Chantal Gauthier teaches a second-grade class in China as part of the Reciprocal Learning Program (YUHAN DENG/University of Windsor)
Guest submission by Yuhan Deng, PhD candidate, Faculty of Education
Four teacher candidates and two doctoral students from the University of Windsor are participating in a 12-week Mitacs international reciprocal learning internship in China.
This experience is strengthening their confidence in teaching through enhanced global competence.
The 2026 UWindsor Teacher Education Reciprocal Learning Program (RLP) and Mitacs cohort arrived in Shanghai, China, on April 14 before travelling to Chongqing the next day to begin the international internship. The cohort is guided by PhD candidate Yuhan Deng, with Faculty of Education professor Dr. Shijing Xu serving as UWindsor home supervisor.
Designed to support inclusive learning, the program brings together students from diverse backgrounds and creates space for local and international perspectives.
The group has completed a three-week visit to Southwest University (SWU) in Chongqing and is conducting classroom observations, collaborative teaching and cross-cultural learning at local schools serving Grades 1 to 12 in Beijing. They will visit Jiangnan University in July for the final stage of the internship.
Participants say the experience is helping them build relationships with students, learn from educators and grow as future teachers.
“The most valuable part of every week for me is my relationships with the students and how they continue to build every week. Although there are language barriers at times, I have found that students are eager to communicate, whether through English or gestures. Building rapport with students has made me feel more comfortable in the school community and also more confident in my teaching,” says Laura.
Jenny says greeting students has become a highlight of each day.
“My favourite part of each day is definitely saying hi to all the students and seeing them so gleeful to talk to my group members!”
Richard says, “I found the teacher-led discussions to be very beneficial for not only the teachers themselves, but us as students. I have enjoyed listening to every teacher’s lesson breakdown as well as their thoughts on teaching methods. Knowing what works better with students and how to keep them engaged using ways I may not have initially thought of has been one of the things I have focused most on during these discussions.”
The RLP was developed in 2010 by UWindsor and SWU, in partnership with the Greater Essex County District School Board. It emphasizes reciprocal learning, mutual appreciation, cultural immersion and pedagogical exchange, offering participants the opportunity to learn from Chinese educators while sharing Canadian teaching perspectives.
Each fall, teacher education students from SWU China come to the University of Windsor to observe classes in local schools and to audit courses in the pre-service program at the Faculty of Education for two to three months.
The 15-year program has seen 10 rounds of pre-service student in-person exchanges between the two universities with some online exchanges during the pandemic.
This opportunity is supported by the UWindsor Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI), the UWindsor Faculty of Education, Southwest University (College of Teacher Education), Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), Jiangnan University and the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship program.