1月30日，英国首相斯塔默刚落地上海，就直奔豫园。买一份香酥的蝴蝶酥，走一走九曲回廊，行至湖心亭时，他登上“海上第一茶楼”，在这里收获了一份特别的惊喜——来自东华大学上海国际时尚创意学院（SCF）学生设计制作的中英元素花灯艺术装置。

这组花灯藏满跨洋巧思，一侧错落排布着红色双层巴士、巴特斯发电站、格伦芬南高架桥、巨人之路等英国地标，一条象征黄浦江与泰晤士河的流水纹样将这些元素串联，仿佛让两条河流跨越山海交汇。另一侧，以唐宁街“首席捕鼠官”拉里猫为原型的花灯憨态可掬，一下吸引了斯塔默的目光。“首相特别喜欢这只猫灯，还笑着说想把它带回英国呢。”SCF学生李昕蔚笑着透露。而值得一提的是那盏饰有典型苏格兰格纹的马头灯饰，“今年是马年，我们特意设计了这款马头，还融入了代表英国元素，让祝福更有心意。”

交流现场，学子们聊起花灯设计里的细节，从地标选型到纹样融合，再到两河串联的寓意，话语朴实却真切；也分享了在中英合作课程里的学习体会，说起跨文化设计中的灵感碰撞，眼里满是光亮。

“我们希望用设计语言搭建一座无形的桥。”SCF学生代晨悦，指尖轻抚过灯组上的雕花栏杆，向记者讲述创作初心，“黄浦江是上海的脉搏，泰晤士河是伦敦的灵魂，我们用竹篾勾勒河道曲线，以透光纱布模拟水波，再将拉里猫、双层巴士这些英国民众熟悉的符号，与马年生肖、传统云纹结合，让每一处细节都藏着‘跨越山海、共生共荣’的期许。”为了让苏格兰格纹与中国传统纹样自然衔接，团队查阅了数十种纹样典籍，还专门请教了学校的英国导师，在中英设计思维的碰撞中找到了平衡点。

“这些同学来自服装设计与环境设计专业，作品是文化的纽带，也藏着我们的办学初心。”东华大学教授温润介绍，学校与英国爱丁堡大学合作已经有十二个年头，与英国渊源深厚。“我们一直坚持项目制、跨文化的国际化办学特色，注重培养学生的可持续设计思维，这次的作品就是学生们把建模、纹样设计与服装设计结合起来的成果，既体现了中英合作精神，也承载着我们培养国际化人才的愿景。”

暮色渐浓，豫园的灯火次第亮起，花灯上的地标、流水、小猫与马头在光影中愈发灵动。这场即兴的文化邂逅，没有冗长的致辞，却在一赏一品、一问一答间，让中英文化的暖意悄然流淌。

SCF学子用一把剪刀、几根竹篾，加上跨界的设计巧思，编织出跨越山海的情谊，也让豫园的新春灯火，成为两国人文交流与教育合作的生动注脚。

（SCF师生合影）

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On January 30, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer toured Yuyuan Garden, a more than 450-year-old landmark located in Shanghai, where he enjoyed a series of themed lanterns designed by students from Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation (SCF), a joint institute between Donghua University and the University of Edinburgh, and held exchanges with SCF student representatives.

During the visit to the Huxin Pavilion, SCF students presented lantern works that creatively combine traditional Chinese craftsmanship with iconic British cultural elements. Student representatives Elaina, Stephanie, Vivian, and Edison introduced the design concepts and artistic details of the works to Prime Minister Starmer.

The lanterns feature UK symbols such as London’s red double-decker buses, Scotland’s Glenfinnan Viaduct, and Larry the Cat, the Chief Mouser of Downing Street, integrated with horse-head motifs decorated in traditional Scottish tartan patterns. The designs reflect a thoughtful fusion of Chinese folk art and British cultural imagery, emphasizing cross-cultural dialogue and mutual appreciation.

Prime Minister Starmer expressed strong interest in the students’ work and praised the designs for their creativity and cultural depth. He remarked humorously that he “hoped to take the lanterns back to the UK,” and commended the students for their role in fostering people-to-people exchange through artistic expression.

The conversation also highlighted the outcomes of long-running collaboration between Donghua University and the University of Edinburgh. Drawing on the academic strengths of both universities, SCF adopts joint teaching teams and a global approach to design education, with a strong emphasis on creativity and innovation.

Students at SCF receive systematic training that combines global perspectives with local cultural understanding, enabling them to engage confidently in international dialogue and creative collaboration. The lantern designs showcased during the visit were seen as a concrete demonstration of the quality of talents cultivated through this joint educational model.

SCF has previously received the China–Scotland Business Award, reflecting its achievements in advancing high-quality Sino-UK cooperation in higher education. University representatives noted that SCF serves as a model for cultivating internationally minded young professionals in the fields of fashion, design, and creative industries.

Looking ahead, both universities will continue to deepen collaboration, expand academic exchange and joint training programmes, and nurture talents with global vision and cultural confidence, contributing to sustained cultural dialogue and cooperation between China and the UK.