Arvar Raghunatha Laxmisha Rai has become one of the most beloved foreign teachers at Shandong University of Science and Technology, known by his Chinese name Liu Shan.

When Liu looks back on his 10 years of teaching at the university, which is based in Qingdao city, he says that it has been a wonderful experience. He adds that the university has become his second home.

"My Chinese name, Liu Shan, means 'staying in Shandong'," he says. "I love Shandong and Qingdao and the people and culture here."

In 2003, the Indian professor came to China for the first time. Since then, he has lived and worked in Shijiazhuang, Chengdu and Weifang, among other places, before taking a teaching position at the Shandong University of Science and Technology.

Liu Shan is a foreign professor at Shandong University of Science and Technology. [Photo/sdchina.com]

"Meeting like-minded friends at the university can give full play to my professional expertise and make me feel at home," says Liu.

Liu's courses include database technology, Visual C++, Windows Programming Technology, Computer Technology Foundations and many others.

Liu said that he learned about Massive Open Online Courses while at Harvard at an early age and traveled to Hong Kong in 2004 to learn about MOOC technology.

After arriving to teach at Shandong University of Science and Technology, he began exploring MOOC platforms and offering online courses in his areas of expertise, namely computers and mathematics.

To enable students to use the MOOC learning platform, Liu and scholars from other universities and colleges discussed teaching methods and published a monograph on MOOC courses in 2016.

Liu has also been working to promote international academic exchanges and cooperation.

The local government has recognized his contributions to Shandong's higher education system. Liu has been awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Shandong." 

He has also received the "Qilu Friendship Award", the "Qindao Island Award" and the "Outstanding Contribution Award of Qingdao Special Experts in 2019".