29/09/2026
The 2026 Intercultural Communication Course with Wuhan University at Marston Hill
In August 2026, Marston Hill welcomed a group of teachers and students from China for the eighth China-Sweden Intercultural Communication Summer Course. The program was organized jointly by the Center for Studies of Media Development, Wuhan University, the School of Journalism and Communication at Wuhan University, and Marston Hill Intercultural Center for Quality of Life. Participants came from Wuhan University, Chongqing University, Wuhan University of Technology and Wuhan Textile University.
At Marston Hill, Professor Jens Allwood led lectures and discussions on Swedish history and culture, cultural differences between China and Sweden, identity, power distance, and intercultural communication in the age of artificial intelligence. Professor Yao Xi from Wuhan University introduced theories and practical approaches in intercultural marketing communication. The participants also shared their daily observations and discussed how cultural assumptions influence communication in academic, professional and everyday settings.
Figure 1. Professor Jens Allwood leads a classroom discussion
Figure 2. Professor Yao Xi lectures on intercultural marketing communication
The programme combined classroom learning with visits and conversations in the local community. At Mullsjö Municipal Hall, the participants met Mayor Per Högberg and discussed local governance, immigration and environmental protection. Interviews with Chinese residents who had lived in Sweden for many years provided personal perspectives on cultural adaptation, identity and intergenerational experience.
The group also visited Jönköping University and Town Hall, local media – a Swedish newspaper office, an automotive company and sites working with urban ecology. At the Consulate-General of China in Gothenburg, representatives of the group met Consul General Yang Peidong and discussed intercultural communication, educational cooperation and future exchanges between China and Sweden.
Figure 3. Participants at Jönköping City Hall
Figure 4. Participants at the Consulate-General of China in Gothenburg
Cultural and outdoor activities formed another important part of the course. Participants visited a traditional handicraft school and sites connected with ancient Swedish history, took part in a painting workshop, walked around Lake Mullsjö, went canoeing and visited Gothenburg. These activities gave the participants opportunities to experience Swedish culture through daily life, local history and direct contact with people from different backgrounds.
Figure 5. Participants take part in a local traditional handicraft workshop
Figure 6. Participants at the University of Gothenburg
The first China-Sweden Intercultural Communication Summer Course was established in 2015 through cooperation between Professor Jens Allwood of The University of Gothenburg and Marston Hill and Professor Shan Bo of Wuhan University. Including this year, summer courses have been held eight years. This continuing cooperation has brought together teachers and students interested in intercultural communication and has created lasting academic and personal connections between Sweden and China.
At the closing ceremony, Professor Allwood presented certificates to the participants. Marston Hill thanks all the teachers, students, speakers and local partners who contributed to this year’s course. We hope that the cooperation will continue and that future courses will create further opportunities for dialogue and mutual learning.
Figure 7. Participants at the closing ceremony at Marston Hill
