Students from both schools also shared how their lives have been impacted by the pandemic and how they have attempted to deal with the changes.

Ma Jiaojiao from the School of Media and Communication of Shanghai Jiao Tong University recalled of the time she participated in epidemic prevention and control efforts in her home village and how she helped fellow villagers sell specialty foods through livestreaming during those months of difficulty.

"The forum shows that the youngsters from China and Japan are joining hands to go through hard times together. It encapsulates the sense of social responsibility that today's university students have and their contributions to building a community with shared future," said Ding Jian, deputy director of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Japan Research Center of the university.