At the invitation of the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) and Tencent Foundation, 15 high-school girls, also beneficiaries of the Spring Bud Project, from Miyi County, Panzhihua City of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended a sci-tech literacy study tour in Beijing from October 25 to 29.

The visit to Tsinghua University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, left a deep impression on the Spring Bud girls for its rich study and academic environment. They also took photos with their classmates' pictures in front of the famous Old Gate, a three-arched landmark architecture on the campus.

Additionally, they held talks with teachers and students from Tsinghua University's Qiuzhen College as well as Tencent Corporation's staff workers from different functional departments, and asked their advice about how to better overcome worries and explore personal talent during academic studies. College students related personal experience to respond to the questions of the girls. 

"There are limited development opportunities in my hometown, and I come from an ordinary family. How could I approach a bigger platform and chase my dream?" asked a girl. Employees from Tencent told her that what matters important is that one should find the real interest and be dedicated to it.

During their visit to Beijing No.2 Middle School, which has a history of 300 years, the girls joined contestants of the Fourth S.-T. Yau High School Girls' Mathematics Contest to listen to a class of quantum physics given by a professor from Tsinghua University.

A girl, who shows great interest in mathematics, said that the quantum physics class further enhanced her enthusiasm for the mathematics and helped her grasp a deep understanding of the fundamental roles and significance of the discipline in physics and other scientific fields.

Tencent's AI experts used easily understandable language to explain the theories of large-scale AI models to the girls.

The visit to Tencent's headquarters in Beijing further deepened the understanding of the girls toward positive changes brought by Internet technology to modern life.

After learning more about the fast development of the technologies concerning smart transport and travel, the construction and management of data cloud, and supportive medical devices, the girls said that they would devote themselves to sci-tech research and make unique contributions to social progress.

The girls were invited to attend the awarding ceremony of the Fourth S.-T. Yau High School Girls' Mathematics Contest on October 27.

They spoke highly of the outstanding performance made by award-winners, and believed that girls can make extraordinary achievements and find their own place in mathematics-related field and sci-tech research.

"We have found many shining points from those contestants and drawn great strength from their inspirational stories. We highly cherish the study tour with full enthusiasm and will bring back home what we have learned here and share with our classmates to help them better feel the infinite possibilities created by our country's sci-tech development," said a girl, on behalf of the Spring Bud girls, at the awarding ceremony.

Cheng Yongmao, who is responsible for a protection and restoration project of the Jiankou section of the Great Wall, spoke with the girls about the stories behind the iconic and impressive man-made structure.

According to Cheng, advanced technologies have been fully adopted in the archaeological research and restoration of the Jiankou section of the Great Wall. The target of the latest protection and restoration project is a 915-meter-long wall. The project will be completed in November 2026.

Under the guidance of engineers, the girls placed ancient bricks back on the newly-restored wall and felt the perfect integration between modern technology and the ancient man-made wonder.

Many positive changes took place in the girls during the five-day study tour. One of their teachers said that they not only acquired new knowledge but also learned more about how to study, engage in reflection and communicate with others.

The study tour is an integral part of Spring Bud Sci-Tech Girls' New-Cycle Public Welfare project under the Spring Bud Project — Dream of Future Action, which was jointly launched by the CCTF and Tencent Foundation this year to further deepen cooperation on digital and scientific education. It targets Spring Bud girls in middle and high schools and is designed to nurture a special cultivation approach featuring universal courses in middle school and study tour in high school and to undertake sci-tech study tour with emphases on frontier technologies and cultural confidence.

Meanwhile, the newly launched public welfare project will provide girls showing talent and having willingness to engage in sci-tech research with opportunities to attend national contests and communicate with outstanding women sci-tech workers in a drive to further improve their sci-tech literacy and digital competence and guide them to strive for long-term development in science and technology.

(Source: CCTF/Women of China)

Editor: Wang Shasha