he Backpack Reporting and Research Team from Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), consisting of two teachers and eight students, travelled to Paris, France to research local people’s opinions on the beauty and the relevant cultural interactions.

Research on personal insights into beauty

The team travelled to the beauty and drugstore market in Paris to interview local people about their brand preferences and their views on beauty and makeup. Through the investigation, the team found that young people prefer natural and organic skincare products, emphasizing basic moisturizing and simplified skincare routines. Local people also reported that they pay attention to skincare products' laboratory testing or clinical trial data, and its non-polluting nature.

Communication with local companies

To explore new models of university-enterprise cooperation, the team discussed with some employees from L'Oréal about the aesthetic concepts of people in generation Z. Zhang Ningjing from Lancôme and Benedetta Borghi from Valentino shared their experiences in advertising and designing products for customers from different cultures with two case studies: Lancôme: Chinese New Year Gift and Valentino: Colour Experiment without Stopping.

Explorations about the beauty of city rivers

The team members interviewed local citizens and tourists in the banks of the Seine, the Église Saint-Sulpice, and the Jardin du Luxembourg. They found many local people believe that the curve of the Seine connects the various districts of Paris as a whole and adds to the spirit of unity. Some tourists also said that the Seine River is the link between diverse cultures and also fits well with the Chinese concept of unity.

While meeting with some teachers and students from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3, they also shared their views on the significance of the Seine River to Paris and the Suzhou River and Huangpu River to Shanghai. The topic of the discussion covered art and culture along the Seine River, government policies, urban planning, and sustainable development.

Group research about civil interaction activities

Each of the four groups also researched and reported some non-governmental exchanges and cultural interactions.

For example, focusing on the phenomenon of “Green book stalls along the Seine in Paris to be demolished for the Olympics”, Zhu Yingyu and Wang Yixiang gathered the perspectives of booksellers, citizens and tourists on the demolition and transfer of these bookstalls.

Most of the interviewers said that the old bookshops were a part of the history and culture of Paris and that it was a pity to demolish them, hoping that a more appropriate solution would be found.

Dong Jiaqi and Yan Yuge visited the Olympic souvenir shops in the Carrousel du Louvre and Les Halles shopping areas in Paris to learn about the design and sale of souvenirs for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The shop's most popular items are stuffed animals and pigeon pins of the Olympic mascot, les Phryges.

“The Parisian culture and Olympic spirit reflected in the Olympic souvenir shop appealed to me,” said a photographer who shot in the shop.

Wang Yixiang, a team member, said that he was excited because it was his first time going abroad, and he gained experience in interviews and also experienced the local culture in France during the research process.

Zhang Chunyu, teacher from SISU and the leader of the team, stated that this activity in Paris not only enhances students’ abilities in international news reporting and cross-cultural communication, but also improves their skills in organizing, analyzing, and interpreting research data.