Chongqing – The "Where Lands Meet Seas International Volunteer Service Training" brought together theoretical instruction and practical fieldwork for nearly 200 students at Southwest University on April 26.

The event was jointly organized by the Chongqing Charity Social Work Service Center and the Western China International Communication Organization, with support from the Chongqing Luhai International Communication Foundation, Southwest University's College of State Governance and College of International Studies, and United Nations Volunteers.

The theoretical session opened with video messages from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) China Country Office. UNV emphasized that volunteer service serves as a universal language that bridges borders and forms the warmest bonds in international youth exchanges. The theory training then covered three core areas: international volunteer principles and standards, cross-cultural communication skills, and new media storytelling, including strategies for urban public communication and techniques for creating impactful short videos. The entire lecture was delivered bilingually to ensure all participants could fully engage. Alami El Mehdi, a Southwest University student from Morocco, said that learning how to make videos, especially short videos, was very interesting to him, and he even started thinking about making videos about China.

Students prepare to place the aquatic plants into the river. (Photo/Chongqing Luhai International Communication Foundation)

"First we put some stones in it, then we put some grass and wrap it with a thread", Saima Yasmin from Pakistan explained, demonstrating how to plant aquatic plants in the river. The practical part took the students into nature. Participants were divided into groups and deployed to two ecological sites. Along the Liangtan River, a key tributary of the Jialing River, which supplies drinking water to millions in Chongqing, one group planted aquatic plants to create small wetlands for water purification and ecological restoration. A second group conducted riverbank cleanups and systematically removed invasive plant species to protect native biodiversity. A third group hiked up Jinyun Mountain to build an eco-friendly trail by hand. Using only natural materials such as wood and soil and simple tools, the activity followed a minimum-intervention approach to avoid disturbing wildlife. Okoye Nkechi Emmanuella, an international student from Nigeria, mentioned that he had seen videos on various platforms showing people helping the country and the elderly by building roads like this.

International students are smoothing and clearing stones to prevent hikers from slipping. (Photo / Zeng Junxiang)

At the same time, Chinese students from Southwest University's College of State Governance and College of International Studies carried out their own volunteer activities, community outreach, and campus service, all sharing the same spirit of public welfare.

Students from Southwest University's College of State Governance and College of International Studies carried out their own volunteer activities. (Photo/Chongqing Luhai International Communication Foundation)

Throughout the practice, participants were encouraged to document their experiences with mobile phones by capturing photos and short videos to share on their personal social media platforms. From riverbanks to mountain forests, from theory to mud on their boots, this training did more than teach skills. It turned international students into active participants in Chongqing's environmental efforts and cultural exchange.