30 student volunteers from Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) were highly praised for their outstanding performance at China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) 2019, which was held from 8 to 11 September 2019 in Xiamen, China.

One of the world's largest international events promoting trade and investment, this year’s CIFIT has attracted over 100,000 domestic and foreign businessmen and more than 3,000 enterprises from 120 countries and regions, including 50 countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative.

During the event, the 30 XMUM student volunteers provided professional services in reception, translation and multimedia support. With their strong multilingual abilities and outstanding cross-cultural communication skills, they presented an excellent image of XMUM students to the guests.

The volunteers also benefited from a four-day training programme organized by Xiamen Foreign Service Centre (XMFSC) prior to the event. They received intensive training in professional leadership, diplomatic etiquette, spoken English, etc.  

Students’ Recollections

Chen Yixin

Third-year student Chen Yixin from Journalism Programme was the leader of XMFSC Volunteer Team. It was the first time that Chen has engaged in the organization of such a large-scale national-level event. She believes that the soft skills that she acquired during the event - teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, and task management - will advance her personal development. “Surely I will feel more comfortable stretching my wings at work because I’ve honed these skills there,” said Chen. “As a journalism student, excellent interpersonal skill is essential. Receiving guests from all over the world has helped me develop such skills.” For Chen, CIFIT 2019 was a “learning garden”, which not only nurtured her skills but also allowed her to connect to others, brightening her summer holiday with joy and satisfaction.

(from left to right) Hu Qinghe, Exhibition Staff; Tang Xiyan, Radio Presenter; Bostjan Skalar, Executive Director & CEO of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA); Chen Yixin, XMUM Volunteer.

Xie Roumei

Xie Roumei, a senior student majoring in New Energy Science and Engineering, was responsible for receiving foreign guests, including Dr. Essam Sharaf, the former Prime Minister of Egypt, and his two personal assistants. According to Xie, she has gained a deep understanding of the principle that “diplomacy is no small matter”, as receiving foreign guests and providing meticulous services were not as easy as people may think. Before foreign guests came, volunteers needed to know all guests’ itineraries, including the time and venue of every meeting, required traffic time and some important security precautions. A qualified volunteer should also grasp the personal characteristics and background information of foreign guests. Xie said that the work enabled her to be highly adaptive to different working situations, which was a valuable skill. 

(from left to right) Fatma Abdallah, Personal Assistant to Dr. Essam Sharad; Lin Yisheng, Exhibition Staff; Dr. Essam Sharaf, Former Prime Minister of Egypt; Xie Roumei, XMUM volunteer.

Ye Yifei

Ye Yifei from Finance Programme summarized her experience of volunteering in a few words: tired but enriched. During CIFIT 2019, she was responsible for receiving guests from the guest country of honour, Serbia, and arranging transportation services. She mentioned that sometimes the guests’ itineraries were very tight so that volunteers were required to be flexible to any demands and changes. “When seeing guests attend meetings on time, or a large-scale event successfully held, I would feel a sense of accomplishment,” Ye said. This experience also taught Ye the importance of thoughtfulness: “Each small role is vital to the bigger picture.”