Recently a growing number of foreign universities, such as the University of Cambridge, are accepting China's gaokao results as one of their admission standards. Is the Chinese college entrance exam being recognized globally? Forum readers share their opinions:

Cecilia Zhang (China)

The gaokao is a really tough exam. If possible, it can be used as one of the indicators(指标) for foreign universities, in addition to other indicators, such as how well they speak the target language. The students, who perform well in the gaokao, also have the ability to successfully adapt to Western styles of education. I believe accepting the gaokao as an indicator is a win-win for Chinese students and overseas universities.

Wchao 37 (US)

In fact gaokao is perhaps much more difficult than the SAT or ACT exams. You can get a perfect score of 1600 on the SAT but not in the gaokao, partly because the SAT is a machine-scored multiple-choice exam. Do you know anyone that has ever achieved a perfect score in the gaokao?

Harry 01 (UK)

Hundreds of students from China have entered universities in the UK using their gaokao scores, which require that their knowledge of English be above a certain level This measure has benefited specific groups of students from various backgrounds in China.

Mbursian (Canada)

In order to attend a university in an English-speaking country, a student needs to have an acceptable band score on the IELTS. Most importantly, students need an acceptable knowledge of the language spoken in any country they plan to study in. Now the Chinese gaokao is closer to meeting the requirements of different countries.

Pioneers like Harvard social ecologist Stephen Kellert were among the first to champion modern biophilic design. Kellert believed that weaving nature into living and workspaces is critical for good physical and mental health.

Humans have evolved to gravitate towards nature, Kellert noted, but if we don't develop that impulse it fades. So his principles include access to natural light, air, water, plants, and gardens. Using materials such as wood and stone, natural designs such as leaf or shell patterns, and earthy colors also helps humans to feel closer to nature.

Biophilic designs can be seen in cities and buildings around the world. Modern examples include the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, with its four-storey forest garden and world's largest indoor waterfall fed by rainwater. Or the Swedish Mirrorcube tree house hotel, mainly made of used plywood and a lightweight aluminum (铝) frame wrapped around a tree.

Spectacular biophilic homes include One Central Park in Sydney apartment blocks featuring hanging gardens on the outside. The buildings recycle their own water and a suspended (悬浮的) motorized mirror system reflects sunlight down onto gardens below. Milan's Bosco Verticale block is perhaps even more eye—catching with its vertical forest of 17,000 trees, bushes, and plants.

Putting biophilic design to work for society could prevent millions in healthcare costs, with one study estimating annual savings of $93 million in the US alone. Hospital design in particular has historically been influenced by access to sunlight and views of nature. Modern buildings like the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore, with its position next to the waterfall of the Yishun Pond, are closely linked with their surroundings. The hospital channels outdoor air to cool the inside, and uses reflective sunshades to direct light into the wards to brighten them and save energy.

The aim of these designs is to emphasize the human connection to nature by integrating buildings with the local environment. But how do we bring biophilia into our homes? Start with house plants. New smart home apps can also provide sensory nature experiences such as birdsong and a projected forest canopy, helping people to carve out a restful space indoors.

But perhaps the best way to transform society with biophilic designs is to start with schools. Children learn better and feel more relaxed in biophilic settings. So the Children and Nature Network is working with schools across the US to create green schoolyards for better physical and mental health and to increase opportunities for outdoor learning.

Biophilic designers are bringing nature into classrooms through natural patterns, shapes and colors, nature photography, artwork and materials like timber and stone. Fresh air flow, green walls, and aquariums all become part of a recipe for improving health and academic success.

Researchers at the University of Washington created a new web app, Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, aimed to help children develop skills like self-awareness and emotional management.

At first, some parents were wary: In a world of Siri and Alexa, they are skeptical that the makers of such technologies are putting children's welfare first.

In Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, a chatbot guided pairs of siblings through lessons. The UW team found that, after speaking with the app for a week, most children could explain the concept of supportive self-talk and apply it in their daily lives. And kids who'd engaged in negative self-talk before the study were able to turn that habit positive.

The UW team published its findings in June at the 2023 Interaction Design and Children conference. The app is still a prototype (雏形) and is not yet publicly available. Previous studies have shown children can learn various tasks and abilities from chatbots. Yet little research explores how chatbots can help kids effectively acquire socioemotional skills.

"There is room to design child-centric experiences with a chatbot that provide fun and educational practice opportunities," said senior author Alexis Hiniker, an associate professor in the UW Information School. "Over the last few decades, television programs like ‘Sesame Street,' ‘Mister Rogers,' and ‘Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' have shown that it is possible for TV to help kids cultivate socioemotional skills. We asked: Can we make a space where kids can practice these skills in an interactive app? We wanted to create something useful and fun— a ‘Sesame Street' experience for a smart speaker."

The length of these effects isn't clear, researchers note. The study spanned just one week and the tendency for survey participants to respond in ways that make them look good could lead kids to speak positively about the app's effects.

"Our goal is to make the app accessible to a wider audience in the future," said lead author Chris (Yue) Fu, a UW doctoral student in the iSchool. "We're exploring the integration of large language models — the systems that power tech like ChatGPT — into our prototype and we plan to work with content creators to adapt existing socioemotional learning materials into our system. The hope is that these will facilitate more prolonged and effective interventions."