Japanese students listen to a presentation about Shenzhen at the Shenzhen International Innovation Center in Futian District yesterday. Lin Jianping

Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A DELEGATION of 16 Japanese students from five prestigious Japanese universities is currently on a weeklong experience in Shenzhen designed to let them feel the vibrant pulse of the city.

The students are participating in the China-Japan Youth Innovation and Cooperation Summer Program, which kicked off in Shenzhen yesterday.

The program seeks to strengthen friendly exchanges and collaboration between China and Japan and allow Japanese youth to deepen their understanding of China while experiencing Shenzhen’s development.

Their itinerary includes visits to the Shenzhen Museum, Lianhua Hill Park, the Honghu Water Purification Plant, the Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the Dafen Oil Painting Village, and tours of Shenzhen-based firms and universities.

Among the participants is Mibuki Kobayashi, an English literature major at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies. Kobayashi expected to learn about the fusion of art and technology in Shenzhen.

Having visited Los Angeles, Vancouver, and London, she is particularly impressed with Shenzhen’s high-tech environment and the prevalence of electric vehicles.

“I haven’t seen so many electric cars in a city, so I would say Shenzhen is the most futuristic,” Kobayashi told Shenzhen Daily.

Kuanysh Uzbekov, majoring in international public policy with a focus on Eurasian studies at the University of Tsukuba, is also part of the delegation. This is Uzbekov’s first visit to Shenzhen and China, and he is eager to uncover the success story behind the city’s transformation from a small village to a global metropolis in just 40 years.

Uzbekov said he is fascinated by the city’s skyline, which is a testament to its relentless pursuit of development. “It never stops developing itself. I think it’s maybe a motto of Shenzhen — ‘Never stop developing,’” he said.