The Fudan Coffee Day kicked off on May 20, with 30 plus stalls and 5 coffee buses standing at the lawn in front of Xianghui Theater, offering people both tasty coffee and a platform for exchange. It was also the first time for the university to hold such a coffee-themed event.
“It never occurred to me that there are so many cafes on campus,” said SHEN Weixiao, member with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief professor at Shanghai Center for Mathematical Sciences, in front of a coffee stall.
Many renowned scholars and experts also participated in the event, tasting coffees while chatting with each other at the scene. “I'm waiting for my second one (coffee),” said Gunter Schumann, professor at Fudan’s Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), who was chatting with Shen and FENG Jianfeng, dean of ISTBI, over a cup of “coffee”.
“I think it’s good to have opportunities that are leisurely and informal and that helps strengthen the communication and the understanding of teachers and students,” said Schumann, who is used to having a cup of Americano in the morining, viewing the Coffee Day as a great platform for communication.
The coffee made by robots at the event also aroused the interest of Vice Chancellor of University of Southampton Mark Smith and its Vice President International Andrew Atherton, who paid a visit to Fudan on the same day.
According to the organizer, a total of 9 coffee brands on campus, and 3 brands founded by Fudan alumni were invited to Fudan’s Coffee Day.
Coffee brands invited this time displayed their unique coffee making techniques of their own, and also offered Latte art tutorial for coffee lovers. People could also learn coffee knowledge and how to utilize coffee grounds in an eco-friendly way. While enjoying the tasty cofffee, people could also have fun in the exhibition of intangible cultural heritage.
Notably, also joined the event were 3 coffee brands committed to poverty alleviation. Part of their income generated on Fudan’s Coffee Day would be donated to help boost targeted poverty alleviation in China’s rural areas.
“It's very good to have it(coffee) on Monday mornings. I think a lot of people need it,” said Caroline from Nordic Center. She was impressed by various kinds of cafes in Shanghai.
“I'm half Italian, so coffee is very important to me. I was a bit surprised when I heard that there would be a coffee festival. It(Coffee Day) looks really good and I'm very excited to have one.” said Giorgio, an exchange student from Edinburgh University, who brought guitar performance for the Coffee Day.
Last August, Giorgio came to Shanghai, embarking on his one-year study of Chinese at Fudan. As he’s going to finish his study at Fudan and leave for England soon, the Chinese culture lover feels a little bit reluctant to say goodbye. “I like China, I like the culture, I like the cities, I like the food. I'm gonna come back as soon as possible.”
Coffee are bridges to connect people, and cafes are also ideal places for cultural and acedemic exchanges.
The first university student salon in Shanghai was founded in Fudan and has lasted for more than 30 years. Presently, there are 25 cafes or coffee spaces in Fudan’s four campuses, serving as multi-functional platforms for dining, study, discussion and socialization for teachers and students.
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Presented by Fudan University Media Center
Writer: WANG Mengqi
Editor: LI Yijie
Designer: George Li
