News from JCU (Text: Liu Yaxin, Bu Qinsiyu, Photos: Zhu Huafeng, Zhang Siyan)
On the morning of March 29, the opening ceremony of the “2026 International Youth Chinese Culture Exploration Program”, featuring students from Western New York, USA, was held at the Comprehensive Conference Hall of Xianghu Campus, Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU). Zhang Jingjing, Vice President of JCU, and Paul Casseri, Superintendent of the Lewiston-Porter Central School District in New York State, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks. Representatives from JCU’s School of Fine Arts, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, Wuzhou Hanfeng Education Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., as well as participating institutions including the Lewiston-Porter Central School District, Buffalo Seminary, Mount Mercy Academy, Mount St. Mary Academy, Nardin Academy, Buffalo Academy of Science, and the WNY Education Alliance attended the event together with all U.S. participants. Vice President Zhang Jingjing officially announced the opening of the program.
In her address, Zhang Jingjing welcomed the teachers and students from the United States. She noted that the program is not only an opportunity for participants to experience the everyday life and craftsmanship of Jingdezhen, but also a journey into the memory and spirit embodied in China’s ceramic heritage. She expressed the hope that young participants would gain both personal growth and lasting friendships through the exchange. With Jingdezhen’s thousand-year ceramic tradition as a bridge, the program aims to foster dialogue grounded in shared experiences and mutual understanding, encouraging young people to appreciate diverse civilizations with openness and inclusiveness while contributing to the inheritance and innovation of ceramic culture.
Paul Casseri thanked JCU for its warm hospitality. He expressed admiration for Jingdezhen’s ceramic art and highlighted the profound influence that Jingdezhen’s ceramic culture has had on global cultural, economic, and artistic traditions. He encouraged the students to make full use of this learning opportunity at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, actively engage in artistic creation, and immerse themselves in the city’s rich history and artistic heritage in order to deepen their understanding of culture, history, and global connections.
Zoe Droegmyer, speaking on behalf of the American students, said she felt honored to participate in the art and language program at JCU. She reflected on her group’s experiences in Shanghai and Suzhou and expressed excitement about studying ceramic art in Jingdezhen. She hopes to learn, create, and exchange ideas with fellow participants, gaining new insights through the study and practice of ceramic art while experiencing the unique charm of Jingdezhen, the thousand-year-old porcelain capital.
According to the organizers, the six-day program brings together 29 students and 10 teachers from seven institutions in Western New York. The curriculum adopts an innovative model combining immersive cultural experiences, hands-on practice, field visits, and Chinese language learning. Courses include calligraphy, tea ceremony, Tai Chi, ceramic forming, and ceramic painting. By focusing on Jingdezhen’s living ceramic traditions and the broader achievements of Chinese civilization, the program aims to guide American youth beyond surface-level sightseeing toward a deeper understanding of the spirit, historical continuity, and contemporary vitality of Chinese culture. More than a transmission of cultural knowledge, the program also serves as a bridge for people-to-people exchange between the younger generations of China and the United States.
