How do you connect with people from different backgrounds? That’s a key challenge that international communities like NYU Shanghai face. It means learning alongside people from different cultures, and lived experiences. And it’s that mindset that’s at the heart of No Translation Needed, a year-long initiative launched by the Center for Student Belonging that creates space for students to connect across differences through conversation, art, and shared experiences.
No Translation Needed centers on community, self-exploration, and storytelling. Supported by a committee of four student leaders who all have gone through the LEAD Program, which cultivates social justice awareness, allyship, and inclusive leadership to create positive change on campus, the initiative organizes creative activities that emphasize listening and finding connection. “No Translation Needed is a chance to step outside your comfort zone,” Senior Manager of the Center for Student Belonging Agnes Zhu explained. “Nowadays in this world, people can get information online about how other people live without even stepping out of your house… and I think it's really important that we keep connecting with people first-hand and not from second-hand accounts, like the internet.”
The first season of No Translation Needed focused on community and self-exploration through three major events in the fall semester. One of the most impactful events, Bridging Communities, took place at LiLi Time Café, a deaf-friendly café that also provides employment for people with Down Syndrome and individuals on the autism spectrum. Participants learned basic Chinese Sign Language, practiced ordering coffee in sign language, and spoke directly with café staff about advocacy, accessibility, and connection.The moment that really captured the essence of the initiative was an impromptu dance performance by one of the employees, said Garciel Pu ’28. Watching him gracefully move throughout the cafe, she said, she realized everyone shared the same goals—to live the life they want to. “We don't have to translate anything to understand his dance,” she said.
Another No Translation Needed event, Back to the Playground: Embracing the Joy of Free Play, explored how adults and children play through a visit to an art exhibition located within the Shanghai Mental Health Center, including works by children and a collaborative art space where visitors of all ages are encouraged to create together. Visitors got a glimpse of how children see the world, express joy, and process emotions.
Library staff member Gu Erchao joined the activity and was moved by how the exhibition normalized mental health. “Therapy is an art form,” she said. “It reminds us of what true happiness and joy feel like.”
No Translation Needed student ambassador Gao Ziyue ’29 said the visit left a lasting impact. “What we take for granted is actually really precious,” she said, a reminder that in this fast-paced world, it’s important to return to play and childhood curiosity. Gao said the afternoon was “my journey of finding the essence of play.”
“I learned to embrace parts of myself I’m not confident in and I learned to be grateful for what I already am,” she said.
No Translation Needed events invite participants to reflect on the act of translation itself—who it includes, who it leaves out, and how it shapes empathy.
“Just seeing someone translate shows how much effort we are making to understand each other,” said Zhu Ziyi ’25, who participated in several of the events.
In Between Rooting and Diaspora: Mapping Our Life Trajectory, the third of the No Translation Needed events in the fall semester, participants gathered in a circle to share life stories and reflect on how their experiences were intertwined.
As each participant shared an important moment in their life, the others were invited to reflect on where they were and what they were doing at the same time. This activity helped participants to recognize how individual lives connect across time and space, and how our experiences are deeply intertwined.
Work they created during the activity will be displayed as part of an upcoming exhibition at Institute of Contemporary Arts at NYU Shanghai. At its core, No Translation Needed allows us to embrace our shared humanity. Whether connection is expressed through body movement, sign language, art, sound, or silence, the program affirms a simple truth: across backgrounds and barriers, human connection does not always need translation.
Another season of No Translation Needed is in the works. Season Two: Off the Grid, On the Road will launch in March, with a focus on traveling to new places and exploring different ways of living and moving through the world. The events will honor those who take the road less traveled. Stay tuned for more details later in the semester.