Without Go, Filip Filipovic, Noah Lauder and Kseniia Shatarova might never have become friends in China.

The three international students come from different countries and have different reasons for taking up the ancient Chinese board game Go, known in Chinese as weiqi. But through the Shanghai International Student Go Training Program, they found a shared language on the board.

The program, hosted by Fudan University, was launched on May 10 as a side event of the upcoming 10th World Collegiate Weiqi Championship. It aims to teach international students in Shanghai the fundamentals of Go while offering them a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.

More than 200 students applied, and 86 were ultimately selected. Participants came from 35 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania.

According to the organizers, the course provides systematic instruction, covering everything from the basic rules of Go to practical gameplay training. Bilingual teaching assistants are also on hand to help ensure smooth communication in the classroom.

Beyond the game itself, the program includes friendly matches, cultural workshops and hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) experiences, giving students the opportunity to learn about Chinese traditions firsthand.

Filipovic, a 29-year-old doctoral student from Serbia at Fudan University, first encountered Go while attending primary school in China.

"At first, I played chess with my schoolmates. Later, our school introduced Go classes, and that completely drew my attention," he said. "The rules are simple, but the possible variations are extremely complex. The real difficulty is much higher than that of many other board games."

Having completed both primary and middle school in China, Filipovic said Go has become an important part of how he understands Chinese culture.

"Every board game carries its own cultural heritage," he said. "Go is deeply connected to Chinese ideas of yin and yang, as well as ancient military strategy, including concepts found in Sun Tzu's The Art of War. That is what makes it so fascinating."

His Go idol is Nie Weiping, a Chinese Go master and honorary chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association.

"I used to watch him play when I was a kid," Filipovic said. "I love his fuseki and his understanding of the game. For me, it is a kind of philosophy."

For Lauder, a freshman from Australia at Fudan University, Go became appealing through another part of Chinese culture: tea.

"When I came to China, I found it really interesting how tea and board games are often enjoyed together as part of everyday life," he said. "That was when I started playing Go."

Lauder said he sees Go as a hobby that can last a lifetime.

"It is easy to get started, but there is no ceiling," he said."You can keep growing with the game."

Shatarova, a 20-year-old Russian student at Tongji University, said she was drawn to Go because of its complexity.

"Go is one of the toughest games in the world," she said."I play it to challenge myself."

She often plays with Chinese friends and said each game gives her another way to understand Chinese culture. Given the chance, she hopes to introduce Go to people in her hometown.

Zhang Zhuo, a researcher at the Institute of Journalism at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said Go can help young people connect across cultures.

"Go is a quiet form of communication because many of the ideas embodied in the game resonate with people from different cultural backgrounds," Zhang said. "The game reflects the Confucian concept of balance and moderation in Eastern philosophy, while also sharing similarities with ideas found in Western cultural traditions."

She said training programs and competitions can make traditional Chinese culture more accessible to young people worldwide.

"Go is a cultural symbol that transcends ideology and serves as an important bridge for exchanges between civilizations," she said.

The 10th Annual World Collegiate Weiqi Championship will be held at Fudan University from July 7 to 13. Players from across the globe will gather in Shanghai to compete and build friendships through the centuries-old board game.