Universities in Guangdong welcome international students as semester begins

As the new academic year begins, universities across Guangdong are welcoming their freshman classes, which include students from all over the world.

On the morning of August 29 in Guangzhou, international students from various countries arrived at the enrollment offices of Jinan University's College of Chinese Language and Culture, excited for the start of their new journey.

International students arriving at the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Jinan University (Photo: Chen Siyuan)

Edgina, a first-year undergraduate from Indonesia, has been studying Chinese for 3 years before coming to Jinan University. "My mom likes watching Chinese chivalrous dramas at home. Because of her, I became interested in the Chinese language and culture, especially Hanfu (Han Chinese Clothing). They are so beautiful."

Among the freshmen was also Samandar, a 23-year-old from Tajikistan, who was drawn to Guangdong by its economic and trade opportunities. Having studied at a university in his homeland for 4 years though, he decided to join the undergraduate programme at Jinan University from the start.

"I want to have my own fashion business in Guangzhou after I graduate," he said when asked about his expectations for a new life. "I've heard that Guangzhou is a hub of clothing making and I want to sell the clothes to people in my own country and Russia. My Chinese language skills would be very helpful then," he added.

In Shenzhen, another metropolis of Guangdong Province, some students were attracted by the city's futuristic vibe.

Francisco Manna Melo Martinez from Brazil is a freshman at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. He decided to study in China after a friend of his father shared his experiences of living in Shenzhen.

As a new Shenzhener, he had a kind of technological shock when he saw a machine taking the plates for people in a canteen. "Everybody says that Shenzhen is the city of the future and I really think it is," he said.

Francisco Manna Melo Martinez (first on the left) and other international students at the welcoming ceremony of freshmen at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (Photo provided by CUHK-Shenzhen)