Meeting the world on campus

With a fork and knife in hand, Jia Huilin practiced a full sequence of European table manners — moving carefully through each course while maintaining steady eye contact.

She wasn't dining abroad but attending an introductory German course at the German Village in the Global Village of Jilin International Studies University (JISU) in Changchun, Jilin province.

For Jia, a 20-year-old beginner in German, this recreated dining room offered her first real glimpse into the subtleties of European social etiquette. "After practicing how to greet people properly or sit through a family dinner, I realized that German socializing is really about showing respect without overstepping," she said.

Established in 2010 with the philosophy of integrating language and culture, the Global Village serves as a hands-on learning center. Through immersive environments — sculptures, artifacts, audio-visual installations, and digital displays — it supports multilingual learning by placing students directly in reconstructed cultural settings.

Currently, the 30,000-square-meter village features 26 national-themed areas, where elements of more than 100 cultures converge. Over the years, it has become an integral part of campus life.

Beyond immersing herself in German culture, Jia took on a new role as a docent at the German Village, guiding visiting groups and study tours through the exhibits. But it was no easy task. She recalled leading a group of 30 elementary school students armed with notebooks, facing a barrage of questions — from festival customs and architectural styles to unexpected ones like, "Why doesn't the Victory Goddess have a head?"

Jia quickly pieced together a clever answer: victory looks different to everyone, so its expression is never fixed. The goddess's missing head, she explained, leaves room for interpretation — much like the deliberate "blank spaces" in traditional Chinese ink painting.

Experiences like this taught her that the job requires patience, knowledge, and a flexible mind. "Even when you don't know the exact answer, you still need to give children a response that feels reasonable and sparks their imagination," she said.

Since early 2024, the Global Village has received 20 visiting student groups. More than 180 university students now work as docents, helping younger visitors form their earliest "experience of the world".

Beyond guiding, JISU students take part in the village's operations in diverse ways. Over the past three years, the village has hosted more than 40 language clubs and 80 cross-cultural competitions and festivals, engaging more than 6,000 students in intercultural activities and discussions.