Chance encounter sparks China-Swiss classroom exchange

In January 2026, a group of students from Tsinghua University's Tanwei College — a program focused on cultivating talent in chemical biology — set out on an 11-day academic tour of Europe.

Their itinerary took them to Switzerland and Austria, where they visited research institutes, biotech companies, and academic organizations involved in biomedical innovation.

"Visiting these different institutions helped us understand how discoveries move from research labs to real-world applications," said Wang Yuanyuan, 21, a student leader of the group.

A pharmacy major, Wang had long imagined pursuing a career in academia. But the trip exposed her to a broader range of possibilities within the life sciences sector.

"I had always pictured myself staying in a laboratory," she said. "But visiting companies and research institutions showed me that there are many different roles in the biomedical field."

One stop that left a strong impression on the group was a research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences focusing on biomedical artificial intelligence. There, students learned about new technology concepts like "virtual cells" — computational models capable of simulating biological processes and experiments.

For Yu Yongjia, 20, the idea was striking."The concept of using AI to simulate experiments before they happen in the lab was fascinating," she said. "It made me realize how closely biology and artificial intelligence are beginning to intersect."

While the academic visits offered a glimpse of cutting-edge research, one of the most memorable moments of the trip came from an unexpected encounter in Switzerland.

While visiting a health-themed exhibition, Huang Yunqi spotted a group of Swiss students waving enthusiastically from outside the glass walls, where they were holding an outdoor English class that day. "They were curious and eager to talk," said the 19-year-old. "They wanted to know about our trip, our studies, and everything about us."

The encounter led to an even bigger surprise. At the Swiss students' invitation, the Tsinghua group visited Oberstufenzentrum Langenthal, a secondary school, the following day.

"Stepping into a local classroom was a very different experience from touring research institutes," Huang said. "It was the first time during the trip that we could really see what daily school life in Switzerland looks like."

Before the visit, the Tsinghua students prepared several aspects of Chinese culture to share with their Swiss peers, eventually settling on two: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and traditional dance.

Li Siyu, 20, introduced pulse diagnosis — a basic technique in TCM used to assess a patient's condition by feeling the pulse — and taught the students a set of eye exercises.

"They were interested to learn that eye exercises are part of the daily routine in many Chinese middle schools, where students usually practice them once or twice a day," she said.

Huang led the dance segment. Having studied dance since childhood, she prepared video clips showcasing styles from several Chinese ethnic groups, including Uygur, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Dai ethnic dance traditions.

When the Uygur dance clip began, the classroom instantly came alive. Everyone started moving their necks along with the rhythm, and one particularly enthusiastic Swiss student even joined a Chinese student for an impromptu duet inspired by the music.

"In that moment, we were like translators of culture," Huang said. "We were trying to show them a small part of China in a way they could experience and easily understand."

The Swiss students made an effort too. Huang remembered one amusing moment: whenever they struggled to understand a word, the Swiss students would pass the question around the room until they found a classmate with the strongest English skills.

When Wang asked about their plans for the future, the 15 — and 16-year-olds eagerly shared their ambitions to become nurses, doctors, or dentists.

"I realized that, in many ways, we're the same," she said. "We all want to contribute to people's health and to the field of medicine."

Before the trip, Huang had expected the experience to focus mainly on academic learning. "But what I remember most now isn't just the places we visited," she said. "It's the conversations we had and the connections we made along the way."

mengwenjie@i21st.cn