Italian instructor Pio Savelli fosters Italy-China cultural exchange at Jilin University

At the Jilin International Studies University in Changchun, China, the multifunctional “Global Village” building hosts a joint Italian‑Chinese language and culture program. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Italian teacher Pio Savelli, a native of Foggia who has published more than ten literary works, leads Italian classes that use role‑playing exercises, such as ordering coffee in a Roman bar, to give students practical speaking experience.

Savelli works with a mixed team of Chinese and native‑Italian faculty, emphasising experiential learning that goes beyond textbook grammar. He says learning a foreign language also means entering another culture’s way of thinking. The programme highlights growing Chinese student interest in Italian art, design, architecture and cuisine, and underscores similarities the two nations share in valuing historic heritage. Savelli reports that the rapid modernisation of China coexists with a strong commitment to preserving cultural memory, fostering mutual understanding between the two countries.