Tianjin University volunteers teach for a week in Tibet

"Teachers from Tianjin University taught us about electricity, space exploration and photography. (They were) enlightening lessons... Among them all, I enjoyed the photography class they gave us the most," said Karma Dechen, a fourth-year student at the No 1 Primary School in Samdrubze district, Shigatse, Tibet autonomous region.

She was talking about a class given by seven students and two teachers from Tianjin University's School of Electrical and Information Engineering. The volunteer group taught support classes at multiple primary and secondary schools in the district for a week early this month.

They included classes about cultural exchange between the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups, reading, handicrafts, and art.

The group included one teacher, Chen Xiaolong, a professor at the school, who had won first prize in the National College Young Teachers Teaching Competition. Chen delivered a lecture titled "Three Questions about Electrical Energy" to students at the No 1 primary school.

He explained batteries, power plants, and electrical systems, giving the students a clear understanding of where the electricity that powers their homes comes from. "I hoped to raise their awareness of electricity from a safety perspective," Chen said.