International students say 'yes' to China

On his second day in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Theema Saparat was still learning his way around campus. But one thing had already caught his attention: technology seemed to be everywhere, even in the most ordinary parts of daily life.

For the 18-year-old from Thailand, that was exactly why he had come here.

"China is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world, especially Shenzhen," says Saparat, who is preparing to study international organizations and global governance at the Eighth College of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen).

He is looking forward to experiencing firsthand how the city, which grew from a small fishing town into a global technology hub in just a few decades, actually works.

"I would like to experience what it's like to live in such a fast-paced environment, and learn how a rapidly developing city operates," he says.

Saparat is one of many young people from around the world arriving at CUHK-Shenzhen this summer, as the university expands its international community.

On Aug 24 and 25, 450 international undergraduate freshmen from 30 countries arrived on campus, including students from Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

Their arrival comes as the university deepens its education exchange network across the Asia-Pacific. CUHK-Shenzhen has partnerships with 55 universities across 16 APEC economies, covering about 100 programs ranging from semester exchanges and summer study to research exchanges and joint training, according to Ke Changqing, director of the university's Office of Academic Links.

The new international students are following a variety of educational paths — some are enrolled in full degree programs, others through exchange opportunities — but their presence reflects a common trend: Shenzhen is becoming not only a place to visit or do business, but also a place where young people from around the world want to study and build connections.

For the university, that international experience is meant to extend beyond the classroom.

Saparat came to CUHK-Shenzhen after looking for an English-taught university. He was attracted by its global environment and the opportunity to explore his interests in international relations and psychology.

Over the next four years, he hopes to become fluent in Mandarin, make friends in China, and experience a culture different from the one he encountered while attending high school in New Zealand.

For Massimo Jose Copeland Costanzo, 22, an international relations student from the United States, the decision to come to China was also driven by a desire to experience the country rather than form an opinion from afar.

Having lived for several years in Europe and North America, he says he wants to understand another part of the world as he approaches the beginning of his professional life.

"I truly believe that I cannot judge a place without having lived, or at least experienced, it," he says.

China also offered him a chance to broaden his international network. Copeland Costanzo, who has Mexican, Italian and US nationalities, says he hopes to build connections that could eventually help strengthen ties between his home countries and China.

Shenzhen was initially something of an accidental destination, he says, but the city quickly exceeded his expectations. He had heard it being described as China's technology capital and was especially encouraged by positive comments from businesspeople and diplomats he had met in Europe.

After nearly a week in China, he says the country had "completely outdone" his expectations.

One of his most memorable encounters was not with a technology company or a landmark, but on the metro.

During a long ride, Copeland Costanzo decided to read a book. When he sat down, a high school girl noticed it, asked to take pictures of the book, and struck up a conversation with him.

Their language skills were limited: her English was basic, while, as he jokingly put it, his Chinese was worse. But she was still eager to learn about him.

The encounter left him particularly impressed by China's friendliness and openness.

"If I had to rank China in any category, it would be number one in the 'most friendly' countries I've been to," he says.

Saparat had a similar sense of finding common ground with people from different backgrounds.

Even in his first days on campus, he found himself connecting with other international students who were also learning to navigate a new environment.

"We are going through our new lifestyles together, due to being in the same situation," he says.

That kind of everyday interaction is central to the university's approach.

Xiao Bowen, a physician and professor at CUHK-Shenzhen, says international and Chinese students generally study and live within the same system. They take the same English-taught courses, follow the same academic standards, and share campus facilities and residential life.

"International exchange does not only happen in the classroom," Xiao says. "It also happens in the dormitories, residential colleges, student clubs, and everyday life."

The university provides Chinese-language courses and other support for international students, while students can also seek internships and practical opportunities subject to relevant policies and university requirements.

The university's career services departments work with the School of Science and Engineering to provide international students with internship information, career counseling, resume assistance, and employer connections.

The aim, Xiao says, is to connect "the classroom to practice, and the campus to society".

For students like Copeland Costanzo, the value of the experience also lies in the network that forms around it.

During his stay, he has met students from Japan, Kazakhstan and Indonesia and says he was surprised by the number of international students China attracts.

Although he has been in China for only a short time, he sees a shared curiosity among students arriving from different places.

"Because I've been here such a short time, I share the curiosity with freshmen and other students," he says.

The university's Asia-Pacific engagement extends beyond exchange programs.

In May, CUHK-Shenzhen hosted the APEC young scholars forum, bringing together 56 young scholars from 13 economies and more than 800 guests and participants.

Rather than limiting the event to the academic community, the university invited its own students. About 300 students attended sessions as observers and 72 volunteered, says Chen Heng, assistant to the president of CUHK-Shenzhen.

The forum also featured students wearing traditional clothing, accompanied by music from their home cultures.

"It created a sense of familiarity and warmth," Chen says.

Participants later visited Shenzhen companies, giving them a firsthand look at the city's technology and industrial development.

For Chen, such experiences help make internationalization tangible for students, rather than simply something they read about.

The university is now exploring ways to combine coursework with internships, while expanding cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy and green development.

The Academic Links Office's Ke says the ultimate goal is not simply to increase the number of students crossing borders but to build relationships that continue after graduation.

"Today's exchange students may become researchers, entrepreneurs or professionals in different fields tomorrow," he says. "The relationships they build while studying can lay the groundwork for future cooperation."

The university has already seen former exchange students return to Shenzhen after graduation to pursue entrepreneurship, including one who entered the digital content sector and another who transformed a family audio manufacturing business into an independent brand.

For Saparat and Copeland Costanzo, however, the long-term possibilities remain open.

Saparat is only beginning to learn about the city, language and culture. Copeland Costanzo says he may eventually become more involved with the Asia-Pacific region, although he does not yet know whether that future will take him to China or elsewhere.

What they do share is a willingness to remain curious — an attitude increasingly reflected in the international students arriving at CUHK-Shenzhen.

Saparat believes China could be a good place for other young people in the region to begin their own international journey.

"China is very similar to Thailand," he says. "It is very easy to adapt to compared with Europe, America, etc. I believe it will be a very good start for many people."

Copeland Costanzo puts the idea even more simply.

"Just come with a 'yes' mindset," he says. "China is so big and unique that you need to say yes to everything."