In order to help international students to keep mental health and know the correct way to cope with stress, the International College invited Ms. Cui, a psychologist from USTC Mental Health Education and Counseling Center to hold a mental health lecture on September 18, 2021. The lecture was hosted by Ms. Penny of International College, students were able to attend both online and offline.

As a psychiatrist, Ms. Cui has been engaged in psychological counseling and therapy for many years. At the beginning of the lecture, Ms. Cui introduced to all the Mental Health Education and Counseling Center of USTC. Then, she passed the knowledge of psychology to the students with three short but interesting videos, and helped everyone to learn the concept of "living with a black dog" and to find ways to deal with stress and interpersonal relationships. At the end of the lecture, Ms. Cui emphasized that the important method for physical and mental health is to keep stable daily routine. She also introduced some ways to be happy and cope with stress from the perspective of psychology: exercising; meditating; developing personal hobbies; talking to family, friends as well as teachers and seeking professional help. Meanwhile, in the Q&A session, students are very actively to ask many questions, such as the feeling of not being recognized due to cultural differences. Ms. Cui and Ms. Penny interacted actively with the students and helped them to solve their doubts and questions.

Due to the pandemic situation, the international students inside China cannot go back to their country and the international students outside China cannot come back to USTC. In addition, they also faced with enormous pressure from research and study life. It’s extremely easy to cause psychological anxiety. Through this lecture, it helps to improve the ability of international students to cope with psychological stress, adapt to campus life and enhance cross-cultural adaptability.