In today's era of globalization, an international perspective and cross-cultural communication skills have become indispensable qualities for high-level talents in the new era. From August 3 to 16, 2025, Jin Lei, Vice Dean of the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, and teacher Wang Yu led 14 undergraduates to the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to carry out a two-week summer overseas study and practical exchange activity. This event is not only an academic exploration journey, but also an important opportunity to build cultural dialogue and friendship.

On the evening of August 3, the study team, after a long flight, successfully arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Despite the fatigue from the journey, the students were still in high spirits, full of curiosity and expectation for the unknown academic fields. The Faculty of Science of the University of Malaya carefully arranged the pick-up and accommodation for the team. The warm welcome atmosphere helped everyone quickly adapt to the unfamiliar environment, laying a good foundation for the smooth implementation of subsequent activities.

On the morning of August 4, the Faculty of Science of the University of Malaya held a formal yet simple welcome ceremony for the teachers and students of Harbin Engineering University. Dr. Mohd Hamdi, Head of the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Science, and Dr. Lim Lian Kuang, in charge of international cooperation affairs, attended and delivered speeches, introducing in detail the University of Malaya's educational history, disciplinary advantages and internationalization strategy. On behalf of the school, Vice Dean Jin Lei expressed sincere thanks to the University of Malaya and introduced the school-running characteristics of our university and the main purpose of this study tour. Subsequently, the two sides exchanged commemorative gifts and took group photos, marking a new chapter in the friendship and cooperation between the two universities.

Over the following two weeks, the University of Malaya tailored a series of high-quality academic activities for the study group, covering multiple cutting-edge fields in physics and optoelectronic engineering, including photonics, laser technology, materials physics, quantum information, and optoelectronic sensing.

Professors and researchers from the University of Malaya delivered a number of English-only thematic lectures. The content included both basic theories and the latest scientific research progress. The students not only improved their listening and expression skills in professional English, but also gained a vivid understanding of the teaching style and academic atmosphere of a world-class university.

The study group visited a number of key scientific research facilities successively, including the Advanced Optics Laboratory, the Nanotechnology Center, and the High-Performance Computing Platform. Malaysian researchers explained the principles of the equipment and project progress patiently. The students actively asked questions and participated in hands-on operations enthusiastically. Some students even teamed up with University of Malaya students during the experiments, truly practicing "learning through experiments".

During the exchange, some students conducted in-depth discussions with teachers and students of the University of Malaya based on their personal research directions, and initially explored potential cooperative research topics. This spontaneous academic interaction is one of the most valuable gains from the international study tour.

Throughout the study tour, the students gained an in-depth experience of Malaysia’s multiculturalism. Ranging from Malay culture, Chinese culture to Indian culture, and from religious buildings to street food, the diverse features of Kuala Lumpur enabled everyone to deeply understand the cultural coexistence wisdom of "harmony without uniformity". Many students stated that this cross-cultural experience greatly broadened their worldview and enhanced their confidence in studying and living in an international environment.

On August 15, the Faculty of Science of the University of Malaya held a closing ceremony for the study group and awarded a study certificate to each participant. Wang Yu expressed thanks to the University of Malaya again and invited it to pay a return visit to Harbin Engineering University, hoping that the two universities could establish a more in-depth institutionalized cooperation in student exchange, scientific research cooperation and other aspects in the future.

Although this summer study tour lasted only two weeks, it had a far-reaching impact. Through English-only courses, experimental operations and academic discussions, the students significantly improved their professional foreign language proficiency and scientific research practical capabilities. Being in a world-class university, they personally experienced the overseas education model and cultural environment, and enhanced their sense of international competition. In the exchanges and interactions with Malaysian teachers, students and international students, the students learned a more open and inclusive way of communication.

This event has laid a solid foundation for the subsequent cooperation between the two universities, with promising progress expected in joint curriculum development, faculty and student exchanges, and collaborative research in the future. Meanwhile, this visit also serves as a key practice of the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering in advancing the "Belt and Road" educational cooperation. It has accumulated experience in organizing international study tours and provided valuable references for the optimization of subsequent projects.

The School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering will continue to uphold the concept of open education, further expand its cooperation network with high-level universities in countries along the "Belt and Road", and build a more diverse, stable, and in-depth platform for international study tours and academic exchanges. The school will continuously optimize project design, strengthen curriculum alignment, improve safety guarantees and cultural adaptation support mechanisms, enabling more students to have the opportunity to go abroad and grow on the world stage.

"Learn through journeys, grow through exchanges." This is not only the slogan of this study tour program, but also a vivid practice of Harbin Engineering University’s School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering in cultivating high-level talents with a global perspective, innovative capabilities, and a spirit of cooperation. May every effort to cross oceans and mountains illuminate the path to the world for more students.