From November 1st to 4th, 2025, Professor Zhao Xiaobin from the Globalization and Development program in the Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at BNBU, alongside foreign intern and TA Ilwad Ahmed, led students enrolled in the courses "Topics in Globalisation and Development" and "Global Trade and Investment Routes" on a fieldtrip to western Hunan. The trip aimed to explore rural economic development, trade integration, and resource management. Approximately 20 students participated in the research activity. By visiting local sites including Broad Group, Guantianshan Miao ethnic Village, the beautiful new rural village of Ganxi Village, Yongding Food Factory, and a local primary school in the village, the students integrated classroom theory with practice, actively investigating key factors resulting in rural development as well as natural resource management and industrial investment in the Xiangxi region.

On November 1st, the teachers and students arrived in Changsha and visited Broad Group's Town. They engaged in corporate exchanges, where students learned about the group's development history in the air conditioning sector and its plans for new ventures such as the "Liveable Building" (Active House).

On November 2nd, the group traveled by bus to Jishou City to visit Guantianshan Miao Village. Students formed small groups to freely explore the village, delving into its history and development process. During this section of the fieldtrip, students were able to engage with the local villages, and ask insightful questions regarding the economic landscape of the vilages. This uncovered the semi-permeable nature of the village as many working-age locals sought employment in neighbouring towns and faced daily commutes as a result. These first-hand accounts gave the students insight into the challenges that villagers faced as the lack of industry meant there was no infrastructure or market for employment, forcing locals to seek neighbouring towns for job opportunities. This highlights the need for researching effective rural economic development policies and resource management.

On November 3rd, the group went to Baojing City to visit the nearby beautiful newly-developed rural village—Ganxi Village. Through the enthusiastic and detailed introduction by local cadres, the students gained a genuine understanding of the current state and future prospects of new rural construction and rural tourism development.

After concluding the visit to Ganxi Village, the teachers and students proceeded to Zhangjiajie to tour the Yongding Food Factory. Students actively asked questions, gaining an in-depth understanding of the local food processing industry.

The final stop of the day was a local village primary school in Zhangjiajie. Through various activities such as conversations, Q&A sessions, and games, the professors and students engaged in friendly interaction with the pupils.

November 4th marked the final day of the research itinerary. The professors and students visited the Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain scenic area together and took group photos. In the afternoon, they returned to the BNBU campus in Zhuhai, successfully concluding the study tour.

Over the course of the four-day visit, the students gained valuable insights into the real development situations of both urban and rural areas across the Hunan Province.

The experience broadened their horizons, left a deep impression, and proved highly rewarding. After returning to campus, students combined theoretical knowledge from their courses to share and exchange in-depth reflections and unique perspectives they had gained from this study trip in class, significantly enhancing their independent learning and critical thinking abilities.

The program extends its gratitude to all the teachers and students of the "Globalization and Development Issues" and "Global Trade and Investment Routes" courses for their active participation and strong support of this research activity. In the future, the Globalization and Development program will actively organize more diverse study trips, aligning them with professional knowledge to enrich students’ learning experience while further improving their field research and analytical skills.