Global freshmen begin new chapter at CUHK-Shenzhen

Video by Ni Yongping

As the new academic year gets underway, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) has welcomed 450 international first-year undergraduate students from 30 countries and regions, including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Mongolia, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Brazil.

On Aug. 24 and 25, buses carrying the new students arrived at the university one after another. At the registration site, students greeted Shenzhen in their own languages, bringing together different cultures and perspectives as they began their university journeys in the city.

Global freshmen pose for a group photo. Photos courtesy of CUHK-Shenzhen

To make the transition smoother, the university arranged airport pickup services for international students and set up a one-stop registration area on campus. Students could complete all the necessary registration procedures at the Liwen Hall without having to travel between different locations.

CUHK-Shenzhen admitted more than 2,100 undergraduate students this year, including 450 international undergraduates.

For many of the new students, Shenzhen's rapid development and technological innovation were among the reasons they chose to study in the city.

“Shenzhen is a very prospective city because I believe it's a technological city of China,” said Rem Vafin from Uzbekistan. “I believe it has a lot of prospects for me and my career.”

Xu Yangsheng, president of CUHK-Shenzhen, poses for a selfie with an international student.

Christian, a freshman from Iraq, was drawn to Shenzhen by its business environment and technological advances, particularly in artificial intelligence.

“I chose to study in Shenzhen because of the commerce and business opportunities,” he said. “I see a lot of technological advancements here, specifically in the AI sector. I want to bring that back home to my country.”

For Ilona Pomazan from Russia, the city's technological atmosphere was evident even before she arrived on campus. She said she was particularly surprised by the number of robots she encountered in Shenzhen.

“I was extremely surprised by the presence of robots here, even in my hotel,” she said, describing a robot that delivered food directly to her room and could independently take the elevator to the correct floor.

From different corners of the world, these new students have arrived in Shenzhen with different languages, cultures and aspirations. For them, the new semester marks not only the beginning of university life, but also the start of a new chapter in a city known for technology, innovation and openness.