Beijing, China - On April 27, international students from Beijing Forestry University (BFU) were invited to participate in the 2023 Beijing Municipal Government International Edition Portal Symposium for Foreigners. Held in the Smart Hall of Light Science and Technology Museum in Haidian District, more than 20 international students from different universities in Beijing attended the symposium.

During the symposium, the participating international students spoke in turn and provided feedback on the portal's content. They noted that the website was rich and colourful, providing information on policies and regulations, living services, and cultural exchanges. The students made several suggestions for improving the portal, including the addition of columns and content for international students such as general knowledge of life and employment information. They also hoped that some audio and video materials could be added to facilitate foreigners' understanding of Chinese culture.

The symposium provided an opportunity for international students to show themselves and strengthen their understanding of the development of the capital. The students highlighted the importance of Mandarin language education and facilitating the internship and work permit process for international students to contribute to the betterment of the nation.

Aouititen Majda, one of the international students who attended the symposium, said, "I would like to take this special occasion to express my gratitude to the people's Government of Beijing Municipality for organizing such a valuable very needed Symposium. Indeed, the website portal is outstandingly designed, very welcoming and easy to use as well, which is why I would suggest considering adding videos to this website to enhance the information-sharing process. I want to highlight as well that it will be much more suitable to add a volunteering page which will be helpful to plenty of international students who want to get involved in serving our Beijing community. China has welcomed us with love, that's why we will do our best to make our community a gorgeous environment to live in."

Titab Bizhar Ibrahim, another international student from BFU, added, "As international students, we feel at home in China and are honoured to contribute to the betterment of the nation. During the event, the after-portal has been explained by Beijing municipality staff. The staff listened to the website portal and solicited feedback from fellow students. Many students provided valuable suggestions for improving the portal. Overall, the symposium was a great opportunity to collaborate and provide feedback to the Beijing Municipal Government."

Participating in the symposium is conducive to increasing communication between international students from BFU and other universities, deepening their understanding of the capital's development, and strengthening their confidence in participating in the construction of the capital. The event provided a good reference for the future development of the international version of the Beijing Municipal Government portal.