An event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Europe was held in Southwest China's Chongqing recently, underscoring the important role of humanities and arts education in bridging cultures in today's interconnected world.

On Dec 18, a spectacular 50-meter-long painting created by 50 students from 24 countries and regions, was unveiled at the opening ceremony of the inaugural 2025 "China Express for International People-to-People Exchange" Global Youth's Fine Art Exhibition in Chongqing.

According to curator Zhou Yu, the exhibition showcased 360 artworks by young people from 25 countries and regions across various media including painting, sculpture and video. These pieces will travel to various locations across Europe via China-Europe freight trains, fostering cultural dialogue and friendship between China and Europe.

"China and European countries represent two significant world civilizations. These creations by children serve as an essential vehicle for intercultural communication and dialogue, paving the way for future world peace," said Yang Jin, former ambassador and permanent delegate of China to UNESCO, after viewing the exhibition.

The exhibition was part of the 4th China-Europe Humanities and Arts Education Forum, held from Dec 18 to 20 at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing.

To celebrate a half-century of China-Europe relations, it brought together experts and scholars from China, Italy, Greece and other countries to foster cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Europe.

"Though far apart geographically, both have long valued the role of artistic practice — in theater, sculpture, poetry, calligraphy, pottery and many other forms — as a way of shaping understanding and transmitting knowledge," said Evgenios Kalpyris, ambassador of Greece to China, at the opening ceremony of the forum. "Today, at a time when cultural understanding is increasingly important, these forms of exchange show how art can bridge perspectives that may seem distant."

On Dec 19, the 2025 Annual Educational Conference of International People-to-People Exchange for Youth, a sub-forum of the event, released the 2024 Compilation of Achievements in International People-to-People Exchanges for Youth. This comprehensive resource systematically reviews and highlights exemplary practices and innovative development models from 160 organizations across China, focusing on youth cultural and educational exchanges with foreign countries and regions.

The book, compiled by the Research Center of International People-to-People Exchange for Youth, uses eight chapters to vividly illustrate the essence of dialogue among civilizations. These chapters cover topics such as pairing international sister schools, developing internet and cultural exchange initiatives, multilingual foreign language learning, supporting Chinese teaching in international sister schools, enhancing cultural literacy, international understanding education, jointly constructing and sharing Chinese and foreign curricula, and sharing regional experiences.

Shenzhen Nanshan Foreign Language School (Group) Overseas Chinese Town Primary School, located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is a notable example of a school that emphasizes international understanding education through its unique programs in ecological education, choir and baseball.

The school's choir, recognized as a model choir in Shenzhen, has participated in various events and has established an international partnership with the Jacquingasse Music School in Vienna, Austria. This partnership involves exchange activities focusing on children's choir and Chinese culture. The school is preparing for a choir exchange event in Vienna this year.

The two-day conference launched a service program for international understanding education, which supports schools with resources for courses, teacher training, activities and partnerships to help young people develop cultural exchange skills. It also includes discussions on critical topics, including reflections on China-Europe primary and secondary education models and the exploration of global governance education paradigms.