On the morning of November 6, 2025, Conference Room B303, Jiangxing Building of Shanghai Donghai College (SDC) was filled with a strong atmosphere of international exchange. The opening ceremony of the YES (Young Envoys Scholarship) Program, a special study program for French aviation majors to SDC, was grandly held. Jiang Haishan, President of International Education Association Shanghai; Shen Dai, President of Brest Business School in France; NIAKATE Hawa, Director of International Relations at Ecole Internationale Tunon in France; Liu Yanlin, Director of China Development at Eduservices Group in France; Professor He Ying, President of SDC; and Meng Zhaoshang, Director of the International Exchange Office, and others attended the ceremony to jointly witness this important moment of Sino-French aviation education cooperation.
As a key achievement of deepened cooperation between SDC and French institutions, the 10-day YES Program aims to build an international exchange platform for Chinese and French aviation majors, promoting talent training and cultural exchanges in aviation. At the opening ceremony, President He Ying extended a warm welcome to the French students on behalf of the college. She noted that China and France share a time-honored friendship, and youth exchanges are an important link for inheriting this friendship. Four months ago, students from SDC School of Aviation achieved fruitful results during their study tour in France. This 10-day exchange program for French teachers and students in Shanghai will also allow them to gain an in-depth understanding of Shanghai and China through professional learning and cultural experiences.
Shen Dai, President of Brest Business School in France, stated that this exchange coincides with the 30th anniversary of Sino-French aviation major cooperation. Professor He expected French teachers and students to bring back their wonderful experiences in Shanghai to France, injecting new vitality into Sino-French cultural exchanges. Madame Hawa thanked SDC for its thoughtful arrangements and fully affirmed the successful experience of Chinese students’ summer camp in France. She mentioned that Shanghai, as a culturally prosperous and innovative city, will provide rich cultural experiences for French teachers and students. Jiang Haishan welcomed the French delegation on behalf of the association and thanked SDC for its meticulous organization of the program. He emphasized the significance of cross-cultural exchanges among young people from China and foreign countries for world peace and development, and wished the French teachers and students a fulfilling and pleasant stay in Shanghai, as well as the complete success of the program. After the ceremony, all guests took a group photo to commemorate the occasion.
It is reported that the YES Program offers a rich agenda, including courses on China Overview, Chinese Culture and Etiquette, and Air Services under Eastern Cultural Background; corporate visits to Shanghai Aviation Museum and Spring Airlines; cultural experiences such as Chinese cuisine, dragon and lion dance, and pottery making; as well as Shanghai urban cultural inspections. The program also features special courses like “Elegant Han-style Gathering” and “Cabin Emergency Management”, which deeply integrate traditional Chinese culture with aviation professional education, providing French teachers and students with a comprehensive and immersive Chinese aviation culture experience.
Adhering to the educational philosophy of “open education and international perspective”, SDC has established stable cooperative relations with many universities in France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and other countries in recent years. As an important initiative to promote Belt and Road education cooperation and deepen international cooperation in vocational education, the YES Program will strongly support the cultivation of internationally competitive aviation professionals. In the future, SDC will continue to expand international educational cooperation channels, improve the level of international education, and cultivate and deliver more high-quality technical and skilled talents for the high-quality development of the aviation industry in Shanghai and even the whole country.
