The inaugural Youth Voice University Student Language Arts Showcase recently concluded in Shangyu, where Chen Caiwenjing, a French international student majoring in Intercultural Communication at our college, earned the Excellence Award in the New Media category for her creative work titled Rebirth: Studying Chemical Engineering at the Tianjin University Research Institute.

The event, themed “Youth Voice · Meet the Future in Shangyu,” featured two tracks: traditional and new media, with four stages for each: online and offline competitions, field creation, and final performances. Drawing participants from 174 universities and receiving over 4,000 entries, the competition culminated in 40 contestants taking the stage for the showcase. Using Tianjin University's Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute in Shangyu as the story’s backdrop, Chen reimagined her serious and technical topic with humor and creativity, delivering a compelling performance that highlighted her storytelling and communication skills.

For Chen, the intense process of filming, scripting, and editing proved to be both challenging and rewarding. Her innovative mindset, combined with her solid academic foundation in communication studies, proved instrumental in her success.

Commenting on her creative approach, Chen said, “I chose this topic and perspective with communication theory in mind. The competition focused on promoting the city of Shangyu, which ties closely to intercultural communication: sharing a culture with different audiences through diverse methods. To grab attention in just two minutes, a humorous and engaging 'rebirth' narrative felt like an effective way to connect with the audience and judges.”

Chen also credited her academic training and hands-on experience during her studies for helping her prepare. She noted that the competition further enhanced her understanding of communication theories, reinforcing the link between theoretical learning and practical application.

Beyond the competition, Chen is an active participant in campus language arts activities and frequently collaborates with student organizations to hone her craft. On social media, she runs accounts as a lifestyle blogger and gaming streamer. Looking ahead, Chen hopes to use her unique perspective as a French international student and her intercultural experiences to better introduce Chinese culture to the world.