On the 25th September, 2017, the school of Food and biological engineering organized a workshop and Invited overseas students to a special event: the preparation for the great Mid-Autumn festival by baking a special cake named: Moon-cake. The exercise was in line with the policy of the school of Food and Biological Engineering to offer the new students to the school the opportunity to get introduced to the activities related to the major which has to do with nutrition. The platform served it intended purpose as participants including master students; PhD and the undergraduates followed the step by step procedure in making the moon cake, special Chinese recipe mostly prepared for the celebration of the Moon festival. The participants were excited as the workshop brought together continuing, local and international students who took advantage of the occasion to exchange ideas and get familiarized with the equipment usage, lab management and the safety instructions with regards to entry and exit of the facility. After This event, overseas students figured-out that the purpose of baking moon-cake together was to boost their integration with the Chinese students and to know about Chinese cultures as well because When you experience a different culture through educational and cultural exchange you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you, deepening your knowledge of foreign cultures and strengthening international relationships.

The Moon Cake is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival. On that day, people sacrifice moon cakes to the moon as an offering and eat them for celebration. Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region. The moon cakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of moon cakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends. Nowadays, people present moon cakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life. Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese Lunar calendar Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest. Like most traditional celebrations observed today, the practice has been handed down through generations of Chinese culture and is usually linked to significant historical events. With more than 3,000 years of history, there are different takes on the origin of this festival but the most popular one is the story of Hou Yi and Chang E, has different versions.

(School of Food and Biological Engineering: Ms. Hafida WAHIA and Ms. FATOUMATA BINTA MACI BAH)