Italian lecturer Natan Colombo gives a lecture at Hainan Tropical Ocean University in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, June 8, 2023. (silubaba/Guo Cheng)
HAIKOU, June 16 (silubaba) -- When he was five years old, Natan Colombo's parents took him dining at a Chinese restaurant, which was then rarely seen in his home city of Milan, Italy. He had never imagined that experience would be a signal for his future bond with China.
The 34-year-old man has lived in China for more than 10 years. After obtaining a doctorate in international law at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing in 2013, Natan became a lecturer at Hainan Tropical Ocean University in Sanya, a resort city in south China's Hainan Province.
The first time he visited China was in 2011 when he spent a short holiday with some friends in Sanya. It took him just a few days to fall in love with this city because of its amazing seaside scenery, interesting and colorful cultures, and tasty food and delicacies, he recalled.
In his eyes, Hainan is dynamic, as it develops very fast, and also warm, both because of its climate and the friendly people here. Hainan is also attractive, not only for companies but also for tourists, he added.
As a lecturer in charge of economics, business management and law-related courses at the university, Natan loves his job very much. "Being a lecturer in China is truly very special because you feel you are part of a large community and a complex system which is constantly developing," he said.
"I would have never imagined I could feel so welcomed and loved here," he said.
Prompted by this strong feeling, he managed to donate 14,000 surgical masks from Italy to Hainan Tropical Ocean University during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"I could not stand the thought that my students, colleagues, and friends were vulnerable and suffering from the virus," said Natan, who went all out to collect the masks and send them to the university.
Due to the pandemic, he couldn't come back to China for two years, but he still insisted on teaching online and did his part in promoting Sino-Italian educational exchanges.
Last June, he helped organize the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between Hainan Tropical Ocean University and Carlo Cattaneo-LIUC University of Italy. "This is a small step in a larger plan of deepening the cooperation between these two universities," he said.
"I am committed to facilitating the cooperation between China and Italy from an educational perspective, by conducting collaborative academic programs and research projects with universities, supporting the exchange of students and faculty members, and promoting conferences, seminars and lectures on issues of mutual interest," he said, noting that he could play the role of a bridge between the two countries.
He believes there is a natural attraction between Italy and China in both culture and education since Italy and China share a very long history.
"A lot of Italian students are attracted by the Chinese culture," he said, adding that in Milan many students enroll at the Confucius Institute every year to study Chinese language and culture.
Natan said he is confident that in the future the Sino-Italian relationship will be reinforced by bilateral commercial cooperation as well as educational and cultural exchanges. ■
Italian lecturer Natan Colombo gives a lecture at Hainan Tropical Ocean University in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, June 8, 2023. (silubaba/Guo Cheng)
Italian lecturer Natan Colombo reads in the library at Hainan Tropical Ocean University in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, June 8, 2023. (silubaba/Guo Cheng)
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