Shekou MSCE celebrates 9th anniversary

The Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE) will celebrate its ninth anniversary June 28, marking nearly a decade of efforts to foster international integration.

Participants display mugwort bouquets they created while wishing the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE) a happy ninth anniversary during a Dragon Boat Festival celebration at Hotel Mumian Shenzhen Houhai in Nanshan District on June 16. Photos courtesy of Shekou MSCE

From its early days to current role as a vital community hub, the Shekou MSCE has consistently served as a bridge for communication and a platform for cultural exchange, helping thousands of expat residents take root and thrive in Shekou.

Members of Global Trotters, Shekou's dragon boat team, and staffers of Shekou MSCE pose for a group photo before the Houhai Central River Fun Dragon Boat Race in Shekou on June 13.

(From L) Elli Pfeil, Jennifer Pordan, Gerald Lawrence Manuel, Luz Darmely Rodriguez Maldonado, Marina Vilchinskaia, Carol Yeung, Oliver Smith, Andrey Sudin, Kelly Johana Diaz Camargo and Norov Timur, part of the Global Trotters dragon boat team, pose for a group photo celebrating the ninth anniversary of the Shekou MSCE.

The past year has been defined by a series of events and provincial-level recognition. The Shekou MSCE hosted high-profile China-Italy art exchange activities to facilitate dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures, while its Morning and Night School programs continued to empower expatriates with the skills needed to navigate life in Shenzhen. 

Notably, it was selected as one of the first INFO Guangdong International Community Information Service Points, and its international volunteer initiatives were recognized among the provincial Top 10 Outstanding Cases. Stewart John Hansen, a New Zealand volunteer with the Shekou International Volunteer Team, was named a 2025 Guangdong Provincial Volunteer Service Exemplar.

(Above) Courtney Gumson and Robert C. Walkins IV send out wishes to Shekou MSCE on the accasion of the ninth anniversary.

Over the past year, the Shekou MSCE hosted research delegations from various foreign consulates and the National Immigration Administration, while its original event series “Hot Topics in Shekou” and “Wandering in Shekou” were also well received.

As the 2026 APEC Summit is set to be held in Shenzhen in November, the Shekou MSCE has unveiled a fresh layout featuring the "Hello APEC" Shekou Cultural Market and the "APEC Volunteers Talk" activities.

International students from Thailand attend the "Hello APEC" Cultural Market: Taste Southeast Asia event June 14.

Yang Yan, director of the Shekou MSCE, said the center also aims to continuously upgrade its foreign-related legal and compliance services, while establishing a premier exchange platform for culture, economy, and trade within the Asia-Pacific region.

Yang expressed heartfelt gratitude to the foreign residents, international volunteers, and partner organizations who have walked alongsidethe center over the years. “Shekou MSCE remains committed to deepening grassroots international services and building an inclusive, open community,” said Yang. 

Staff members of the Shekou MSCE celebrate the center's ninth anniversary.