their enthusiasm to learn and explore new things, as well as their spirit, are the most powerful tools for the future development of the county," Pecoraro said.

Ren Xiang, an English teacher at the school, said this was the first time their students attended an on-site English lecture delivered by a foreign professor. "They concentrated on the lecture and showed great interest."

"Lorenzo's lecture was fun. I hope to be admitted to Tianjin University in two years and meet him there," said student Yang Beining.

Pecoraro said the three-day visit to the county was too short, and he hopes to come back again. On his next visit, Pecoraro hopes to lead the students to collect soil and water samples, make animal and plant specimens and conduct scientific research together.

"We are touched by what Pecoraro has done for the students. We expect more foreign professors to join in China's education projects," said Li Xia, an official with Tianjin University.

"I want to make my contribution to help students in poverty-stricken areas experience higher education, in the hope that this could make their lives better," Pecoraro said.

Xinhua